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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that a mohican hair-do is not appropriate for school?

102 replies

papulacandin · 20/02/2011 09:30

Two boys have joined school (yr4 and yr2) both of whom sport proper mohicans - middle of head, front to back, gelled up to about 2 - 3 cms.

Is this appropriate for school? Many of us think not and worry about the impression it gives of the school, but the headteacher is using the 'freedom of expression' defence.

What do you reckon?

OP posts:
usualsuspect · 20/02/2011 12:40

Its just hair...

ratspeaker · 20/02/2011 12:41

squeakytoy I'd be creating a huge fuss if a teacher was letting a hairstlye disturb their ability to teach.
Any school should be treating each child as an individual regardless of race, colour, religion, appearance.

How would you be reacting if it were Sikh boys wearing a patka?

squeakytoy · 20/02/2011 12:43

Personal appearance is the first impression and matters. You are judged on your appearance even before anyone knows your name or you open your mouth.

I am all for encouraging individuality, but I also think common sense should prevail. Sending your child to school with a mohican conveys the message that you dont give a toss about rules and are a bit of a chav to be quite honest.

sillymummy72 · 20/02/2011 12:43

I think it would look a bit Chav-ish....

squeakytoy · 20/02/2011 12:44

A mohican is not religious, it is rebellious. Completely different.

BornToFolk · 20/02/2011 12:46

I agree with ratspeaker. Any teacher that discriminates on grounds of appearance is a bad teacher and I'd be very cross if it were my child.

Is a mohican really that outrageous? Maybe I'm biased as DP frequently sports a mohican but I didn't think it was that bizarre.

usualsuspect · 20/02/2011 12:46

I would have more of a problem with the parents who objected to it ,than with the parents who let their kids have a mohican if I was the headteacher tbh

ratspeaker · 20/02/2011 12:47

Still just a hairstyle either way

ivykaty44 · 20/02/2011 12:50

How is a hair style going to affect the school? Is the hair going to influence your dc? Is the hair going to harm your dc? is the hair going to effect your health or the health of any other pupil at the school?

No the hair style is not actually going to effect you in any way or that of your dc

candlebythewindow · 20/02/2011 12:53

the only things we don't allow at school are offensive items of clothing or something which could hurt other pupils. a mohican is NOT going to hurt anybody.

FWIW i'm a teacher, got lots of highers at school, have done an undergraduate degree AND a postgraduate and i had pink hair for a lot of that time. but then i also had a child at 17... terrible innit!

Ormirian · 20/02/2011 12:53

I'd prefer a mohican to some of the crew cuts we see in out school.

kneesofthebee · 20/02/2011 13:03

YABU - its just a hairstyle.

Unless there is so much gel that the points could "ave someone's eye out" Grin then I can't see what difference it makes to the school.

Ormirian · 20/02/2011 13:40

Our secondary school does not permit 'extreme hairstyles'. Not sure what that actually means. When DS1 went for his interview a few years back I asked if his, shoulder-length mop consituted 'extreme' and apparently it didn't. I've not seen any odd hair at the school though.

Maryz · 20/02/2011 13:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LynetteScavo · 20/02/2011 13:52

Gelled up about 2-3 cms, is hardly extreme.

I think you need to get over it.

Mumi · 20/02/2011 14:17

Shaved heads are usually banned, yet many find the current trend for straightened side partings with sweep fringes "common and nasty" too.

I don't care what people choose to do with their hair anywhere. Just as a teacher who can't cope with a hairstyle is a bad teacher, a customer or colleague who can't cope with a hairstyle is obviously not that bothered about the actual work the organisation is doing in the first place.

Doesn't seem to have done Darryn Lyons' business any harm! Grin

Catsmamma · 20/02/2011 14:24

gawd...2-3 cm of gelled hair...might have someone's eye out!

It's hardly an 18 inch pasted and painted spike of a mohican is it?

Get over yourself and stop judging on appearances!

Ladyofthehousespeaking · 20/02/2011 14:31

So you're judging two children, who are new to the area?
I hope your kids have a nicer attitude

laosvher · 20/02/2011 14:38

YABU.
Seriously? It's hair, who gives a damn whether it looks 'chavvy'.
I think you need a hobby, personally.

minxofmancunia · 20/02/2011 14:53

YABU, and precious.

God this is the kind of thing I'm dreading when dd starts school in September these square, precious, no-life, completely over involved hyper Mums.

I see the point of unifrom and dress code but more from My point of view ie don't have to think of a decent outfit each am for dcs. But other than that i hate the way they repress children's individuality and try to make groups of pupils into one bland homogenous mass. If my dd wishes to express herself in other ways at school within the rules I'll let her.

ds is only 17m, I may gel his red curls into a mohican Wink

poodlerockin · 20/02/2011 14:58

Why do you care?

The headteacher has said it's allowed therefore...it's allowed.

Stop worrying about what other people do, especially when it's something as trivial as a haircut.

Bluemoonrising · 20/02/2011 15:42

I'll bet it is the very people that are worrying about 'people judging the school' that are doing the judging based on a minor and infinitely changeable aspect of appearance.

They are kids, they aren't lawyers or doctors or politicians. And you know what? Even if they were, their ability would be a damned sight more important to me than their hairstyle of choice.

What does it matter what others think of the school? Surely the teaching and the results are MUCH more important than a couple of kids with a bit of style and personality?

It's not like mohicans are purely associated with anarchy and punk any more, that hasn't been the case for a long time!

starterfor10 · 20/02/2011 16:25

My DS has a mohican in the holidays and has it cut off to go back to school (hair, not head!).I made a mistake with term dates and sent him back to school with a grovelling note saying I would get it cut that evening.(it was not gelled or anything so looked more like a donkey's mane). I was telephoned and told to collect him and take him to the barber before he could go into lessons.
The school rules do stipulate "no extreme haircuts", so I complied.
That is the bottom line. I knew the rules so shouldn't be surprised if DS isn't allowed to break them (he is at Secondary).
Primary schools tend to be more relaxed about that kind of thing so you probably just have to tolerate it.

BooyFuckingHoo · 20/02/2011 16:26

snob

OmniaParatus · 20/02/2011 16:36

YABU. My nephew had a mohican, the school eventually forced him to have his hair cut, despite the fact that they had ignored four years of bullying he had suffered for being a red head.

They seemed to not care about the effect being bullied had on him, but the minute he tried to mitigate it's effect by flaunting his ginger hair as something to be proud of, he was disciplined.

I'd rather see a child with a mohican than see children who are being bullied- but clearly my nephew's school did not agree. None of my kids will be going there.

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