From MNHQ - we need your comments....

Well, the uniform set a good example of the school, when they are on trips of off premises. People do look more favourably on a bunch of smartly dressed children in a museum and a damn site easier for the teacher to round up everyone wearing blue or red or whatever jumpers.

Long hair or heavily lacquered or gelled hair does become a h&s issue. Far easier and fairer then, to say no across the board and save a teacher the job of having to decide who's got suitable hairdo's on a daily basis.

Why does it matter in any setting what someones appearance is like? Especially as trivially as a hairstyle? For goodness sake, it just seems so ridiculous.

Well, having googled the actual article it seems his mother chose the haircut for him and this is a nursery with a uniform (so possibly attached to a school).

If it is part of a school with a uniform (clothing and hair/jewellery)policy then I suppose they are within their rights to maintain standards of appearance across the board. If they let the pre-schoolers have it the mothers of school age kids would be saying it was unfair if their boys wanted to look like that too.

IMHO it looks well chavvy but then I am an old fashioned snob to say the least and a penny pincher who would not invest in a high maintenance haircut, especially on a 3 year old.

I suspect the mother thought it looked "well cool" or some other streetwise term of appreciation and has projected her desires onto her little boy who can't even see the effect without assistance given that it is on the back of his head.

So, the ear piercing is okay but the haircut is not?

What a nonsense policy.

Here's the haircut in question. I am mainly astonished that a 3 year old boy was able to sit still long enough to have that done!

MaureenMyLove - why would you need to draw the line somewhere? Who cares if they have long hair/short hair/dyed hair/ no hair? Why does it matter?

I personally don't agree with dress codes. Uniforms, I think are different, they are literally all the same and while I wouldn't choose it for my children, I think it is a choice one takes into account when choosing a school.

Dress codes do not remove the 'my gear is designer, yours isn't' aspect. I don't see what other benefits it has.

Mine was some spirals, on the lower back bit of my head. Very pretty. Really nice. Took bloody forever to get done, though.

ridiculous.

ridiculous that they have excluded him.

and ridiculous that we are supposed to believe that a 3yo boy gells his own hair every morning.

SPS - that's true, but I wonder if that applies to 'dress code etc'. And it might be different for a private nursery or a state preschool or a kindergarten etc.

I don't think the issue here is parental discipline or lack of it. She didn't say that she personally hated the style so why would she say no?

What possible reason could the nursery have for banning a haircut? They aren't a H&S issue, he hasn't got a swastika shaved into his head FGS! It's just rules for rules sake.

Personally I hate cuts like that but as both my boys have long hair I suspect they'd be banned too. And yes I could force them to have their hair cut, but for what reason? Simply on principle. Because what mummy says goes. I save my 'rules' for things that really matter.

I don't think the nursery is being unreasonble. It starts with one lad having tramlines, then the next has theirs spiked, the next will have dyed hair and so on and so on. You've got to draw the line somewhere and it ain't on their heads!

I also agree entirely with school uniform. If you let them all 'express themselves' there'd be twice as many rucks than there are now! In uniform, they all look the same, therefore you take away the 'I've got the designer gear, you haven't' aspect.

They are also much calmer in school uniform. DD and her mates bowled down the road, like they were the bees knees this morning, because they have a MUFTI day. Usually, its a struggle to get them out the door!

That's what I mean though DSM - they're perfectly entitled to make whatever rules they want to, but it would affect your decision as to whether you sent the child there or not.

marina - my school invoked a 'no dyed hair' rule, because of 2 'bleached blonde' girls - they were natural!!!

If the rule was there before the haircut then the mother should not have gone aginst it BUT I would be expecting a major explaination from the nursery as to why they felt this sort of rule necessary or at all appropriate.

Nurseries can't do what the heck they want to though.

Regardless of who they are owned and run by, they have to adhere to Ofsted guidelines and the National Standards.

The dcs' school quietly vanished the "short haircuts for boys" requirement after a fantastic male teacher with shoulder length hair joined the staff

I certainly wouldn't enroll my children in a nursery which imposed such draconian rules. Doesn't sound like a very fun place to go.

How can it possibly have any bearing on the child, or other children whatsoever?

You are not a three year old boy though NQC, I bet yours looked fine.
DirtySexyMummy, if you meant me, I think hair guidelines are pretty daft and sad at this preschool age, but if it was in the contract or whatever that the mum signed to put her ds in this nursery, then they are within their rights to exclude him, I suppose

Because it is their nursery and they set the rules basically. And when you decide to enrol in something you take on their rules and abide by them. But it's not reasonable to enrol and then have new rules given to you which exclude your child.

The Early Years curriculum followed by day nurseries, nursery schools and childminders sets out to encourage children to be individual, to develop a strong self esteem and a positive self image.

Children should be supported in making choices and developing their creativity in my opinion.

Life gets more serious as we get older - surely children should be allowed to be children when they're 3?

Whoops. Think I may have had a tramline (or ish) haircut once, not that long ago. Good thing they don't impose dress codes on parents, eh?

You think it is okay to have guidelines for hair? Really? Why?

If the nursery didn't have this in the guidelines before the haircut then I don't think they should exclude him now. BUT if they want to have guidelines for hair I think that is reasonable, as long as parents are clear what they are.

The mum however should decide on the haircut - if she can't say no to a haircut now, what else is she not going to be able to say no to later. Kids have all sorts of unreasonable demands and wishes - parents decide what is appropriate.

I let my kids express themselves at home - they can wear what they like. But they are neatly turned out in uniform for school, with hair neatly done.

Unless his hairstyle was putting him at risk of an accident I can't see why it should matter to them.
Sounds like snobbery.

Parents should say no where it's already known that what the children want is against a dress/style code. So, eg, no to Uggs if the uniform list says plain black shoes.

So the little boy should not have been allowed to have his hair cut this way if his mum knew about the dress/style code.

BUT - he's three. This is a preschool, yes? Does it also have a uniform?
It seems a bit of a shame not to allow children under five a bit of leeway before they are engulfed in the world of Teflon trousers and polyester sweatshirts forever.

Three year olds are not averse to leaving the house dressed in a tutu, wellies and mum's jumper, given a chance.

In principle I'm against a nursery having such a rigid dress code and would think twice about sending my children to such a one. My dcs went to a nursery attached to a private school and while they had a uniform, approved haircuts were not stipulated. But this woman presumably signed up to her nursery knowing they took this line.

I also think tramline haircuts and gel on small children are pretty unflattering, personally. But that's a whole other radio interview...

Children should 100% be allowed to express whatever individuality they choose, and not be restricted by pointless 'dress codes'. If a child expresses an interest in something, I think that should be embraced.

However, tramlines? Did this incident happen in 1989?