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'A big part of me knows this is ridiculous': Mom asks internet if she should shave her 6-year-old's legs

<i>Getty Images</i>
Getty Images

A mom is stirring online debate after taking to a parenting forum to ask if she should get rid of her 6-year-old daughter’s body hair.

The mom took to Mumsnet under the username TellerTuesday4Eva.

A big part of me knows this is ridiculous, but there’s another part that wants [my daughter] to make her own choices,” she wrote.

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Mom takes to an online forum to get advice on six-year-old daughter’s body hair <em>(Photo via Mumsnet)</em>
Mom takes to an online forum to get advice on six-year-old daughter’s body hair (Photo via Mumsnet)

“She has and always has had very hairy legs and a hairy lower back. I presumed it was baby down, and would go away in time, but it hasn’t and it’s gone darker as she’s gotten older.”

She said that she’s had conversations with her daughter about how all bodies are different, but the young girl still can’t help but notice that other girls her age don’t have the same amount of hair as she does.

“In the summer she became aware of it,” she continued. “She asked me if there was a way to get rid of the hair, we talked about it and everyone’s bodies being different.”

“Since she’s gone back to school she’s mentioned it again quite a few times. I have to point out here that nobody else has mentioned it, classmates etc. It’s [my daughter] herself that has the issue… she’s now getting upset about swimming and not wanting to go because she says when her legs get wet it looks worse. The hair’s quite long so when it gets wet and lays flat she is right in what she’s saying.”

The mom then asked what Mumsnet users would do in a similar situation.

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<i>Mumsnet</i>
Mumsnet

She received a floor of support — with many parents actually saying they’d help their child remove the hair safely.

I was a very hairy child (well still am quite) and I desperately wanted how shaven but my mum wouldn’t let me. I did it myself when I was 13 without my parents – with a cheap Bic razor! I think helping her is better than refusing and then her doing it herself,” wrote one commenter.

I would help her remove the hair. It’s really embarrassing being the first hairy girl, and just because her peers haven’t noticed yet, doesn’t mean they won’t. She’s not comfortable with the hair on her legs, and given most women choose to remove theirs, she’s not expressing a controversial opinion that is likely to change when she gets older,” added another. “If when she’s a teen she decides to hell with it, she’d rather be hairy all over, the hair will grow back. It’s not an irreversible decision or something she’ll grow out of.”

The mom updated Mumsnet users saying that after speaking with her daughter, they’re going to proceed with hair removal.

“Thank you all so much for your replies. I was well prepared to get flamed, but overwhelmed with how supportive you’ve all been,” she wrote. “We’ve talked about it at length tonight and decided that we’ll try a mitt first to see what the outcome is.”

What do you think? What age is acceptable for body hair removal?

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