Heartwarming Reason Mom Is Helping Her Daughter Shave Her Legs at 10

A woman has shared the moment she guided her daughter through her first shave on TikTok.

Brandee Mulligan, 39, can be seen sitting on the edge of a bathtub with her daughter Marley, 10, opposite her. Both are lathering themselves up with shaving foam ahead of the hair removal.

Mulligan, from Wisconsin, told Newsweek: “There are bigger fish to fry when it comes to parenting pre-teens than letting her shave her legs, like trying to keep her off social media. That’s a big one.”

The parenting milestone footage has racked up 3.7 million views since it was posted on March, 31.

The stay-at-home mom explained she put her sons Miller, five, and Mayer, three to bed before having a “girls night” with Marley. The pair put on face masks and then the 5th grade student asked if she could learn how to use a razor.

The text layered over the clip states: “Would my mom have let me at 10? No way. But times are different now and honestly, this isn’t a big deal to me.”

Mulligan told Newsweek that she didn’t have to think twice.

“I’m not overly attached to my daughter’s leg hair,” she laughed.

While shaving is a life skill that is required and will most likely be practiced throughout Marley’s life, the reason Mulligan was happy to help runs much deeper.

Thinking about her own pre-teen years, Mulligan explained that she doesn’t recall having tricky conversations with her mother.

“She’s an awesome mom but there are certain things that I remember having to figure out for myself and advocate for myself that were pretty awkward,” she said. “It was a long time ago so my memory might be a bit hazy but I just remember figuring it out for myself. So I told my daughter that whatever she needs she is free to come ask us and my husband and I will set her up for success.

“We will never make her feel embarrassed, not that my mom made me feel that way but I wouldn’t have felt comfortable enough asking certain things.

“I just basically want her to be set up and that she knows she can come to us for anything big or small.”

According to razor brand Gillette Venus, there isn’t a set age to discuss shaving but it’s usually around when puberty starts.

“Kids change physically and psychologically at this age, and they need to be aware of what is happening to their bodies,” parenting expert Dr. Lisa Pion-Berlin previously told Newsweek.

In middle school, it isn’t long until they will become curious about the “birds and the bees.” Mulligan points out in the video text that she has told Marley that she can ask her anything.

So far, the video has 308,900 likes and almost 4,000 comments—many from people sharing their experiences.

“When my daughter was 9, she asked me to wax her legs because she was worried about being laughed at. I respected her wish. I don’t regret it,” said one user.

Another said: “You show and tell or she will find it out from someone else and when it comes from someone else, it could be incorrect.”

A third commenter wrote: “I don’t understand why parents don’t allow it. If your child is most comfortable doing it, allow them.”

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