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It might seem far, far away, but don’t pretend you haven’t thought about it when they’re driving you nuts… what age should your beloved baby be kicked out of the nest? We talk to a still-at-home adult to find out.
Also, a school teacher asked her primary students to write about something they wished had never been invented, and one particular answer has us sniffling away guilty tears.
Plus, is it standard for mothers and daughters to bond over leg-waxing now? Whatever happened to throwing them a razor and shutting the bathroom door?
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My daughter asked why she has hair on her legs and I don’t…
“You have hair on your legs and I don’t, darling, because you are still at an age where you are not yet expected to conform to society’s long-held beauty standards.
“You are, as yet, ignorant of the judgement and ridicule that you’ll attract if you decide to buck accepted beauty norms.
“You don’t know yet that the natural state of your body is considered disgusting and gross, and that if you don’t take steps to alter and tame it, you will be considered a peculiar rebel, worthy of note.
“You are not yet aware that our culture considers the naturally hairy state of a man’s body attractive and manly, but the naturally state of a woman’s body smelly and unhygienic.
“But don’t worry, you have all that to look forward to. You go girl, etc.”
Of course I didn’t say that.
CONTACT US
Your hosts are Holly Wainwright and Andrew Daddo.
Buy any book we mention at apple.co/mamamia
Share your nails and fails with us. We want to play them on the show, please. 02 8999 9386.
Or fling us an e-mail. tgm@mamamia.com.au
This podcast was produced by Luca Lavigne.
This episode was made possible by Kmart and Disney Pixar’s Incredibles 2.
Top Comments
I don’t want my kids to leave! My daughter said she wants to move to NY when she finishes uni and I replied “Perfect. I’ve always wanted to live there.” Apparently I’m not invited 😯
If you have the opportunity to move out of home at 18 it certainly can be fun. If you don’t, there are advantages to being at home. The skills of shopping, cleaning and cooking are hardly extraordinary though- you can learn them at 12 or 17 or 25 or 40, and for most of history men never learnt them at all.
In many cultures it’s entirely normal for several generations to live under the same roof and support one another, which is probably a model we should look into since it means financial resources aren’t segregated by generation. There’s something awesome about the idea of the 18 year olds being around to help their grandparents and child raising being shared between a whole group of adults so new parents aren’t struggling on their own. I don’t see the point in celebrating independence just for the sake of independence, it’s much harder and more admirable to look after others than it is to look after yourself.