Long-haired BOYS...talk to me about them! - Page 2

[TiredX2]

At this point DS, 10, has shaggy but not overly long hair.  He had his first hair cut (his choice) around 2.75 years.  He went from having long, slightly curly fairly blond hair to having a light brown buzz cut (he got it cut to be in a wedding--- he went to the on-base hair place with his uncle).  DD had her 1st hair cut at 3.75 years.  She's older, so I'm not surprised that she waited longer.

Since his first cut, DS has had a variety of hair styles.  A few times he has grown it out to what I would consider long for a boy (past the shoulders, significantly longer than a shag).  He's also been buzzed and had a mowhawk in that time.  We're pretty open with our kids about people, so while we allow them to choose their own "look" we do make it clear that other people might say or think something about it.    At different times that has played a bigger or smaller part in their decisions.

Originally Posted by witchygrrl 

I'm married to a man with long hair, so it's definitely not an issue for me. There are plenty of people out there who will say dumb things. I say, if you like it long, then leave it alone!

It's funny you mention that (about your DH having long hair).  During DS's time where he most adamanatly wanted long hair (he was 4) he was also very into painting his tonails and wearing kilts.  These (hair, toenails, kilts) were all things DP does.  It was funny to see a little boy making these choices he saw as really identifiying him with the male gender which most people really don't consider to be "male".
 

[Xavismom]

We occasionally have someone think DS is a girl in public. Especially if I have a barrette in his hair to keep it out of his eyes. Its almost long enough to tuck behind his ears though!

Most of the drama actually comes from my mom. She likes his hair long, but she wants me to cut his bangs. I dont know how many times she has made passive aggressive remarks about me needing to cut his bangs, or how she should cut his bangs.. on and on and on and on.... I've explained I am waiting for it to be long enough in the front to tuck behind his ears, but it just doesnt register.

I just cant cut his hair though, I love it too much. If he decides he wants it cut later on, then we will cut it then. Although the longer it gets, the less curly it gets When it was a bit shorter, it would dry into ringlets.

DS at 2 years.

[Carma]

My son also had long hair until he was about 4. I loved it, and no negative comments from anyone. However when we cut it (he wanted it short), some people said, that it looked much better short :( I miss his long curls.

[chaimom]

It's your business how you style your son's hair. The truth is, most boys have short hair, so it's just a fact that people will think he's a girl.  There's no reason to be upset about it.   One of my boys had longish hair until he was about 3 because he had wavy hair that I thought was too cute to cut.  People always thought he was a girl because he had long hair and his eyelashes are really long, too!  (He was adorable.) But he's cute with short hair too.

His brother had thin, fine hair as a baby, so we kept it short.   But by 1st grade his hair was thick and wavy.  He's 9 now and has been insisting on long hair since he was 6.  Fortunately, he agrees to a trim occassionally and it's about shoulder length (maybe longer) with no bangs and a few layers.  I don't think I'd like it if his hair was straight, but it's curly/wavy so I think it looks pretty good.   It's a style high school kids have, which is why my precocious boy wants to wear it long.  It's unusual for boys at his school to have long hair and those that do, usually don't have stylish long hair.   I agree with pp that the girls love it; it makes him very popular.

He does get confused as a girl sometimes, but since it's his choice to wear his hair long, it doesn't bother him.    Just this week someone said, "Would your son or daughter want a sucker?" when we were at a store. We laughed about it   :)    He also told me a funny story that one of his friends copied down his phone number when he was telling a different friend his phone number.  When asked why, the 1st friend said, "cause I wanted a girl's phone number." They all laughed about it.  The boys tease my son for having long hair, but I think it's because they want it, too.  

If I were you, I wouldn't worry what other people think. 

[tooraloora]

My DS (nearly 17 months) has longish hair, and he does get mistaken for a girl, but he always has. He was born with a full head of hair. DD was born bald (and remained that way until she was 2), and people constantly mistaked her for a boy.  I remember taking her to the store once in a pink dress, wrapped in a pink blanket, with a pink headband and a woman gushed about what a precious little boy I had. It aggravated me then, but I've since mellowed. It doesn't bug me when people mistake DS for a girl. One of our friends (his substitute grandma) gets really indignant about it and insists "He is a boy! He's handsome not pretty!" But he really is a pretty little guy. We haven't had any truly negative comments, though. Mostly just someone telling me how pretty my little girl is, then getting very apologetic and explaining that he's just so pretty, at which point I agree that he is very pretty and shrug it off.

As for keeping the hair out of his eyes, when we're out, he's usually in the mei tai, so I just move it out of his face myself. It gives me an excuse to run my fingers through his hair more. lol It has just gotten long enough to tuck behind his ears now, though, so it isn't often necessary anymore. At home, I leave it unless it's bothering him (he'll come up to me swatting at his hair when he wants something done with it), and then I'll either clip it back, or put it in a pony tail. I'll cut it when/if he asks for it to be cut. In the mean time, I like it long, I think his hair is adorable, and I don't feel that anyone else's opinion should matter when it comes to my baby's appearance. Until he's old enough to have an opinion one way or the other, it's my business. Once he has an opinion, it's his business.

[lafemmedesfemmes]

both of my sons have long hair, but it's super curly so you can't really tell the length unless i put their hair in cornrows. kid1's hair is past his shoulder blades when wet, and kid2's hair is just past shoulder length. they've both been mistaken for girls more times than i can count. it causes more discomfort for the people that we correct than it ever has for us.

dh and i agreed long before we had kids that no hair-cutting would happen until and unless the child asks for it. kid1 is starting to get impatient with the upkeep of his hair, and has asked to have it cut, so we'll do it as soon as we find someone with experience in dealing with super-curly bi-racial hair.

christina