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AIBU?

Sex ed - shaving legs in year 5

700 replies

Candycoco · 02/07/2015 23:24

Have posted in education but posting here for traffic.

Dd came home from school today having had sex ed at school for the past 2 days.

I've always been very open with her and have answered questions as they've come up, so no big revelations this week.

However, she told me today that the boys were taught how to shave by male teacher, and girls were taught how to shave their legs. This just doesn't sit right with me. I know 99% of women do shave their legs and it's something I've already talked to dd about as she asked me last year about it and I told her she has to wait til end of year 6 before she starts secondary to do it.

I just feel it's a bit presumptuous and suggests all girls should. Maybe I'm being bit uptight about it but I don't like the message it sends. Is this normal to teach this as park of sex ed?

Thanks

OP posts:
SmillasSenseOfSnow · 02/07/2015 23:28

I am lost for words. YANBU. Appalling. I would be going batshit if I wasn't speechless.

sooperdooper · 02/07/2015 23:29

That's awful, and nothing whatsoever to do with sex ed!!

Salmotrutta · 02/07/2015 23:30

Struggling to see how shaving legs has got anything to do with Sex Education for girls.

Slightly Different for boys - unless they want to grow a beard they need to learn how not to cut themselves etc. - and because male facial hair grows very obviously and quickly.

ASettlerOfCatan · 02/07/2015 23:30

Wtf I hope it's not normal Confused

Iliveinalighthousewith2friendl · 02/07/2015 23:31

I'm no expert but I wouldn't havd thought shaving comes under sex ed either, but my dd is 16 so things may have changed, but are there not certain cultures where shaving is forbidden,

CherylBerylMeryl · 02/07/2015 23:31

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AlpacaMyBags · 02/07/2015 23:31

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Candycoco · 02/07/2015 23:32

Apparently they were talking about puberty and having to use deodorant, face wash etc and teacher had examples of products for them to look at including tampons and so on. I'm ok with that but it with the shaving. I can't even explain why but I just don't feel happy about it

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RaspberryRuffle · 02/07/2015 23:33

That's ridiculous. Ask the school for the syllabus of their sex education and if it includes shaving legs!! Seriously, when they are not teaching the mechanics of it all it would be so useful to teach a bit about relationships, feeling valued, having a sense of worth, how neither sex ought to be treated as objects...not this. I despair!

Fatmomma99 · 02/07/2015 23:33

I would be amazed if this was the actual message - do check.

FWIW, I do shave my legs every day!

CherylBerylMeryl · 02/07/2015 23:34

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WorraLiberty · 02/07/2015 23:35

Right but at any point, did the teachers say that boys have to shave their faces and girls have to shave their legs?

If not, then I imagine they're teaching them how to do it safely because they know that this is the age where kids typically start to think about body hair.

When I was 9yrs old (so year 5 also) my Mum wouldn't let me shave my legs, even though I was embarrassed at the amount of thick, wiry, dark hair that went from my ankles to the tops of my thighs.

She didn't see why it was necessary as she didn't shave hers, or her armpits. So I ended up taking my Dad's non safety razor and basically butchering my legs in the bath.

The irony? About a year later (I was shaving regularly by then) my Mum remarked that I had 'naturally lovely hairless legs' Hmm

So unless they're actually telling the boys and girls that facial and leg hair is disgusting (doubtful), they're probably just trying to keep them safe from butchery.

AlpacaMyBags · 02/07/2015 23:36

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WorraLiberty · 02/07/2015 23:41

Focusing on how to remove the hair seems more like teaching them it's something to be ashamed of.

Yes but it doesn't have to be an either or situation.

Recognising that many kids want to remove their hair at this age, and teaching them how to do it safely, doesn't necessarily mean they're teaching them it's something to be ashamed of.

Hopefully they'll be getting the balance right. Teaching them that hair is totally normal and natural, but that if they do (for whatever reason) decide they want to remove it, then this is how it's done safely.

CherylBerylMeryl · 02/07/2015 23:43

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EmmaWoodlouse · 02/07/2015 23:45

I was a bit shocked recently to find out that a 10 year old girl I know was shaving her armpits. I didn't ask about her legs.

When I was that old, nobody discussed shaving and as far as I know nobody did it. I didn't shave anything until I was about 16 (admittedly I have ginger hair so it wasn't as noticeable as it might have been) but it just didn't occur to me that anyone might think I ought to. I think I thought it was something slightly sleazy that "nice girls" didn't do.

18yearsoftrying · 02/07/2015 23:46

Sounds like it was a "How to make yourself sexy" lesson rather than sex ex Sad

18yearsoftrying · 02/07/2015 23:46

Sex ed (obvs)

Shallishanti · 02/07/2015 23:48

am aghast
in a previous life I delivered SRE in Y6 and never in many billions of years would I have dreamt of even mentioning shaving for men or women

WorraLiberty · 02/07/2015 23:49

18years I most certainly didn't want to 'make myself sexy' at that age.

I just wanted to rid myself of the thick black fur on my legs that made me look ridiculous in a dress or a pair of shorts.

I was always a confident child, but blimey even I used to dread PE/Sports day as I looked like a small, hairy, Greek man, even compared to the boys.

Candycoco · 02/07/2015 23:53

I think I will check with school what the contact was. I wasn't aware shaving would be mentioned.

Dd has fair leg hair so is happy to wait another year, but I'll be buying her an electric lady shave to start with and don't see the school talking about razors as necessary Hmm

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CherylBerylMeryl · 02/07/2015 23:53

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NeedAScarfForMyGiraffe · 02/07/2015 23:54

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Candycoco · 02/07/2015 23:55

*content that should have been

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CherylBerylMeryl · 02/07/2015 23:56

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