Nice moment with son

[mrob]

As I was shaving this morning, my 3 year old son walked into the bathroom--he'd been watching cartoons in our bedroom while I showered/shaved--and sat down on the toilet to watch me shave. He started asking a ton of questions--he IS three!--and was obviously very intrigued and interested in the whole process, especially with the brush and the lather.

At the end, he looked up at me and said, "When I'm a Daddy, I'm going to use that thing on my face, too," meaning the brush. I told him when he got old enough to shave that I'd give him and his brother a brush and one of those "cool cutter things" (my Vision!), and show him how to shave. He smiled and kept watching as I finished up.

It was one of the nicest, sweetest moments I've had as a Dad. No music playing or angels singing, just a nice, quiet moment with my son--the kind you dream about before you have a kid. And I doubt it would have happened if I was still doing a 2 minute swipe in the shower with a disposable and can o' goo. Nice.

 

[Dennis]

Sniff... sniff...

Dennis
(who has a 16 month old little shaver)

 

[Scotto]

Nice story. My sons like to watch me shave as well, and are particularly interested in the various scents of things. My 7 year old has quite the gourmet sniffer, much to my wife's chagrin.

 

[Austin]

Thanks for sharing. I remember putting shave cream from a can on my son's chin at that age. He also shaved with me from time to time. He is now 21 and I doubt he would let me lather him up.

 

[roughrider]

That's very nice to hear Mitch. You should encourage his participation. Let him take whiffs of the various creams and soaps. Teach him about the different types of razors. Before you know it, he'll be spending all his allowance money on Merkurs, Super Speeds, Toggles, and Fat Boys.

 

[Cigar Dan]

Very nice. I remember watching my dad shave when I was a boy. Sometimes, he would take the blade out of a safety razor and give it to me, so I could "shave" right along with him. That memory is one thing that brought me back to DE shaving.

 

[Suzuki]

When my guy was younger, I'd lather him up with the brush and give him a razor without a blade so he could shave with me.

In addition to insisting on a second pass using all the remaining soap in the brush, he wanted "smelly stuff" (aka aftershave), which he insisted on applying himself.

 

[Phog Allen]

Hi Danny. Wow, I was going to post the same thing. Dad took the blade from his Gillette and let me mop some Gilette foamy around my face whilst he washed off the residue from his face and applied some English Leahter A/S. It's been FORTY YEARS since I was a three year old doing the same thing as Mitch's son. My Dad passed away a few years ago and this vision is an indelible memory for me. Mitch, savour the moments.

Regards, Todd

 

[Cigar Dan]

Todd, it seems that we were 3 year olds at the same time. I am 43 too.

Mitch, if you don't have an extra razor for your son to use, let me know. I'm sure I have a old razor laying around that I could send you for him to use. Enjoy these moments. You are making memories that he will cherish for a lifetime.

 

[hedliniv]

The whole reason I wanted to learn how to wet-shave, and in particular straight razor shave; was because of my longing for that non-existent "family memory". I lost my dad at a young age and my grandfather stepped into the "father role" for me; at least in my eyes. Advice, guidance and a reality check every once in a while! Anyway there was so much that I missed out with learning from my own father that I promised myself that my future son (not yet on the horizon) would have memories like that! I know I wish I did! Anyway the most frustrating thing is that if I would have even thought about asking my grandfather while he was alive, he could have taught me. (at least the basics!) Funny thing is that I want to learn now what I simply overlooked in the past.

George

 

[Indy]

Sounds like you're a great father Mitch. Your sons will carry the memories your making with them now forever, and hopefully choose to continue the tradition with their sons. I still remember traditions passed on by both my father and grandfather when I was very young. These memories are the the most valuable things that I have and will treasure them forever. Every time I lather up memories of my grandfather (now passed on) are stirred and I can almost smell his aftershave as if he where standing right there.

 

[mrob]

Mitch, if you don't have an extra razor for your son to use, let me know. I'm sure I have a old razor laying around that I could send you for him to use. Enjoy these moments. You are making memories that he will cherish for a lifetime.

Dan,

Thanks for the kind offer. Due to my increasing RAD, I have a Vision, 2 Gillettes, a Parker--and a Merkur HD on the way, so I'm set for extra razors--but the kindness of guys here never ceases to amaze me.

Thanks again for the offer. Off to shave!

 

[Kyle]

Very cool, Mitch.

 

[htownmmm]

Mitch,

your experience with your son was priceless!


enjoy his youth while it lasts because the world will soon try to convince him that you don't have a clue and that he knows everything there is to know.

the 'quiet' moments like this one will soak into his being and after the teenage stage wears off , u will become the smartest man in his universe once again.



Marty

 

[Suzuki]

Mark Twain said it best:

When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.

 

[bumpus]

Mitch, it's nice to see a Pop who takes some time with his children!

 

[AACJ]

Your story reminds me of something that happened 4 days ago.

I took my family to Dutch Wonderland in Pennsylvania, which is an amusment park with primarily rides small enough for children but just large enough for an adult to ride with a scared kid. Anyway, the kids saved enough money to buy themselves something in the gift shop when we left and wouldn't you know it, one of the first things they found was a kids shaving kit, complete with shave brush, shave cream and plastic razor.

They didn't have enough money to buy one each as it was 15.00 so they decided to pool their money together and buy it to share. The problem is that my kids are girls, ages 3 and 8 so they really wouldn't get much out of the kit, so I had my wife talk them out of it and we both helped them decide on a nice toy they could play with instead. If I had a boy or two, I would have let them buy it in a heartbeat. Since I don't have any boys (that I know of) I have to let my wife show them how to shave their legs and pits.

 

[TomH]

Hi Mitch,

nice little experience, keep it in your thoughts...

There are these little experiences which make the life livable.

Regards

Thomas

 

[Rik]

Greetings Mitch!

Thank you so much for sharing that with us.

 

[Marcus83]

My wife and I were childlessthe first 13 years of marriage, and after many
heartbreaks finally had a baby girl when I was 43 years old, and by God's
graces a son when I was 46. They will keep you young, or make you feel
reeeeeal old!

When I went back to a DE a earlier this year, I dug up an old open comb
Gillette that belonged to my Father, and purchased a Burma Shave brush
and puck of Williams. My son Jacob, who had just turned seven, would watch
with great interest. I asked him if he wanted a shave, and he got excited
about it. So the ritual was started. After a few times, he wanted to lather up
himself, and I let him use my Dad's razor (with no blade of course), explaining
to him how to shave...He gets so serious when he does it.

Since my Father died two years before my son was born, this was a great
way for me to talk to him about "PawPaw Jack". After a few weeks, I bought
a low end badger brush, and let Jacob try it out....He thought it was too
"scratchy"! He stood there a minute or two, and looked up at me with those
innocent brown eyes, and said "Papa, I'm wondering....Since you just got
this new brush, do you think maybe I could have this one?"

I said "Well Jacob, I still like that old brush." Just as he was about to get
the 'ol sad eye, I told him that if he would let me still use it "sometimes",
I thought it was a good idea and that I thought he might need a good razor
to go with it. I asked him if he thought he might like to have "PawPaw Jack's"
razor to go with it. My only condition was that he take real good care of the
razor so that one day, when he was a Papa, he would give it to his little
boy. You would have thought I just gave him wings and let him fly! What a
moment!!! As an old codger I knew would say, "He was grinnin' like a jackass
eatin' briars!"

So now, every few days, he asks me if I think it's time for me to shave,
and we go lather up. I've accumulated a few other items like Poraso, and
one of the fella's from India that I work with got his Dad to bring me some
tubes of Old Spice Musk and Godrej shave cream from India. Jacob prefers
to use the Williams or Palmolive. He gotten pretty good at whipping up a
decent lather too. But I think the best part is watching him make the funny
faces while he shaves! Afterwards, he wants some "Smell Good", and prefers
Old Spice to anything else.

He thinks it's cool that he and I get to do something that's "For the Guys"!
I believe that the day I gave him the brush and razor will be with us both
for the rest of our lives, and what a great memory.