How do I get my teenage son to shave?

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Saulbadguy

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
There's only one way to solve this. Can't grow a beard without a head. *giggles*

Really though, just tell him to shave it. If he doesn't listen, find out what is important to him, and take it away.

No, if he doesn't listen, kick his insolent ass and shave him yourself.

If you cannot control this, you have lost all control and might as well give up.

Yeah. That'll work. :roll:

Yes, it will. If you cannot tell your child to shave and have him do it, you have lost control.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: KB
Tell him if he shaves it, it will come back thicker.

Myth.

 

[Phoenix86]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Having a beard at that age is rather aberrant from the norm, so it suggests to me a pretty high level of confidence.

The same could be said of the average Goth, and the average Goth has a very low confidence, which is why they hang around with other goth loser friends in the first place. I knew a guy in university who'd taken a stick and painted meaningless magical symbols on it and varnished it. He'd walk around with it like he was a wizard. Trust me when I say that his confidence was anything but high.

Facial hair != low self esteem which will lead to gothism, which will lead to this kid carrying a 'magic wand'. It a beard for christ sake. It's just fashion, pure and simple, he's 14, you know, a rebellious age. People have been growing beards for... oh wait, that's right people really just STOPPED growing beards in the last century or so (when the army introduced gas masks). He'll grow out of it, or not. Who cares?

badmouse, let it slide, there are other areas you should exert leet parenting skills on.

 

[Saulbadguy]

Originally posted by: jjones

Originally posted by: badmouse

Originally posted by: Amused
Tell him to shave, and mean it.

I swear, it pains me to see parents be such pussies these days.

You're not a parent, are you ? I have a lot of things I tell him and I mean it. The whole reason I'm asking this question here is that I personally don't care whether he has a beard or not, and I want to see if I need to expend my leet parenting skills on this matter, or if I can let it slide - looking for other people's opinions.

I didn't have a beard when I was fourteen, because I'm his mom. So I don't know whether it affects his whole teenage social life, or if it's unimportant. And I don't know what the "guy" thoughts are, okay? So, I'm asking.

While I agree with Amused in principle, I don't agree in this particular case. I would let my child grow a beard if that's what they want to do and can do it without it looking like some half-grown hobo appearance.

To me, the real issue is your son wanting to look like Gandalf. I would have a long talk about why a fantasy world seems to be more appealing to him than the real world. Fantasy is okay, but when you start to arrange your real life into some depiction of a fantasy world, that's not healthy.

As for kids in general growing a beard at that age, I knew a couple of guys when I was that age that could grow a full beard and did. Nothing socially wrong with it; it's just the Gandalf thing that's going to cause problems. I grew a full beard while still in high school at age 16 and had a mustache since age 14.

What the hell kind of drugs are you on?

 

[StageLeft]

I grew a full beard while still in high school at age 16 and had a mustache since age 14.

Oh no! I remember the guys who used to have mustaches, but they were so young that it would be really thin and just "creepy"

 

[wkabel23]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Having a beard at that age is rather aberrant from the norm, so it suggests to me a pretty high level of confidence.

The same could be said of the average Goth, and the average Goth has a very low confidence, which is why they hang around with other goth loser friends in the first place. I knew a guy in university who'd taken a stick and painted meaningless magical symbols on it and varnished it. He'd walk around with it like he was a wizard. Trust me when I say that his confidence was anything but high.

:roll:

If your son's beard isn't a problem for his friends and gf I don't see why it should be a problem for you. Just tell him that he isn't going to be able to have a "Gandalf beard." If the kid has common sense he'll shave, if he doesn't it's his problem. Does your kid embarass you in public or something? Don't understand why this is a problem.

 

[Saulbadguy]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Saulbadguy

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
There's only one way to solve this. Can't grow a beard without a head. *giggles*

Really though, just tell him to shave it. If he doesn't listen, find out what is important to him, and take it away.

No, if he doesn't listen, kick his insolent ass and shave him yourself.

If you cannot control this, you have lost all control and might as well give up.

Yeah. That'll work. :roll:

Yes, it will. If you cannot tell your child to shave and have him do it, you have lost control.

Thats called a "power struggle". Fighting over something so trivial often leads to those. But hey, if "control" is what is important to you, more power to you. I'd rather have my children learn from their mistakes rather than control every small aspect of their life.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Phoenix86

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Having a beard at that age is rather aberrant from the norm, so it suggests to me a pretty high level of confidence.

The same could be said of the average Goth, and the average Goth has a very low confidence, which is why they hang around with other goth loser friends in the first place. I knew a guy in university who'd taken a stick and painted meaningless magical symbols on it and varnished it. He'd walk around with it like he was a wizard. Trust me when I say that his confidence was anything but high.

Facial hair != low self esteem which will lead to gothism, which will lead to this kid carrying a 'magic wand'. It a beard for christ sake. It's just fashion, pure and simple, he's 14, you know, a rebellious age. People have been growing beards for... oh wait, that's right people really just STOPPED growing beards in the last century or so (when the army introduced gas masks). He'll grow out of it, or not. Who cares?

badmouse, let it slide, there are other areas you should exert leet parenting skills on.

I wasn't talking about facial hair in particular, but rather the assertion that bucknig the norm is indicative of a high level of confidence

 

[Mnementh]

Originally posted by: Kenazo

Originally posted by: Mnementh

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Having a beard at that age is rather aberrant from the norm, so it suggests to me a pretty high level of confidence.

The same could be said of the average Goth, and the average Goth has a very low confidence, which is why they hang around with other goth loser friends in the first place. I knew a guy in university who'd taken a stick and painted meaningless magical symbols on it and varnished it. He'd walk around with it like he was a wizard. Trust me when I say that his confidence was anything but high.

It's comments like that, that make them want to hang around with other Goths, ignorant small minded people who call them losers because they like a certain look and it doesn't happen to fit in with the "norm".

Accept it people are different, I'm not a goth myself though I have friends who are or have been and they're just normal people with the same issues as everybody else, get over your bigotry.

Mnementh

HUH? Skoorb is trying to point out that the majority of the ppl that strive to be different than the norm in somewhat extreme ways are generally doing it in order to boost a low self-image. it's something about them that they have control over. How does that make him a bigot?

Yeah looking back bigot is the wrong choice of words I just get annoyed by people classing a group of people as losers etc. just because they want to look different to what is considered the norm, as I stated I'm not a goth but think there is nothing wrong with the look and don't think somebody should be categorised just because of what they wear and how they conduct their lives.

One of my best friends is a goth and she's the sweetest kindest girl you could ever meet (she's also very funny and extremely good looking, think Anna Kournikova with red hair) she just happens to like being a goth, that doesn't make her a loser. Apologies to Skoorb if I came across a bit strong I just have issues with people being called names for how they look/act...

Mnementh

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: Amused
Yes, it will. If you cannot tell your child to shave and have him do it, you have lost control.

LOL. Now you are definitely pulling our chains.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: jjones

Originally posted by: badmouse

Originally posted by: Amused
Tell him to shave, and mean it.

I swear, it pains me to see parents be such pussies these days.

You're not a parent, are you ? I have a lot of things I tell him and I mean it. The whole reason I'm asking this question here is that I personally don't care whether he has a beard or not, and I want to see if I need to expend my leet parenting skills on this matter, or if I can let it slide - looking for other people's opinions.

I didn't have a beard when I was fourteen, because I'm his mom. So I don't know whether it affects his whole teenage social life, or if it's unimportant. And I don't know what the "guy" thoughts are, okay? So, I'm asking.

While I agree with Amused in principle, I don't agree in this particular case. I would let my child grow a beard if that's what they want to do and can do it without it looking like some half-grown hobo appearance.

The problem is, teens cannot do this. I would also be weary of allowing my teen the ability to look that much older.

At any rate, I've never seen a teen with a decent beard. They either grow in too shaggy, or they don;t take proper care of it, or both. Either way, it will make him look like a dirty, unkept hippy/hobo. NOT an image a teen needs to be projecting if they ever want to do something with their life.

 

[Saulbadguy]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: Amused
Yes, it will. If you cannot tell your child to shave and have him do it, you have lost control.

LOL. Now you are definitely pulling our chains.

I hope so.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

I grew a full beard while still in high school at age 16 and had a mustache since age 14.

Oh no! I remember the guys who used to have mustaches, but they were so young that it would be really thin and just "creepy"

Like Gunther, right?

 

[StageLeft]

don't think somebody should be categorised just because of what they wear and how they conduct their lives.

So, why do goths dress differently? That seems to be exactly what they're going for - so people will judge them different than the norm

 

[OrganizedChaos]

check out the link in her profile, it seems she makes pop-ups for a living

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Saulbadguy

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Saulbadguy

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
There's only one way to solve this. Can't grow a beard without a head. *giggles*

Really though, just tell him to shave it. If he doesn't listen, find out what is important to him, and take it away.

No, if he doesn't listen, kick his insolent ass and shave him yourself.

If you cannot control this, you have lost all control and might as well give up.

Yeah. That'll work. :roll:

Yes, it will. If you cannot tell your child to shave and have him do it, you have lost control.

Thats called a "power struggle". Fighting over something so trivial often leads to those. But hey, if "control" is what is important to you, more power to you. I'd rather have my children learn from their mistakes rather than control every small aspect of their life.

I rather show my teens examples of other people's mistekes and not have them make the kind of mistakes that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Spending their teen years looking like an unkept hippy/hobo WILL do just that.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: jjones
To me, the real issue is your son wanting to look like Gandalf. I would have a long talk about why a fantasy world seems to be more appealing to him than the real world. Fantasy is okay, but when you start to arrange your real life into some depiction of a fantasy world, that's not healthy.

It all depends on what he said/how he said it.
If he's got a robe and wizard hat (no pun intended), that's unhealthy.
If he's just trying to grow a beard similar to one he saw in a movie, that's not too bad.

 

[MaxDepth]

Yeah, if he doesn't shave then he'll end up marrying a academy award winning hotty.

Ooops. That didn't help, did it?

 

[Saulbadguy]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Saulbadguy

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Saulbadguy

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
There's only one way to solve this. Can't grow a beard without a head. *giggles*

Really though, just tell him to shave it. If he doesn't listen, find out what is important to him, and take it away.

No, if he doesn't listen, kick his insolent ass and shave him yourself.

If you cannot control this, you have lost all control and might as well give up.

Yeah. That'll work. :roll:

Yes, it will. If you cannot tell your child to shave and have him do it, you have lost control.

Thats called a "power struggle". Fighting over something so trivial often leads to those. But hey, if "control" is what is important to you, more power to you. I'd rather have my children learn from their mistakes rather than control every small aspect of their life.

I rather show my teens examples of other people's mistekes and not have them make the kind of mistakes that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Spending their teen years looking like an unkept hippy/hobo WILL do just that.

Yeah, it certainly ruined my life. :roll:

Are you actually being serious?

 

[StageLeft]

I don't think that Amused is being overly alarmist. A good compromise would be to allow him to have it for a while, but then get the thing shaved. If he wants to look like Gandalf and has a beard to boot, it's not really going to bode well for him over the next several years, those years being absolutely critical in his social development. He'll probably end up shaving it himself, but if he doesn't, pin that boy down and break out the clippers!

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: MaxDepth
Yeah, if he doesn't shave then he'll end up marrying a academy award winning hotty.

Ooops. That didn't help, did it?

Yeah, and if he fails all his classes, maintains the IQ of a box of rocks and rapes anything with a pulse, he could be a world class boxer.

Woohoo!

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: Amused
I rather show my teens examples of other people's mistekes and not have them make the kind of mistakes that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Spending their teen years looking like an unkept hippy/hobo WILL do just that.

Spending their teen years smoking crack will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Trying to grow a half-assed beard when you're 15 will only haunt you insofar as when you look at those old faded pictures 20 years later and your wife makes fun of you.

 

[wkabel23]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: jjones

Originally posted by: badmouse

Originally posted by: Amused
Tell him to shave, and mean it.

I swear, it pains me to see parents be such pussies these days.

You're not a parent, are you ? I have a lot of things I tell him and I mean it. The whole reason I'm asking this question here is that I personally don't care whether he has a beard or not, and I want to see if I need to expend my leet parenting skills on this matter, or if I can let it slide - looking for other people's opinions.

I didn't have a beard when I was fourteen, because I'm his mom. So I don't know whether it affects his whole teenage social life, or if it's unimportant. And I don't know what the "guy" thoughts are, okay? So, I'm asking.

While I agree with Amused in principle, I don't agree in this particular case. I would let my child grow a beard if that's what they want to do and can do it without it looking like some half-grown hobo appearance.

The problem is, teens cannot do this. I would also be weary of allowing my teen the ability to look that much older.

At any rate, I've never seen a teen with a decent beard. They either grow in too shaggy, or they don;t take proper care of it, or both. Either way, it will make him look like a dirty, unkept hippy/hobo. NOT an image a teen needs to be projecting if they ever want to do something with their life.

Are you being serious? Did you go to Christian Prep Academy Private School or are you just stupid?

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: Amused
I rather show my teens examples of other people's mistekes and not have them make the kind of mistakes that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Spending their teen years looking like an unkept hippy/hobo WILL do just that.

Spending their teen years smoking crack will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Trying to grow a half-assed beard when you're 15 will only haunt you insofar as when you look at those old faded pictures 20 years later and your wife makes fun of you.

Unless you were chastized for it for 5 years straight and now you're a closet axe-murderer and your wife happens to be made out of stuffing and sheepskin, and you play with barbies everynight after coming home from your factory job!

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: Amused
I rather show my teens examples of other people's mistekes and not have them make the kind of mistakes that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Spending their teen years looking like an unkept hippy/hobo WILL do just that.

Spending their teen years smoking crack will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Trying to grow a half-assed beard when you're 15 will only haunt you insofar as when you look at those old faded pictures 20 years later and your wife makes fun of you.

Going around looking like a unkept hippy/hobo will attract the WRONG kind of friends and vice-versa. How you project yourself socially, ESPECIALLY in your teen years, will have a huge impact on how your social life will turn out.