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All the freakin' hair!
OK, so this is a pretty trivial subject compared to many of those expounded here, but let's talk hair. Both of my kids have extensive amounts of it - Mr. Questions' is super-thick and prone to bed-head, while Cozy's is long (down to her back at 20 months) and very fine. Great you say: let those little beings run free with their hair a-flowing. That's what I thought, except that they both seem to be really sensitive to sensory input and have no tolerance for hair in their faces. Sooo...haircuts. I used to give Questions really bad haircuts and then got sick of having people make snide comments about his bad haircuts. So I took him to an independent hairdresser who is close and cheap and could cut hair really fast. Everything was fine until the last time I took him, when Mr. Hairdresser decided we were now close enough buds to talk about all sorts of topics that made me fairly uncomfortable - like how kids are just being made into pussies these days by all this anti-bullying stuff. You really don't want to argue with the person cutting your kid's hair but...
Also, I tried to have Cozy's hair cut there and she threw a complete shit fit. The hairdresser said there was just no way she could cut her hair. So do I continue to take Questions to have his hair cut there, despite the fact that I'm starting to really dislike the guy? (He really does give him the perfect nondescript cut.) Do I just let Cozy's hair grow out? Does long girl's hair ever get less annoying? Do I give both of the kids ironic mullets? I'm at a loss here. Please share with me what you all do to keep the hair situation under control.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by mightyninjamom on -
For Questions...well, I'd probably find another hairdresser. I had a hard time finding one for my son when he was around toddler age. He has ridiculous amounts of stick straight hair that also has a double crown, so combing and parting are extremely difficult. Like, we'd need old-fashioned pomade to hold it down. And it can only be combed when wet. Finally we gave up on having it any longer than a couple of inches. We just take him in and have it shaved back once a month or so.
For my daughter, she has very fine baby hair that tangles easily. It has never been long. I've never let it get very long because it always ends up with food in it. I frequently have to comb out yogurt or some such thing. Usually at the beginning of the school year, I cut it into a bob just below her chin and then let it grow out through the year. The last couple of years I have given her the option of letting it grow or cutting it again, and this is the first year she's opted to let it grow out. My compromise is that I cut some bangs for her to help control the hair right around her face. It works out pretty well. We went through a long phase where she wouldn't let me put barrettes or clips in it. She tolerates it now, but will still pull them out at random moments, so it's hard to find a pair, because she'll take them off and just leave them lying around. *sigh*
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Permalink Reply by Zealflyer on -
You're probably right about the hairdresser. I'm not going to get into some crazy argument with him while he's cutting Question's hair, but I also don't want my son to think that I condone this man's opinions. I thought about "The Bob" for Cozy, but her hair is still so fine that I don't know if it will really work. I may hazard a short cut on my own - if I botch it at this age, she won't really hold it against me.
Right now, I kind of feel like just getting a Flowbee and using that for the whole family!
mightyninjamom said:For Questions...well, I'd probably find another hairdresser. I had a hard time finding one for my son when he was around toddler age. He has ridiculous amounts of stick straight hair that also has a double crown, so combing and parting are extremely difficult. Like, we'd need old-fashioned pomade to hold it down. And it can only be combed when wet. Finally we gave up on having it any longer than a couple of inches. We just take him in and have it shaved back once a month or so.
For my daughter, she has very fine baby hair that tangles easily. It has never been long. I've never let it get very long because it always ends up with food in it. I frequently have to comb out yogurt or some such thing. Usually at the beginning of the school year, I cut it into a bob just below her chin and then let it grow out through the year. The last couple of years I have given her the option of letting it grow or cutting it again, and this is the first year she's opted to let it grow out. My compromise is that I cut some bangs for her to help control the hair right around her face. It works out pretty well. We went through a long phase where she wouldn't let me put barrettes or clips in it. She tolerates it now, but will still pull them out at random moments, so it's hard to find a pair, because she'll take them off and just leave them lying around. *sigh*
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Permalink Reply by mcglory13 on -
I am generally useless on hair questions. I do have opinions on this one. :) I wouldn't go to a hairdresser that filled my child's head with crap about bullies and said the word "pussy" in front of him.
Other than that, I have long crazy curly hair (like Merida in Brave, which is frankly awesome to be able to say) and as such have never been able to brush, comb, detangle, or blow dry in my life. My child's hair is not quite so wild, but I can't say I spend a lot of time thinking about brushing, combing, or detangling his hair either (probably because I think of it in terms of my own). This means his hair sticks up every which way and often resembles a rats' nest. But this is a parenting thing I can't summon up the energy to care about. :)
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Permalink Reply by wookie on -
1) Find a different hairdresser. It gets better as they get older. You can also opt for the "buzz at home" method without raising too many eyebrows for a boy... at least in the summer it becomes an extremely popular cut.
2) I have a high tolerance for messy hair, but not snarled hair. My house rule has mostly been: if you can't stand combing or brushing it enough to keep the snarls out (with liberal use of a good detangler) then your hair needs to be short enough for it to be a non-issue. I have a lot of sensory issues too.
3) For your littlest... I would either pony-tail or braid it (if she'll leave it in) or just bob it. If you can do that part and get a real hair dresser to trim it around her face so that it's not touching her face, you might have the right combination.
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Permalink Reply by Zealflyer on
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Well, I was paraphrasing mcglory, but the guy definitely has some opinions that I don't agree with and seems intent on sharing them with me!
mcglory13 said:I am generally useless on hair questions. I do have opinions on this one. :) I wouldn't go to a hairdresser that filled my child's head with crap about bullies and said the word "pussy" in front of him.
Other than that, I have long crazy curly hair (like Merida in Brave, which is frankly awesome to be able to say) and as such have never been able to brush, comb, detangle, or blow dry in my life. My child's hair is not quite so wild, but I can't say I spend a lot of time thinking about brushing, combing, or detangling his hair either (probably because I think of it in terms of my own). This means his hair sticks up every which way and often resembles a rats' nest. But this is a parenting thing I can't summon up the energy to care about. :)
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Permalink Reply by Zealflyer on
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I am seriously considering getting some clippers and just giving Questions the old buzz, at least for summer. The Curmudge is really, really opposed to this look for little boys, but is also pretty sick of the "my hair in my eye" complaints (sensory issues are inherited from me so he doesn't really understand) and might just go for it.
wookie said:1) Find a different hairdresser. It gets better as they get older. You can also opt for the "buzz at home" method without raising too many eyebrows for a boy... at least in the summer it becomes an extremely popular cut.
2) I have a high tolerance for messy hair, but not snarled hair. My house rule has mostly been: if you can't stand combing or brushing it enough to keep the snarls out (with liberal use of a good detangler) then your hair needs to be short enough for it to be a non-issue. I have a lot of sensory issues too.
3) For your littlest... I would either pony-tail or braid it (if she'll leave it in) or just bob it. If you can do that part and get a real hair dresser to trim it around her face so that it's not touching her face, you might have the right combination.
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Permalink Reply by Lady Grey on -
I gave both my kids haircuts when they were tots and they usually turned out well. One time I cut Baby Grey's hair when he was two or so (now 4) and I was trying to just trim the front and keep his longish curls/waves and I accidentally gave him the Dumb and Dumber cut. Yikes. That was embarassing!
I occasionally still cut his hair and I do a pretty good job, but it takes me forever because I'm so anal (like an hour). I haven't cut Girl Grey's hair (she's now 9) for 2-3 years. I take her to my stylist, whom I love, but it costs a lot for a kid's cut ($40-45, I think). She does a great job and since I only take her every three months, I feel like the cost is okay. I wouldn't pay that much for Baby Grey, particularly since he needs two cuts to her one.
How old is Mr. Questions? I'm sure you can find another stylist that will do a fine job. have you tried a traditional men's barber shop? I always want to take Baby Grey to one, but for some reason my husband doesn't want to. Don't ask me.
By the way, I plop my kids in front of a movie while I cut their hair because I know it will take a long time to cut and I have to keep them as immobile as possible. Yea, sedentary tv watching!
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Permalink Reply by kommishoner on -
Do whatever you want with the haircut, but that hairdresser has gots to go. If it were me, I'd give the salon a call or send a letter explaining why too. The opinion is offensive, and the way he's talking about it in front of a kid (who, god forbid, might be bullied one day and think the problem is him because of hearing this guy's opinions - one hopes not, but the weirdest things stick with kids) is offensiver.
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Permalink Reply by Zealflyer on
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He's the owner of the salon, I believe, which is probably why he feels free to flap his trap. And yes, my son is the kind of kid who likes to wear nail polish and talk about horses, so I'm just hoping that he does not get bullied!
kommishoner said:Do whatever you want with the haircut, but that hairdresser has gots to go. If it were me, I'd give the salon a call or send a letter explaining why too. The opinion is offensive, and the way he's talking about it in front of a kid (who, god forbid, might be bullied one day and think the problem is him because of hearing this guy's opinions - one hopes not, but the weirdest things stick with kids) is offensiver.
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Permalink Reply by ruth on -
My two boys got buzz cuts until they were old enough to expressly request otherwise, just because it was easiest. If your son tolerates the haircut without problems, you could try pretty much any barber or places like Super Cuts or Hair Cuttery; they do a perfectly fine job with a typical cut and I wouldn't think objectionable chit-chat would be a problem. I definitely agree that going back to that guy is out of the question.
As for your daughter, I don't have girls, but I work with toddlers and have known a ton of little girls with very fine hair who rock a little bob just fine. I do think bangs are probably your best bet for keeping it out of her eyes, and you could probably trim the bangs at home just fine... There are some tips online for cutting bangs at home that are pretty fool proof.
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Permalink Reply by mightyninjamom on
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This was my daughter's hair back when she was a toddler - I hadn't done her bangs yet, but her hair is very fine and thin here.
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Permalink Reply by Zealflyer on
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Yeah, see - this looks totally manageable. Cozy's is half as thick and all over the place unless I put it back. And if I do put it back then it mostly works its way out by mid-afternoon and tendrils of it are getting in her face. Grrr...Buzz cuts for the both of them, I say!
mightyninjamom said:This was my daughter's hair back when she was a toddler - I hadn't done her bangs yet, but her hair is very fine and thin here.
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