Ginger & worried about the future.

Funnily enough a school friend of mine who was a ginger (red head) has actually done very well for herself in business so didn't hold her back and I also knew someone who had very red hair (privately educated and also lived in HK) who seemed to do very well too.

I really don't think it's an issue here unless you make it one.

I think the bullying about being ginger started because it was seen as an Irish/Scottish characteristic. I have been bullied by adults for having ginger hair. I now ask bluntly if it is due to racism.

I was bullied in childhood and dyed my hair blonde. I'm now working very hard to get beautiful ginger hair! Just reassure her that its gorgeous. Some people will always find something to ge vile about.

Let her own... that should read.

Some children have no obvious differences and are bullied terribly and even when moved to new groups, schools etc are still bullied. Other children have much more to contend with than a more unusual hair colour and cope brilliantly. How you bring her up and talk about her hair will have a huge impact on how she feels about it. Don’t make ‘ginger’ a bad word by only referring to her hair as gold or strawberry blonde. Let me own her hair for its brilliance.
One of the most popular teenagers a know has bright ginger hair and is stunning. She also knows it and laps up the attention and so she should.

Don’t let your fear transfer to your child and count your lucky stars that this difference. as you see it, is very small. Really, so many of us have much more to contend with our kids and I’m sure many would wish red hair was their main worry.

From what I remember of school in the 60s/70s red heads were not bullied for being red heads. There were 3 remarkably red haired girl in my class and people tended to be admiring (and maybe slightly envious) of their hair, rather than finding it a cause for bullying. I know there was a point in the 80s? when that changed quite a lot, but thought it had been dissipating over the last 10-15 years?

I think mainly, if a child is going to be bullied the bullies will find something to bully them about. Perhaps you can teach her to laugh at anyone who tries it. A bully will try to bully anyone around them, and will focus on the ones who react in a certain way. The ones who don't, who aren't susceptible to it will get left alone as there are always easier targets. If you're not sure, read up about bullying and find out what would make her an easy target and work on that.

Kids at my school tried to tease me about my red hair, but I was such a cocky little thing I just didn’t get it.
I remember saying back, 'ooh, you’ve got BROWN hair - that doesn’t hurt your feelings does it??'

Don’t give your kid a reason to buy into what the bullies are saying.

I was teased endlessly at school growing up, some of it was about my hair colour, some of it was about other things but it was always worse because I had low self esteem and was unable to brush it off. I absolutely hated having red hair and spent years dying it different colours.

It's only now I'm older and nearing 40 that I appreciate my hair - mainly as I have hardly any greys! My DDs don't have my colouring at all and both say they wish they had hair like Mummy which is quite sweet. They say that kids don't get teased for things like hair colour at school. I do think things have changed in that respect.

Nothing like someone shouting "Oi GINGER" at you from a moving vehicle though. I mean, geez thanks for letting me know .

Times have changed, I think red heads are quite envied now.

I would never, ever refer to him, even in writing as "ginger". I think you need to look at your own prejudices a bit.

That’s not prejudice! DDs family nickname is “Ginger” and she is totally happy with it!

My friends dd is a child model and actor she is often cast for her lovely red curly hair- embrace it teach dd to feel proud of her lovely hair

Second both @RaspberryCoulis and @MollyButton - definitely not a problem in Scotland - will be one of several in a class almost undoubtedly... So move here, it’s great 🤗

Our gorgeous toddler Dd has red/ginger hair, she’s very pale, with blue eyes and barely there eyebrows and eyelashes.

That’s our DD (except no longer a toddler - grown up and left home).

She was never bullied because of her hair colour but we did and she still does get a lot of comments on her hair .... all positive.

Isn't it about time that parents and teachers helped to put an end to bullying for whatever reason once and for all? In the primary school I volunteer in there is a blanket rule that we do not make comments about someone's appearance unless it is complimentary. I hope they remember that in secondary school.

Ds's mate is ginger, he isn't bullied for it, he loves his hair as it makes him different than all the other generic hair colours. Ds did send him Prejudice by Tim Minchin.

My girls have red hair and it has only ever brought good things! Both have modelled and done acting work due to their striking looks. Sadly my hair is brown 😂 neither has been bullied apart from one teen who no one likes anyway and the friends all thought less of her for her stupid comment. So it may well be an asset rather than a hindrance!

Mum to 2 boys and myself have the ginger hair, My boys were often stopped as toddlers for having gorgeous hair, got through school ok, One older kid with ginger told my 11 year old first day of senior school gett any bullying you come and find me , us gingers stick together. But they never did. But my eldest was aggressively sworn at and an apple core thrown at him by an idiot male in a white van and "I f**g hate gingers shouted out as he was walking home from school at 14, he just didn't react. They learn to live with it, my youngest is much darker now and its lovely, I always told mine it's only hair colour. It's a lovely colour and my husband loves it and that's why he married me.

I have a beautiful blue eyed redhead. She is the youngest of our 5. The others are all dark the same as DH and I. I think that DD5 is truly beautiful inside and out and her hair is stunning. I would love her colouring and told her from a very young age that she was so lucky to have hair like this. You can't change it OP and really I'm sure you wouldn't want to so just carry on loving your beautiful little girl - all will be fine!

I think Ginger bullying is dying out tbh. My friend has a properly orange haired child which is almost afro (parents have straight brown hair). She is Year 8 and never been bullied, if anything everyone is very drawn to her hair, especially the other girls who like to play with it and wind it round their fingers.

Not a problem in Scotland.

I am a red-head and was bullied for it but only as part of a very long list... My ginger children have never had a negative comment. Only positive ones. One went from red to strawberry blonde, the other is proper ginger still. Even I don't hear comments about gingers anymore.

I have red hair, other than the odd comment was never an issue at school. Don't worry about it, don't make her anxious about it and think how lucky she has to have such lovely hair.

I have two DCs with red hair, one more red one more reddish blonde. Nothing but compliments on their hair. I know many redhead children (it actually seems to be more common now as far as I can tell?) none seem to have attracted any negative comments.

I'm 57 and have had the piss taken out of me all my life about it, not exactly bullied. I hate it so much I'm blonde now and have been for about 25 years. My eldest ds also has ginger hair ( he's 35) and he's had it too, but it doesn't seem to bother him as much as it does me. My other dc's are dark and I used to get asked if they had different dad's ( they don't, except the youngest).

What annoys me is that it's ok for some people to think it's funny to make ginger jokes, but wouldn't dream of taking the piss out of any other sort of colouring 😡

I have a 12 year old with red hair. I would never, ever refer to him, even in writing as "ginger". I think you need to look at your own prejudices a bit.

Anyway, we're in Scotland and he was one of three in his class with red hair. It's really not that unusual and nobody's ever remarked upon it.