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Shaving is a rite of passage for every young man, and you want to make sure your son acquires it at the right time. Men soon learn to take shaving for granted, but for a teenager, it’s all new and exciting. You will want to impress upon your son the importance of having just the right tools and knowing how to apply them.

You have probably been shaving for a long time, so you may not even think about the steps. You may even skip one or two of them if you’re in a hurry. When teaching your son to shave, however, you want to include every detail. Here are the five essential steps that will make it simple to teach your son to shave.

Choose the Right Time

The first key to giving your son shaving lessons is to pick the right time. Some teenagers are anxious to feel grown up, so they will want to start shaving before it’s necessary. Others, left to their own devices, will overlook the obvious signs that it’s time to start. When noticeable growth begins appearing on the young man’s face, it’s time to teach him the art of shaving.

Selecting the Right Shaving Tools

There are all kinds of tools made for shaving, from old fashioned straight razors to the latest electric razors. Regardless of what products you choose, you want to get your son into the habit of giving himself a nice close shave. For this, you definitely don’t want disposable razors from the dollar store.

A great way to start him off is to purchase a classic shaving kit that will include all of the essentials. This includes a quality razor, brush and a shaving stand to hold the other items. You could get him an electric razor, but this is really a lazy choice. It’s best to at least instruct a young man in the traditional, manly art of shaving the traditional way.

Wash and Lather That Face

A good shave should be preceded by a thorough washing of the face, with soap and hot water. Then comes the shaving cream or gel to ensure a smooth, comfortable shave. These steps are especially important for someone new to shaving. They make the shaving experience more pleasurable, not to mention safer.

Proper Shaving Technique

Now we come to the actual technique of shaving. This involves identifying the grain of the beard and carefully moving the razor with smooth strokes. Rinsing the blade several times will help to keep it sharp. Shaving should be done very slowly the first few times. This will help to avoid accidents and will allow him to perfect the motion.

After-Shaving Rituals

Following the shave, he should wash his face to remove any lingering shaving cream. Then he can apply some after-shave lotion to soothe the skin. You may as well get him into the good habit of cleaning up after himself. This includes rinsing off the equipment and the surrounding area of any stray whiskers or globs of shaving cream.

Teaching your son how to shave can be a great bonding experience between father and son. It’s a skill that’s not hard to teach, but practical and essential all the same.

Earnest Parenting: help for parents of teen boys who need to learn to shave.