Photo By martinos79/stock xchng
Some things boys can pick up from the world around them: how to tumble, how to eat an ice cream cone, how to climb a tree. Then there are things that sons just need to learn from their fathers. The father and son relationship is like an apprenticeship for manhood, on-the-job training for growing up. And the best place to learn how to be a man is sometimes at the other end of the kitchen table.
How to shave properly
Go to any high school in the country and you'll see young men with thin mustaches or goatees consisting of only a few whiskers standing alone as if they strayed to far from the hairline and lost the way back. Growing facial hair for most boys is a sign of maturity, a visible way of saying to the world, "I have taken my place as a man." However, fast-forward a few years and the daily shave loses its appeal and becomes just another necessary bathroom chore.
Shaving is another thing for a boy that, though it seems instinctual, actually needs to be taught to bring out the full satisfaction of a really good shave. Teaching sons to shave is a true man-to-man bonding experience and is something exclusive to the males in the family. There are a few things every dad can do to make it a special bonding experience.
Shopping with your son for a good shaving kit, one that doesn't' have the word "disposable" anywhere on the package, can make shaving manlier and less awkward. Try The Art of Shaving for an heirloom razor. They are expensive, ranging from $100 to more than $1,000, but they are the last razor you should ever need. There is a shop location at 15900 La Cantera Parkway if you want to get a feel for the quality.
Even better, find an old-time barber and get a real shave. It's almost a lost art but truly is an experience that can only be described as the male equivalent of the beauty shop. There is one in the basement of the Gunter Hotel that does the full-service, barber experience and really must be tried.
Finally, shave together. It doesn't matter if you take an against-the-grain approach or prefer to shave with the grain, start with your mustache or take out our sideburns first, teaching your son to shave shows you take an interest in him and acknowledges his maturity.
This will be a regular feature highlighting lessons learned from father to son.
Comments
And if your father isn't around, look up my username on youtube: I have a bunch of videos on how to shave properly.
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