Ridiculous comments about red hair

Maybe I am lucky, but no one has ever said a negative word to me or my 9yr old redhead. We still get stopped in the street with compliments on the hair though!

I have found most people very positive and I hope over their life your DC gets the same OP.

Staying on topic of the OP, yeah, it's real rubbish - but also of no consequence!

But it clearly IS of consequence for mums who are being pitied for having a red headed baby, or red heads who are having to deal with comments about their pubic hair.

Thanks for speaking out x

Another mark on my bingo card.

DD has fiery red hair, loved by older ladies when she was tiny too. I worried about her being bullied for it but it's really not been that big a deal so far and she's at Secondary - certainly not as big an issue as I thought it was going to be from my school days. I think it helps that their are quite a few red headed celebrities at the minute

My son has literally the gingerest hair I have ever seen on a person. He's 5 now and totally owns it and hasn't experienced any negativity so far. It's massively different from when I grew up as a ginge in the 90s. I hope it lasts.

@Meemoos

You've gone to far. Blatant racism now. Reported.

They are rude for making those comments.

However, as regards your son, you need to install a positive attitude about his hair from an early age.

My cousin had red hair growing up. Very sleek and shiny and striking. She did receive some negative comments (which is ridiculous but there you go) and from the age of about 11 she started mucking about with bleach. She is 43 now and has never had her natural colour. Her once shiny, sleek hair is now a permanently frazzled white/blonde and badly damaged and is constantly snapping off.

When I was 18 I started work with a woman with ginger hair - lighter than my cousins and not as naturally sleek. But she took great care of it and it was in great condition. She was so, so proud of it and loved being a "ginge".

Nobody could mock her for it because she proudly called herself ginger before anybody else could. It just didn't leave any scope for negativity.

If you can teach your son to embrace his colouring, hopefully he will be the same.

I have had people say, "Its' not so bad for a girl." Which is lovely isn't it.

Staying on topic of the OP, yeah, it's real rubbish - but also of no consequence!

As the child of a dad who had ginger hair, I can tell you that even though my dad's nickname was 'ginge', he definitely was not bullied.

And a real bonus - he did not go grey until his mid 80s. He went brown (I believe because he was more auburn? The more ginger seem to become blonde rather than grey?). I always remember wondering why everyone called him ginge, because he was 42 when I was born, and I only ever remember him having brown hair.

There are people who will find reason to try to pt fear in your heart about the slightest thing - someone once said of my then-baby boy, 'oh, what a lovely head of hair! That means he'll go bald very early!'

Seems like I need to get a new bingo card out…

I remember when my firstborn was about 6 months old, sitting up in her pram with a little summer hat on, A 'friend' of my DM came over and lifted her hat up said "Oh no" and put the hat back on. I was so crushed. My DDs hair was red and beautiful. I always regret not telling the stupid woman off, I just stood there shocked. This was 20+ years ago. I thought times had changed now. Hopefully it's just the older generation with this horrid view.

My dd had a mop of ginger curls as a baby (still has!). I remember a lady on the bus exclaiming “What lovely hair! Is it natural?” As if I’d be perming and dyeing a toddler’s hair!

You said the below. If you stand by it, why can’t you say what the ‘it’ you’re referring to is?

It's just made up nonsense. It doesnt exist here. Everyone just trying so hard to be a victim and pretend to be oppressed all the time...so boring and pathetic. And pretty insulting to those who experience actual hardship.

I suggest you do as you are out of step with recognised legal definitions.

It is absolutely a form of racism as defined by the UN, EU etc.

Discrimination or prejudice based on ethnicity or nationality etc..

Stop gatekeeping.

Oh yes the ginger pubes, I could never figure that one out.

What exactly did the woman on the train say?

What was she expecting you to say / do about it?

You know what you said. At least own it.

Only 0.17 per cent of the population have red hair and blue eyes. Very rare and special!

It absolutely is not OK to bully someone for their hair colour. Particularly, when that red hair is an ethnic trait. There used to be signs outside shops stating no blacks or Irish. Educate people who comment negatively that it's rooted in bigotry and only a complete arsehole would bully a child over that.

Skin colour is a different issue, but it still doesn't make it OK to abuse a child over something they have no control over

I repeat

Because your son will not be discriminated against when looking for a job.

Because he won’t be stopped and searched dozens of times.

Because he won’t be assumed to be a criminal or a terrorist.

Because people won’t campaign for him to be deported to where he came from based on his country of birth.

Don’t appropriate racism for him.