Anyone have a little boy with longer hair?

[islandmum]

If you're in the minority, I'm there with you. Long hair on males (little boys, older boys, men) isn't something I'm fond of. And I'm not usually one to be "conservative" in my appearance or thinking. But I just can't embrace long hair on a boy, and I really don't understand the idea that because it's curly it should be long. My little guy has curls, and I keep his hair short, too.

I like the short look too, I'm not a long hair fan at all on boys or men - but hair is so very personal I'm glad everyone does what they want to. I've heard people say things like " oh the poor boy looking like a girl, he must get teased and bullied so bad" ..... but any kid I know if they get teased for anything they do something to change it - so if they had a problem with long hair they'd be asking mummy to chop it off!

My boys have short hair because they look better with it, we tried the surfy look and it was not good, so short back and sides it is and it really suits them - plus they get sweaty and mucky every day and dont have to worry about sticky hair!

 

[MomofKatie]

I don't have a boy, but my DD (who has waist-length, Shirley Temple-esque corkscrew curls) has a good guy friend in her 5th grade class who has hair almost identical to hers, except DD's is light brown and his is platinum blonde. He has gorgeous hair, and his father has very long hair, too. Neither of them would ever be mistaken for girls- both have very masculine faces. DD loves her friend's hair.

 

[daisyduck123]

I think if a boy's hair is long enough that he's being mistaken for a girl....then it's time for a haircut.

I teach 1st grade & last year we had a parent in for Career Day. I had one male student with "past shoulder-length" hair. When a bunch of students raised their hands to answer a question she called on him, saying, "you, the little girl in the red shirt".

I felt bad for him, but at the end of our guest's session, I quietly told her not to feel bad...that she WASN'T the first to mistake him for a girl.

 

[imthatgirl]

I am not a big fan of long hair on boys (curls or not). IMHO, very few can pull it off and look cute. There are lots of shorter cuts that can still show off his curls without making him look like a girl.......

I am probably in the minority here, but I like little boys to look like little boys

im sure you arent in the minority. i mostly feel bad for the little boys with long hair. it usually just ends up looking messy and unkept. then they get sweaty and gross in the summer. little girls who have long hair can keep their hair back with pins,barretts and headbands, but boys dont have that option, so its just in their face all the time.

i think if a parent wants their boy to have long hair, then they have to accept the fact that people arent going to know if its aboy or a girl, and they have to teach their son taht he will be mistaken for a girl. obviously in this case the boy doenst want it cut(im assuming hes old enough to understand that decision) so he must be ok with that.

 

[PrincessMonkey]

Longer hair on boys is very "Jonas Brothers" these days. I don't think that a 2 year old boy would care about that, but I do know slightly older kids and tween boys who think that is very cool.

It's us, as adults, who don't necessarily keep up with the style of the times.
However, I wouldn't want to subject a child to ridicule if they aren't old enough to explain why they like the hairstyle as it is.

 

[Poohbug]

I also am not a big fan of long hair on boys. I realize it is a personal decision but please don't get mad when people call him a girl. It is honestly hard to tell on younger children and we are certainly not trying to offend anyone.

 

[LauraP22]

I personally tend to think that long hair on an older male child is a style choice the child is making based on their personal wishes. On a toddler, or early elementary schooler, it often just seems to be a parent who likes the long hair thus the kiddo gets stuck with comments about it all the time. For the same reason I don't like ear piercing on little boys or expressing a mother's feminism by dressing their daughter like a boy. It should be a child's choice to go against societal norms later in life, not a parent making a statement with their kiddo.

One more thing I will say on this topic and then I'll shut up since I'm in the minority here, a young kid will often say what their parents want to hear so if a parent says "your curls are so beautiful and long" all the time and then says "do you want to have your pretty curls cut off?" the kiddo is unlikely to say they want it cut off because they want to please their parents.

 

[livndisney]

I personally tend to think that long hair on an older male child is a style choice the child is making based on their personal wishes. On a toddler, or early elementary schooler, it often just seems to be a parent who likes the long hair thus the kiddo gets stuck with comments about it all the time. For the same reason I don't like ear piercing on little boys or expressing a mother's feminism by dressing their daughter like a boy. It should be a child's choice to go against societal norms later in life, not a parent making a statement with their kiddo.

One more thing I will say on this topic and then I'll shut up since I'm in the minority here, a young kid will often say what their parents want to hear so if a parent says "your curls are so beautiful and long" all the time and then says "do you want to have your pretty curls cut off?" the kiddo is unlikely to say they want it cut off because they want to please their parents.

I agree, alot of the time it is the parent making the choice for the childs hair to be long and not a "current" trend. And don't get me started on piercing. Personally I don't like long hair on boys. That said, a family member has long hair. He was NOT pleased when his young granddaughter kept getting confused and calling him "her".

If you choose to leave your son's hair long, I don't see how you can get mad when someone mistakes him for a girl. Just the same I as I could not get mad when people mistook my DD for a boy while we were waiting for her hair to grow. (I guess the dress wasn't enough of a clue LOL)

 

[SLK1]

Nothing new here...people are always dressing up their babies in pink and being called "he", or vice-versa. If it bothers you what other people say, cut the hair!!! If not, keep it. There is absolutely nothing you can do, short of stamping his forehead with "I'm a boy", so you just have to deal with it...be prepared to correct people, or smile nicely and accept the fact that he is mistaken often.

 

[SLK1]

Just one more thing about hair...it's also pretty gross when a parent insists their daughter have long hair, when the hair is just not pretty and is stringy and thin. That is just the parent thinking "Oooh, we have a girl, let's keep her hair long". Ick. Please recognize that sometimes hair needs to be a bit shorter in order to keep it looking healthy!!!

 

[terri01p]

I am not a big fan of long hair on boys (curls or not). IMHO, very few can pull it off and look cute. There are lots of shorter cuts that can still show off his curls without making him look like a girl.......

I am probably in the minority here, but I like little boys to look like little boys

 

[justcruisin]

I don't like long hair on boys any more then I like seeing their boxershorts and jeans worn low.

For me it's just plain sloppy and disrespectful.

(Don't mean to sound so harsh, but boys should grow up to be MEN!)

 

[bennythepug]

I am not a big fan of long hair on boys (curls or not). IMHO, very few can pull it off and look cute. There are lots of shorter cuts that can still show off his curls without making him look like a girl.......

I am probably in the minority here, but I like little boys to look like little boys

I'm in agreement with you, I like little boys to look like boys. My boys have short hair and my sister in law's boys have long hair. Her boys have been mistaken for girls several times. I would'nt want my kids to be embarresed like that.

 

[las3888]

I have to agree with those who don't like long hair on boys. I know it's a personal choice, but I feel like when they are toddler or preschool aged, it's not really the kid's choice but the parents. So be it if that's what you desire...it is after a free country!

I do have a good friend who didn't cut DS's hair until he turned 3. It was because it was curly. I personally never understood that reasoning...some hair is straight and some is curly...I don't know why curly is meant to be long??? Maybe when they have those cute curly ringlets at baby age, but beyond being a baby to others it doesn't quite seem maybe as cute as it does to the parents. Again, it's personal choice, so do what you want, but don't be surprised or frustrated if they call DS a girl because it is very hard to distinguish at times.

 

[LovePug]

My son needed a haircut by the time he was 6 months old-I kid you not. I took him when he was 7 or 8 months old and the hairdresser barely trimmed it because it was "so beautiful". A couple weeks later, after constantly being stopped in public by strangers saying how beautiful SHE is, I cut it myself. It may be silly to some, but it bothered me.

It is totally a personal preference...

 

[princessmom29]

I'll be honest long hair on little boys bothers me. I think i see it as mom trying to keep them a little boy for ever. I had a friend who did this, but she also nurse him untill he was 3 and he is now turnig 4 next monthy and she has made no effort to potty train him. She is seriously trying to hold onto her last baby and I worry about what the consequences for the child will be. He is already verbally delayed, and no preschool is going to take him in diapers at 4. I guess the fact that she kept his hair long in an effort to keep him a baby as long as possible is why it bothers me.

 

[sk!mom]

If he looks like a girl then he looks like a girl so you have two choices-

1. Cut it.

or

2. Get a thicker skin and chill.

 

[eduk8r26]

We have a couple of kids at my school who have long hair worn in pigtails or ponytails. I have mistaken them for girls before. I think that's a risk you take if you let your child's hair grow. Now the thing that really bugs me this year is the number of kids at our school with Mohawks. I've never seen so many before and I think they look absolutely ridiculous.

 

[dislal]

I agree, alot of the time it is the parent making the choice for the childs hair to be long and not a "current" trend. And don't get me started on piercing. Personally I don't like long hair on boys.

If you choose to leave your son's hair long, I don't see how you can get mad when someone mistakes him for a girl.

 

[npmommie]

LOL, i guess it really doesn't bother me that much what people think or say. Occasionally like yesterday, it gets under my skin, and that is usually the tone of the person saying it.
it didn't bother me or him at all last winter when he got called princess at disney......... but then again he was only 4.......hehe
Maybe it is me hanging onto my "baby", I did try to get him to let me cut it several times over the summer, because of being hot and icky and dirty and sweaty, but he wanted none of it.
my dd is in need of a haircut and i was thinking if I took her to one of those kid cut places, he may let them cut his hair, i prob wouldn't go super short for the first time..........but at least up off his shoulders,
he does still have that sweet baby face, and long lashes, so i can see sometimes why he gets called she.........but really i guess i get perplexed at it when he is definitely dressed like a boy, all boy, no mistake in the clothing........but oh well.
I am not one for doing what society thinks i should anyway.........