How old were you when you started shaving your legs?

Has she got any hair on them?

Never even considered it at Junior School, waited until I was 15 ?.

Wish I had been allowed earlier because I played a lot of sports, but my parents didn't want me growing up too quickly.

NINE!?!!!!!

i was probably 11-12 ?!

I was definitely in Junior School, (I remember us talking about it in the school hall) but I think I would have been 10 by that time.

9 is far too young!

My daughter is 11 and doesnt need to shave her's yet. I was about 13 - I wasnt hairy and am still not.

Around 13 i reckon.

No no no. That sounds far too young. And not something you impose on your daughter to fit your own aesthetic desires. And waxing hurts - why would any mother do that to their young child?

I was maybe 13 ish. But I didn't shave regularly (or, indeed, with any pattern); it was more about feeling grown up. I only ever bared my legs at school during sports, so it wasn't a high priority for me.

It's also concerning that Mum is promoting sexuality and the importance of physical grooming at such a young age. She should be falling off bikes and making up dances with mates, not trying to be Victoria Beckham.

At what point would this constitute abuse?

JEEEZ! 9 YEARS OLD? I think I was about 12, year 8 PE was the reason.

Don't remember exactly but I'd say about 13ish.

9 is way too young IMO for shaving let alone waxing!!

Hasn't your stepdaughter already started her periods?

My son's friend started developing in junior school and he hated getting ready for PE as the other boys would stare at his hair.

Controversially if my daughter was an early developer and the hair on her legs was causing her to feel uncomfortable and different to other girls, I would consider removing it. How is she trying to make her grow up too fast when her body is already changing early?

I was definitely in secondary school, probably the summer of my first year (so I'd have been 12). I remember having asked my mum previously and she'd said no and I'd asked her again. I wasn't very hairy, but I had tanned legs and blonde hairs so they were all shiny!

In general terms I'd say 9 is too young, but you've previously posted that she seems to be growing up fast. Is she dark haired? Have you seen her legs?

I reckon I definitely shaved before secondary school, so around 10 maybe?

Waxing is extreme though ?

9 is too young,unless she has started developing.

I was about 10/11,as that's when I needed to. Shaving,not waxing.

I'm 26, and still don't wax my legs

She hasnt started her periods, she has started getting breast buds and she is mature for her age, but she has blonde hair and her legs arent hairy. She is just a normal 9 year old.

I'm really quite upset about it. I do feel as though her mum is pushing her to grow up fast. At the weekend she was colouring in with her new books and pens, playing with her dolls and doing my hair. Then she goes home last night from dancing and her mums is saying she's gona wax her legs because they're 'so hairy'

M has never mentioned having hairy legs to us and is always prancing around naked after a shower! She has no worries about her body.

When H said that M doesnt need her legs done, his ex said 'Have you seen them? they're well hairy' <---------- THIS is what bugs me. M isnt uncomfortable about her body. Her mum is putting it on her. And its her mums decision to do this.

I completely agree that if it was really bothering her then you teach her how to deal with it, but its not.

I just wanted to get other people's opinions in case i'm not moving with the times.

I agree. I didn't start shaving until about 10 or 11 I think, but some girls are more 'advanced' at 9 than others are at 15. By the age of 10 I'd started my periods and had developed boobs. It was hard enough feeling different without also having hairy legs!!

If the hair is making her feel uncomfortable I'd have no problem letting her remove it. Of course it's not right if her mother is making her feel insecure, but the fact of the matter is that most adult women remove the hair on their legs for societal reasons. Whatever the reason, if your SD herself wants to shave her legs, I'd let her.

ETA: Cross-posted... I see more what you mean now. I wouldn't say it's majorly unusual for a 9yo to be shaving but it's less 'necessary' if she's got fine blonde hairs that aren't really visible and if she doesn't want to of course.

If it's because her mother wants her to, its wrong at any age, especially 9!

I was about 12 when I was finally allowed to. My mum wanted me to not have to worry about things like that for as long as possible and refused to let me shave my legs any earlier. Unfortunately I was a very early developer (7) and I was miserable about my body hair. I can understand why my mum didn't want me to have to concern myself with shaving at that age, but I was so self conscious about it I would wear jeans and jumpers in the hight of summer. So if, God forbid, the same happens to my daughter, I would allow her to shave if she insisted (on my hands and knees praying it doesn't)

The fact is, M has never mentioned it to me, and we're very close. Hence my upset at the things her mum says to her.

The other thing that annoys me is that their mum has missed 3 appts for them at the dentist - both children have cavities and my SS is even suffering with a rotting tooth. She missed 3 appts because she was late to them or was 'too busy' to take them. Yet she's go out of her way to make sure M doesnt have hairy legs.

I think you can probably tell I'm not her biggest fan.

I was 13.

Mum wouldn't allow it before then.

That's disgraceful!!

I know EF. I hate it. She calles SS fat all the time too. Hate it. She's hardly Miss World herself.

You're telling me Cilla!

I think I was 13/14 before I shaved mine (never waxed my legs and I'm 29). We wore long socks for PE or trackie bottoms so no one noticed if anyone was hairier than others.

I would think 9 was too young, unless she was developing so soon. How does your step-daughter get on with her mum, would she be comfortable saying she didn't want to wax them to her or would she just go along with it? I can't understand her mum wanted to wax anyway - waxing hurts, why inflict that on a 9yo?

Oh, sorry I thought she had. In that case, I wouldn't dehair her then.

I may get slated for saying this, but if you're concerned about her growing up too early, why did you throw her a TOWIE themed birthday party?

ETA For some reason the quote of your reply to me didn't show up...

Hi twin!

She wants to wax her because if she shaves the hair will come back thicker. My question is why is she doing anything at all!!??

She gets on fine with her mum, she will go along with it cos her mum will make out she needs it. And if your mum tells you you need something, you dont really question it.

this is a good point, TOWIE is awful! (for children, not in general as i kno we habve huge YOWIE fans amongst us!)

I wont slate you, its a valid question. The reason for that was because we dont let her wear make up etc, we thought it would be a treat to let her and her friends act like grown ups for a while, in a controlled way. I would rather we were there making it something fun and one off, than her thinking it was normal to wear loads of make up during the day at her age. We all dressed in a way that meant we were making fun of people who wear tons of slap.

She is a very girly girl and the make up she wore was sparkly lips, a bit of eyeshadow, with glitter tattoos etc. by the end of the night she had wiped it all off and was conducting an aerobics lesson in the front room!

I can't remember how old I was but it must have been around 12ish when I started swimming lessons - we had jogging bottoms for P.E.

I cannot imagine the pain she would feel by having her legs waxed so young!! There's no way I would do that to my daughter at 9.

My step daughter is 12 and had recently started to shave her legs. I suggested she might want to start because they were really hairy. She's blond-ish and they stood out. She was ever so thankful to me for suggesting it.

I've plucked her eyebrows for her too, they needed a little tidy.

So even though she was OK not shaving, you pointed it out to her? Why?

11. 'Big school'. Even if they are hairy, a wax at 9?! ?

I was 11, pale skinned and dark haired so it needed to be done. My SD (lives with us) was 13 before we would let her - pale skin very fair haired and it didn't need doing. She asked from joining senior school and we said as soon as you could noticably see they were hairy she could and then we went through the reasons why. She accepted it no problem - now shave legs underarms and I have to do her bikini line - the jobs you get as a mother ?

Did I say she was alright with not shaving?

I pointed it out because they were hairy and needed shaving. She's a growing girl. It's all part of growing up.