MOM WON'T LET HER SHAVE LEGS

Dear Jellybean,

I'm 13 and my mom's still not letting me shave my legs. and they are pretty hairy. Plus all the girls at my school do and I'm scared that they will make fun of me. What should I do?

Dear Writer,

I think you need to have another talk with your mom. Ask her when is a good time to talk, because you have something important you need to discuss. Tell her that your body is changing, your legs are starting to get hair, and that you're uncomfotable with it. Explain that you're scared about getting teased by other girls, if they notice the hair on your legs.

If your mom refuses to allow you to shave, I suggest asking her whether she shaves her legs. If she does, simply ask her, "Why?" Then listen to her answer. If she says something meaningless, like "Because I'm a grown-up lady", keep asking, "But why do you shave them?" Eventually, you'll get to the real answer - because she feels and looks nicer when she shaves them. Then you can tell your mom, "That's why I want to shave my legs too."

You might want to also ask, "How come you don't want me to shave?" Your mom might be afraid that this is the first step in you growing up, getting involved with boys, etc. That's a hard thing for any mom to deal with, but she's got to let you grow up sometime. Do what you can to reassure your mom that you're a good girl, and you don't want to do anything bad, you just want to learn how to keep yourself properly groomed as your body changes. And who better to learn from than mom?