6yr Old With Hairy Legs

DD1 has hairy little legs, they are quite long and although fluffy they are actually quite dark, especially when wet.

DD has noticed a little but at this stage doesn't seem phased by it.
She goes to a tiny little school with 20 students only 3 of which are boys.

My mum noticed yesterday and said they were definitely more hairy than she had noticed in other children this age, I wonder where do I go from here when she starts asking questions?
When she is older I am more than happy for her to shave when she needs too but obviously 6 is quite young and not affecting her confidence at the moment.
Can I expect that she may also develop a little quicker or is hair in this sense not an indication of that?

I hated that my mum refused to let me shave when I was in high school so I want to be prepared when she does tart asking questions.

Thanks.

You might notice that it becomes less of a 'problem' as she gets older. My niece was quite hairy when she was young - she was 8 when she was my flower girl and she had noticeable hair on her back. No one ever mentioned anything and she was never fussed by it, now 5 years later it's all gone. Or at least, it's the little, pale hairs that pretty much everyone has. Her legs are quite 'normal' too.

I think for your DD, if you're happy for her to shave her legs I guess it's just a matter of what age are you ok with it, and for what reasons. If it's causing her stress and she's being teased, are you ok with her shaving at say, 8? 10? I don't know what my answer would be. I guess because I'd want to tell my DD that she's beautiful as she is, don't listen to the bullies and what society tells us we must do to be beautiful. But on the other hand, I don't want her to be teased. And if shaving will make her feel better, then is it a big problem?

Sorry, I probably haven't helped much, but I think it comes down to what you're happy with if/when it does come up. I remember I started shaving my legs when I was 11. I was wearing dresses to school and was in a year 6/7 class and the older girls all had smooth legs, mine were really hairy. I told my mum and was a bit sad about it, and she said if I felt like I needed to, she would show me how to shave. I felt so grown up! I only did it if I was going to be wearing shorts or dresses, and sometimes not even then. I just wanted to know that if I wanted to, I could.

My dd2 is more hairy than the others, and she's mentioned it too me herself, but it hasn't actually become an issue yet. Her best friend & cousin is Maori, so they're hairy together, lol. Probably why neither of them have been too worried about it yet.

Dd1 was 12 before she worried about shaving, her closest friend was 8.

I wouldn't worry too much. It can be something she notices, without it affecting her confidence, as long as no one else makes her think there's an issue. But even other kids won't usually notice things like that til they're in their later years of primary school.

I don't think it indicates she'll develop any earlier than anyone else. But who knows. They're all different :)

I am not a hairy person, but I remember around grade 6 some of the girls started shaving, and a few of the boys started noticing girls with hair on their legs and it became a big deal. My mum didn't let me remove hair until I started high school and I did feel quite self conscious about it, and I didn't even have much. I've always said that if it bothers my girls they can start waxing when the time comes. My mum use to wax me and that was enough for me.

I know some cultures just automatically start waxing around 9 so that by their late teens they are nearly hair free, or a lot less at least.

I think when she starts being bothered by it then go from there. I figure being a girl is hard enough with changes without feeling self conscious about hair.

Teeki's made a good point to about reassuring that a daughter is beautiful no matter what society says.

Thank you everyone, I guess we just have to play it by ear.
She also does gymnastics so she is in a leotard and has been getting a bit funny about changing at gym - I guess my girls are growing up and I just have to deal with it.