Should a 6 1/2 y/o have dreads? - Page 2

[MamaFern]

i say go for it! my son's hair dreads very easily and for a long time he had a few dreads in the back that i cared for. now his hair is shorter (ear length) it doesn't knot up so much so no dreads but i would let him have a full head of them if he wanted to. ive had dreads and so has his dad at some point in our lives

[beanma]

the main concern i would have would be whether your dc would change his/her mind. i have told my dds they can have dreads when they're older if they want, but the only way to get rid of them is to cut their hair. they're very invested in having long hair so they don't want to go that route just yet and usually relent to having their hair brushed to detangle. dd1 "accidentally" gave herself a haircut at 4.5 and she was devastated. she cried and cried. ymmv if your child wouldn't mind short hair if she/he got tired of the dreads.

[srain]

Another option might be little braids or cornrows. They last a long time, are not as permanent, and tend not to look as bad if they're not cared for.

[TabbyK]

Actually there is a long history behind dreads that predate Jamaica and the Rastafari.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreadlocks

K.

[jaidymama]

To me whether or not she should is not necessarily the point... I mean, yes if she wants them, understands the commitment etc. Sure.

But more importantly to me is giving her several options. You mentioned her hair gets tangled super easy and that she doesn't like brushing it... So if you're looking for alternatives to the current hairy situation Are there other options for her other than dreads? Like getting it cut short or braided or ?? Having several options would give her the freedom with this decision.

And I think hair can totally make a social statement, or at the very least a fashion statement. If she's ready to make that commitment, then why not go for it... Depending on her personality she might really enjoy having them.