Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Venus “Talking To Our Daughters Firsts” program.†I was selected for this opportunity as a member of BlogHer, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
†
First babies are hard.
I have been blessed with a very kind and caring first child, but I still think the first child can be tough.
For me the hardest part is knowing when to let her grow up.
(Which, in truth, is†humorous†because†it’s going to happen whether I permit it or not.)
There are so many things about her right now that I want to remain, but I know they will change as she gets older.
I love that I can pay her for babysitting with Kit-Kat bars instead of cash.
Every night she has the opportunity to stay up past bedtime if she earns it by doing a household chore or two. I cringe at the thought she might realize that a 7:00 pm bedtime really isn’t realistic for a 13 year old. And yet every night she helps me clean up just to “stay up late” until 8:30.
I love that punishment to her is taking away her latest novel. It’s like threatening to take away a child’s math book or homework.
I love that she can eat a†ridiculous†amount of carbs and not gain a single pound.
I adore that she sincerely doesn’t care about what others think about her. I know this will change and probably sooner rather than later.
I love that we can have an entire neighborhood of children in my backyard, and she can yield their attention like the Pied Piper.
And most of all, I love how forgiving she is when I make motherhood mistakes. I have told her so many times,†I am sorry. I have never done this before!
Before my daughter turned thirteen, she approached me about a few things that I should have thought of months before. Mostly girly stuff like makeup and wanting new shoes purely for style rather than necessity.
She also brought up shaving.
My reply: “Shaving is just like when you were six and desperately wanted eye glasses even though you didin’t need them. Then you turned seven and had to get them and hated wearing them every single day!”
She didn’t listen, and I didn’t waste my time arguing. Shaving is a rite of passage in a way. Whether you want to jump off a diving board or not, you have to at least try it once in your lifetime. (Fortunately we don’t have to keep diving if we are terrified the first time!)
The thing I adore about her is she is very†observant. Right away she noted I should probably pick her up a pink razor and shaving cream just for girls.
“I don’t want to use Dad’s smelly shaving cream like you do.”
Pfff. That girl is too smart for her own good.
So we sat down on the edge of the tub together, just like my mother did with me, and we giggled as we opened up brand new Venus Embrace razors (don’t think I didn’t spoil myself with one too!) and together shaved our legs.
I had forgotten how nice a new razor is, and I am slightly†embarrassed†to admit I have never splurged on women’s shaving cream before. We both tried out the new Satin Care†Passionista Fruit shaving gel. Oh my stars! That is the best †smelling stuff I have ever used in my life! In between much giggling, we both laughed about who had the softest and silkiest feeling legs! And the sparkling fruity scent is heavenly!
I must admit, I am now in love with the Venus Embrace razor. It boasts FIVE blades and a ribbon of moisture promoting a soft shave with fewer cuts. My†daughter†didn’t have a single cut when she was done, quite the opposite from when I was her age! The Venus Embrace also has a nicely sized, soft-grip handle, and the blades can easily be changed with†refills. Love that!
I must also admit, I was†surprised†at how much fun we had shaving together. Sometimes talking about things for the first time can be so hard, but I am grateful for a†daughter†who has helped me along the way!
In celebration of my†daughter’s†firsts (and myself for†surviving†them!) Venus has offered to sponsor a fabulous†giveaway!†One of you has the chance to win a $50 Visa gift card! Wahoo! †To enter for a chance to win just leave a comment below answering the following question:
What are some of the ways you tackle conversations like shaving (or other tough “firsts”) with your daughter?
You have two chances to win! First by answering the†questions†below, and second my sharing this promotion on Facebook, Twitter, or your blog. Please paste the shared URL in the comments for your second entry.
Good luck!
(With both the giveaway, and teaching your teen the art of shaving!)
Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 5/21 – 6/30.
Be sure to visit the Venus Brand feature page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggersí reviews and find more chances to win!†If you have a first-time shaver in your home, you should check out some of these great tips from Venus Embrace!
†
at 8:38 am
I wanna win! Scared out of my mind cause I will be the mother of a teenager in just 18 short months!
at 9:31 am
I don’t have any daughters yet, but I remember my mom was very supportive when I wanted to start shaving my legs. She even let me use her bathroom so I could shave sitting on the edge of her tub- even though I was really slow at first and just shaving my legs took me almost two hours!
at 10:19 am
When my daughter was a teenager I think I was very supportive, and encouraged her to shave her legs in a safer way.
at 10:22 am
twitt:
https://twitter.com/#!/rosorior/status/204607657305321475
roso1946@gmail.com
at 10:36 am
My daughter is too young still (she’s 2) but I remember my mom reading “Where do I come from?” with me to teach me about the facts of life.
at 10:36 am
tweet–https://twitter.com/#!/mami2jcn/status/204610651161755648
at 10:59 am
I don’t have a daughter, but I remember my Mom helped me a lot when I just started shaving. She got me my first Venus razor.
at 11:01 am
https://twitter.com/#!/ElenaIstomina/status/204617852861419520
at 12:37 pm
The thougth of it simply makes me want to cry, I have to prepare to discuss anything of the growing up part, so I’ll prepare and prepare myself sick and do/say what I have to. The thought of anyone else like a friend doing these simple but so memorable things brings the mama bear in me.
at 12:54 pm
My 6-yr-old daughter asked me the other day about how baby chicks are made, and why some eggs don’t turn into chicks and we eat them. We talked about fallopian tubes, fertilization by roosters, etc. I loved how we were able to have a “safe” conversation about reproduction this early in her life, without her connecting it to the tough “where do babies come from?” question yet!
at 1:05 pm
my daughter is only 4 mos old but when gets older im going to teach her to be honest and to be happy !
at 1:05 pm
https://twitter.com/#!/akronugurl/status/204648900009803777
at 2:02 pm
I don’t have any daughters yet, but I remember I wanted to shave my legs for the Lagoon day at school, and my mom was pretty supportive and showed me how.
at 2:31 pm
Wow, I hope when my daughter gets to be of age that we can giggle in the bathroom together about it!
at 5:42 pm
I haven’t had any first with my daughter but I do have a shaving first with my son! I am hairy, my husband is hairy so go figure my babies are HAIRY! The other night me and my boy took a shower and I told him “if you want the ladies to love you you got to get rid of that hair on your back! So I told him that the shave cream was like lotion and it would moisturizer his skin so he was cool. Between our new razor and some fabulous shave cream his back was as smooth as butter! It was a great bonding moment between mother and son! Where would we be without razors and a good cream…France?
at 6:27 pm
Okay, so I don’t sound creepy, my son is almost 3. Yes, he is that hairy that I shaved his back hair!
Mandy recently posted..Liberty Park show on Friday!
at 6:12 pm
just be straight-forward, honest, and keep a sense of humor when talking with your kids
thepryfamily@gmail.com
at 6:15 pm
https://twitter.com/#!/thepryfamily2/status/204726277716975617
thepryfamily@gmail.com
at 6:22 pm
It is nice to think back on doing things to help my daughters through some of those personal issues. Now maybe I will be there for granddaughters like the example my own Mom set for my girls.
at 6:35 pm
My daughter is only 4, but I keep my explanations simple and always remind her how pretty and smart she is!
at 6:36 pm
tweeted
https://twitter.com/kellydsaver/status/204732257804627968
at 7:21 pm
I definitely try to be honest with my 6 year old, but try to keep my explanations really simple.
at 7:21 pm
I let my girls shave whenever they first asked. I knew they were a little young, but I felt like my mom made me wait too long and I was embarrassed. As I suspected they got tired of it really fast and took a long break before doing it on a regular basis again.
at 7:25 pm
I think women’s razors are better than when we were learning how to shave. I remember cutting my legs all the time! Thank goodness my daughter may have it a little easier!
at 8:25 pm
i would talk WITH her not AT her.. it always helps to listen
at 8:26 pm
tweet
https://twitter.com/#!/MeandBells/status/204759696702316545
at 9:53 pm
when i feel the time is right I will sit down. listen, talk to her and answer any questions she may have. I also have a book to help
at 9:53 pm
tweet
https://twitter.com/#!/1amypugmire/status/204782000849166337
at 10:15 pm
Yah…so I don’t have a daughter, but I hope to someday. I don’t envy all you moms out there that have to start talking about all the fun “girl” things. I would love to win this though!
at 7:06 am
I’ll write about my husband’s first time dressing our little girl for church, we have four boys and then had her. I laid out all the clothes- the white tights, the dress, the button up white sweater. I didn’t notice until we were sitting at church that he didn’t know how to dress a little girl. She had white sport socks underneath her white tights! The button up white sweater was all buttoned up- underneath her flowery dress! She reminded me of a baby in South America- layers and layers of clothes. I looked at her and couldn’t stop laughing. And of course, my husband couldn’t figure out what I was laughing at. I went to the mother’s room and fixed her clothing. We still don’t feel like we’ve got things figured out as to girls (or boys for that matter), its a good thing kids are so forgiving.
at 11:41 am
I don’t have any teenage girls–just a boy, but I think it is good to be interested in their lives and be willing to make time for them… Thanks for a chance to win and have a great day!
kmassmanATgmailDOTcom
at 3:02 am
It is certainly not easy to be a parent, especially tackling those tough “first” conversations with my kids. But the best way I prefer is openness and be honest and straight forward. That’s the way I preferred to be treated, so, I’ll do the same with my kids.
Amy [at] utry [dot] it
at 3:03 am
tweeted: https://twitter.com/uTry_it/status/205947055703724032
Amy [at] utry [dot] it
Amy Tong recently posted..Orange Marmalade with Meyer Lemon
at 4:00 pm
Just plain honesty. It’s the approach that always works best.!
at 1:54 pm
I think if you have a good relationship with your kids as they’re growing up, all important conversations will come much more naturally.
thismomwins@gmail.com
at 1:55 pm
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/thismomwins2/status/206470132313227265
thismomwins@gmail.com
at 1:01 am
Being honest and being a good listener too.
at 10:14 pm
Be honest and realistic are best tips from my experience.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
at 10:14 pm
https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/206961615436906496
at 10:24 am
I would say to be patient and understanding. Share with your daughter a personal childhood/teenage memory of your own!
at 10:25 am
https://twitter.com/aes529/status/208957186150371329
at 8:06 am
This post is adorable! My younger is almost 13, and she is very personal. I mentioned that we could do this together, as you did, and she looked at me like I was crazy!! I will pick up one of these razors, and the shave cream you mentioned, and try to ease my way into the bathroom with her. I’m betting she will lock the door! She’s a sweetie, and even still cuddles, but won’t want me there while she shaves!
at 8:08 am
I tweeted! https://twitter.com/kellystilwell/status/210010088293937154
Kelly Stilwell recently posted..Virtual Schooling Works
at 9:50 am
My daughter is too young. I’m going to teach her just be herself and honest
at 9:51 am
https://twitter.com/HappyTina0115/status/210036001995898881
at 2:24 pm
My daughter is only 9 and so I DREAD these conversations! But I’m planning on tackling it head-on with honesty and openness!
I tweeted as well!
Jenn
at 1:59 pm
It is easy to talk with kids to tell them about life… it is natural and they should be talked with frequently over the years. Just tell the truth, treat them with respect, and trust that they are smart enough to understand.
In regards to shaving, that is a cultural thing that we do to “fit in” to society, and that is how I will explain it.
KDSyrjala @ gmail.com
at 7:47 am
tweet
http://twitter.com/tnshadylady/status/211816808230035457
at 11:53 am
by doing it over a meal so you can both process while you chew!
at 11:53 am
https://twitter.com/DesMoinesDealin/status/211878770653675520
at 2:52 pm
My tip is to be calm and treat your child with respect; treating them like an adult will allow them the choice of starting to act like an adult.
at 6:34 pm
My daughter is only (almost) two, so we haven’t had those big conversations yet, but when we do, I hope to be honest and listen well.
chambanachik@gmail.com
at 12:09 am
I have 2 daughters, ages 17 yrs and 14years, 11months and 2weeks
(she will be 15 at the end of next month).
My older daughter approached me at about 12.5 years old asking “ME – her MoM” to shave her. We had talked about it and decided to go the safest way and most Green, was an electric one. I shaved her at first for a couple of weeks, then her, all by herself, while sitting on the closed toilet seat. Now at seventeen, she now does it in the shower. On the other hand, my younger and more dare-devilish Daughter, went straight to shaving with the cream and razor and shaved prior to showering. Mind you, that we also had to clean up all the shave cream on the floor, along with any razors. And lastly, we had to get out the biggest “steptic” pencil we had ever seen. (I am sure you know why…
“First Time Shaving” without any help from dearest “MOTHER”.
at 5:49 pm
just try to be open and honest about everything so it doesn’t feel awkward or embarassing….instead it is just part of life.
at 1:51 am
Tackle conversations especially tough “firsts” with my daughter is not easy but not too difficult, some of the ways were having the conversation with her honestly and to share my past experience, she was interested to listen and learn.
ctong2[at]gmail[dot]com
at 1:53 am
I tweeted about this promotion: https://twitter.com/ctong2/status/213901924980887552
ctong2[at]gmail[dot]com
at 2:30 am
tweet: https://twitter.com/syytta/status/214273741222449153
songyueyu at gmail
at 7:16 pm
things like shaving are simply a fact of life – just be open and honest – sharing a mother -daughter day helps too!
at 7:37 pm
tweeted here:
https://twitter.com/bellows22/status/214894593370624002
at 3:29 pm
my daughter is still a baby so I haven’t had to have any “talks” with her yet
karinaroselee at gmail dot com
at 3:29 pm
https://twitter.com/karinaroselee/status/215194559725060096
at 5:37 pm
I don’t have kids, but as a child I appreciated Mom being honest and available
at 5:39 pm
https://twitter.com/LAMusing/status/215589550456705024
at 5:41 pm
My daughter was pretty easy – just try not to be uptight (I was on occasion) and it’s much easier
at 11:32 am
tweet-https://twitter.com/CrazyItalian0/status/217309369853939713
at 11:33 am
I think being open with your kids is my best advice. Thanks for the chance to win!
gina.m.maddox (at) gmail (dot) com
at 10:17 pm
I often tried to make these talks part of our ordinary conversation. I also got an illustrated book and used it because books were part of our life every day. They didn’t think anything about it because it was just part of what we did.
at 2:16 pm
I am honest with my daughter no matter what we talk about.
at 5:38 pm
When we have one of those ‘firsts conversations’, I just make sure my kids know that they can ask me any questions.
at 9:22 pm
I’d have to say that honesty is the best policy in any ‘first’ moment. Be honest and be comfortable and your kids will trust you!
coriwestphal at msn dot com
at 9:29 pm
Tweet: http://twitter.com/coriwestphal/statuses/218546617480003584
coriwestphal at msn dot com
Cori Westphal recently posted..Filippo Berio Olive Oil #review #imabzzagent
at 9:12 am
Tweet – https://twitter.com/willitara/status/218723622523650048
at 9:21 am
Well I have one of the DOT first period kits and I reviewed it with her and talked about getting period when in school and what to do
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
at 9:23 am
tweet
https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/218725113145724929
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
at 4:27 pm
just be open and honesnt, we are very open with our daughter which makes conversations like this easy. sweepmorey at gmail dot com
at 4:27 pm
tweeted https://twitter.com/mommysdizzy/status/218833076510392320
at 7:15 pm
My best tip is to approach the conversation and answer only the questions your child has at the time – don’t overwhelm them with information they may not be ready to deal with.
at 7:27 am
No kids here, but my mom had a funny way of discussing shaving with me when I was 11. I came home and told her that the girls in my gym class were teasing me because I didn’t shave yet. She huffed and that night, when she was taking her bath, she invited me in to watch what shaving really was. I watched her shave her legs, armpits, and bikini area and was horrified by how long it took and how careful she had to be. I didn’t start shaving until I was 13. LOL
angie lilly recently posted..Tagetes patula by FotoMacro
at 7:28 am
I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/MsTofuFairy/status/219059081812520962
angie lilly recently posted..Tagetes patula by FotoMacro
at 9:17 am
My daughter is a teenager…quite honestly I was “nervous” about tough
first conversation…took the plunge and found she wanted to know things..this helped ..I believe being honest is helpful
thanks
at 2:42 pm
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fashionupdat recently posted..GILLETTE SATIN CARE MOISTURE-RICH SHAVE GEL