new thread
Recently, my seven year old son has started to ask about having his hair cut. His hair has never been cut and is almost waist length. His younger brother has never had a haircut either.
Is there any support material anyone can give to help us keep him a longhair? He has always loved his long hair up to now, but I feel that peer pressure may be getting to him.
long hair is a personal choice. make sure your son understands the finality of the decision... that it'll take a really long time to undo the haircut should he change his mind later. if he still wants to cut it- then cut it.
do you have long hair if yes is it as long as his
yes i have long hair, but no, it's not to my waist. perhaps in a year.
What is it with these kids today and their short hair?!? I JUST don't understand it. Hippies!, Beatniks, I tell ya! What's this world coming to with all the short hairs!! I'll bet they all use drugs, too!
Well, if he insists on cutting his hair, then cut it off very close to the head and turn the hair into a lovely wig or a fly-swatter.
Charles
He can send it to me, I'll use it as extensions:-)
Actually, hair that long which has never been cut before would be of GREAT value to collectors. If he does decide to cut it, I would suggest that you save all of the hair in a ponytail and pay a visit to Victor's Buy/Sell Hair Board.
Ken
You may point out to him that there was a time in Europe that high-ranking men, such as the king, wore the longest hair. It was
truly a badge of majesty. Our North American native males wore long hair and regarded it as an integral part of their being, and a point of pride. Also, there are hair-styles avilable, such as chignons
at the nape of the neck, which give a sort of illusion of short
hair when in a mostly short-haired male environment.
OM
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Here's the solution:
1) Jump in the car.
2) Drive to the nearest barber.
3) Let your child tell the barber exactly what he wants.
It's really quite simple. Just like we expect parents to respect a child's decision to grow long hair, we also must remember the flip side. If your child has expressed a desire for short hair, he has come to a point in his life where he is aware of his appearance, and has begun making choices, embrace it.
kilgore
At seven your son is starting to compare his identity to that of his peers. So the important thing for the parent is to encourage communication. Talk to him to find out why he no longer likes being who he is. Is he being bullied? Is there a group of youngsters whos older brothers are skin-heads and they are trying to be like them (which would be scary because of the racial and anti-intellectual implications of that sub culture)? Or is he simply ready for a change in his life? If his reason is innocent, then give him two weeks to think it over. (Seven year olds have a bad habit of being impulsive, and it is appropriate for a parent to help a child to become more deliberate in his thinking.) If he still wants to cut his hair in two weeks, I don't think you should stop him. Kids are people too and we should not hassel them simply because they have different aesthetic tastes than us.
Gary
A seven year old boy with waist length hair is definitely out of the ordinary, he probably sees that he is very different from the rest of the boys and wants to blend in a little more. Perhaps a compromise - getting it cut to shoulder length for example, might satisfy his concerns without sacrificing all his hair.
Dear James,
I understand you concern about your son's desire to have a hair cut but I think the worse thing to do now is to prevent him from doing so.
One of the reasons why I have long hair now, in my middle age, is because my parents forced me to have a hair cut even when I was in my twenties and as generational differences go, what your sone wants is perhaps the opposite of what you want.
In a rather strange way, I thank my parents for "making" me remain a longhair now, and perhaps for the rest of my life, unless I go bald.
Either let your son have his own way, or as others have advised here, talk to him to find out why he wants to cut his hair, and whether peer pressures are being put on him.
Perhaps you son could provide an answer to the question I've asked before on this forum as to why short hair seems to be a developing trend especially among young and teenage longhairs in North America.
Good luck to you in persuading your son not to cut his hair or come to a compromise with him and perhaps when he grows older he may grow it long again.
However, based upon my own reaction to my parents, preventing your son from cutting his hair now, could only reinforce his desire to cut it later and result in him being a shorthair for life.
Cheers
Charles
It's his hair. Let him cut it if he wants to. If he likes having his hair short, more power to him. If he doesn't, well, he will have learned an important lesson about making decisions rashly. Either way, he gets something out of it.
very well put
your family really sounds cool.........can you send a pic in with you and your 2 kids
you and your 2 kids
AGAIN I SAY......THIS IS FANTASY TILL WE SEE PICS.....
This is so fake, it's ridiculous.
You can want long hair for yourself and you can choose to have it. You can want long hair for your son, but he can choose not to have it. Trust me, if your son wants short hair, you should let him cut it. If , when he's older, he decides he wants long hair, he'll grow it. It is very important to nurture a sense of independence and individuality in children. Forcing them to have long hair is as bad as forcing them to have short hair.
Sorry.
Floyd
maybe if you put it in nice briade or a ponytail
i dont belive this story
Dear James,
Just got this idea. Why don't you get your son on the board to discuss this with others here. Perhaps we might just persuade him to change his mind.
Charles
James, Don't let him cut it. I'm sure it is a matter of peer pressure and/or teasing. My son went thru this 2 years ago, and he is so glad I made him keep his length. He will be 12 in Nov. and his braid is 2-3 inches below the waist and growing.
Good Luck,
Blondie
Blondie how long has it been since your son had his haircut if ever and how long is he going to grow it and do any of his friends have long hair?
Me, I just found this board & it is really neat, but I wish there were more posts about kids. So thanks for asking about my sons hair. I don't think that I'm your typical long hair parent, since I didn't start growing Jamie's hair out until he was @ 5. If anyone would have told me that my son would have waist length hair I would have said "your crazy". I grew it longer in hopes that the extra length would relax his natural blonde curls. As it grew I realized how cute he was with longer hair. Of course my husband hated it, but we settled on a short ponytail for school. We divorced when he was 7 & I was able to keep it growing. At age 8 it was 1/2 down his back, which is when the teasing seemed to become a problem. I know he didn't want a haircut, but we almost gave in to peer presure. After many tears & long talks we decide to let it grow until he was 10. It was starting to get a little ragged, so the summer before he started 5th grade I trimmed his ends right at the waist, which I consider a great length. It doesn't seem to grow as fast as it used to, but we have decided to grow it for at least 2 more years. We don't really have a target length in mind, we just want to keep it healthy & let nature take its course. Jamie has had to deal with quite a lot the last few years, but having long hair has helped him mature in many ways. He is small for his age & very cute. Anyone who doesn't know him naturally thinks he is a girl. He deals with this issue in a very mature fashion. He is quick to point out that he is a boy if the situation calls for it. He feels that it is unnecessary to explain to strangers that he is not a girl. Most people are very positive about Jamie's hair. I'm sure in 2-3 years it will have to be cut, but we're going to have fun with it while we can.
Blondie
thanks for ansewing my queston .......and congrats on the long hair if he realy likes it he should keep it for as long as he wants i allways wanted long hair but never grew mine out before because I was worred about what people would think about me but now I have below shoulder lenth hair and I really like it so i just think you should do what makes you feel good about yourself thanks again....me
Blondie,
That is great your son wants to keep growing his hair. If you had your way, how long would you let him grow it? How do you/he take care of it? How does he wear it normally? My husband has long hair also, very long. Thanks,
Sharron
Hi Sharron,
Thanks for the interest in Jamie's hair. It's neat to get positive comments for a change. It has been a lot of effort to get it to this length. I mentioned that his braid is @ 3 inches below the waist, but when it is down it's probably close to 6 inches below. Now that he is getting older he does 90% of the upkeep himself. He used to try to hide his length under his jacket, but last year he had a wonderful teacher who taught him to be proud of his hair and appearance. He started wearing it down at least once a week last year, and this school year he wears it down 2 - 3 times a week. He does have to get up early (4:30) to shampoo & condition, then I usually help with the tangles. His hair is so thick that it takes a long time to dry on lower heat. It's a lot of work for an 11 year old, but he enjoys it, & loves the compliments. He has been taking piano lessons since he was 7, & his teacher would like to see him with his hair below the piano bench. We should get there before the spring recital.
Thanks again,
Blondie
Blondie,
Thanks for responding. I think it is great. He seems very dedicated to it, so I suspect we will let it grow for awhile? What length are you going to let him grow it? I am glad you are brave enough to let a boy grow his hair long. There is probably a lot of peer pressure for him to have short hair. I am glad his teachers respect his length. What do the other kids say about his hair? Send me your email address. I would love to talk to you more about long hair. My daughter has extremely long hair, to the floor. Thanks
Sharron
Sharron,
Yes, he is very dedicated, and yes, we will be growing it longer. I'm not sure how long; I just want to keep it healthy and see what happens. Things are much better at school. The kids seem to have accepted Jamie this year, and any teasing is usually good natured. I don't have e-mail. We have an internet computer in our lounge at work, and I log on during breaks.
Blondie
P.S. You are kidding me about your daughter's hair, right.
Blondie,
How does your son wash and combout his hair? Is it all one length? what styles does he wear? yes, my daughters hair is to the floor now, she has never had a cut or trim. she is 13.
Your son's hair may not have to be cut in "2-3 years", Blondie. There
are styles which most males have not tried,ie., chignons, or buns, at
the nape of the neck, which can be quite attractive, and give an
appearance of a sort of "shortness", as it were. It permits a male
to appear as a male and at the same time, enhance his appearance to
a more attractive level.
Let it grow to as great a length as it can. The slow growth can be
overcome with a higher protein diet (mostly meat) and vegetables and
vitamins which enhance hair growth. Also, if not already being done, keep all chemicals off the hair except a good safe shampoo and conditioner.
OM
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Ottawa Male,
Thanks for the idea. I might try it this weekend. Jamie has worn his hair up lots of times, but never at school. I put his hair in a bun last spring when we had to drive all day in 90 degree heat to my sisters wedding. Now in hot weather he uses the big jumbo claws to keep his hair out of the way. There are things you just have to do with long hair, and boys have to realize that all long hair styles are just for girls.
Blondie
Talk about a dumb typo, the last line should have read "boys have to realize that not all long hair styles are just for girls." sorry
Hi Blondie,
I don't know if you will ever see this post, since I'm new and unsure how the archieves work. Anyway, my son is 8 with almost waist length thick waves. The pressure to cut it is starting to get to us. Has this been a problem for you? If so, how are you dealing with it? Right now we both want to let it grow lomger. Any advise would be helpful.
Marie
Blondie,
Your son sounds just darling. My 5 year old grandson hasn't had a real haircut yet. I've printed out all your posts and I'm going to give them to my daughter. We think it's great fot a little boy to have long hair. Jan
Jan,
Thanks for the nice post. We're lucky, Jaime does have really great hair. It's thick & wavy, with lots of body. He's just too cute to get it cut any time soon. How about your grandson? How long is it? Is he in kindergarten? How do his friends deal with it? I wish I could have got an earlier start on growing Jamie's hair, but my husband wouldn't go for it. We're making up for lost time now.
Blondie
Since it's been a few weeks since your post, would like to know the outcome of the dilemma. As a classroom teacher, I see kids grow, cut, and color their hair all the time. It's their way of expressing themselves and their individuality. Provide your son with the options and then let him make the choice. If dealing with long or short hair is the only major problem you're facing with your son, you're one lucky man. You just don't know the problems we, as teachers, see everyday in our classrooms.
My son has decided to keep his hair long for now. The problem was teasing from one boy in his class.