To get annoyed by the constant comments about DS's red hair?

[BakingBunty]

DS (9 months) has beautiful red hair. It's the first thing that people comment on when they see him. Many of the comments are because people are genuinely intrigued - neither myself or DH have red hair (and no, neither does the milkman...), and I totally understand this. Some of the comments are nice ones. However, most of the comments are along the lines of 'ah well, it might change as he gets older' or 'what were the chances of that, you poor things'. I just smile and tell them that I love it, but it breaks my heart to think that people may still be commenting when he is old enough to understand. DF in particular is a prime example of someone who can't resist commenting on it, but I think he - and others - would think I'm being over sensitive if I told them to keep their remarks to themselves. AIBU to want them all to shut up? And what's the best way of handling it?

I don't know whether it's true of the majority of the USA, but certainly where I used to live (midwest) some people had never heard of the word ginger in relation to hair colour, and of those who had it wasn't a word they'd use - always redhead

I haven't read the whole thread, but I'd be tempted to say to the next person who comments unfavourably: "Oh, we love his hair! Of course, we know it means he'll probably go through life hearing stupid comments about it from people who haven't got the sense or the manners to bite their tongue, but if it weren't his hair it would just be something else, wouldn't it?" and smile sweetly.

I have red hair! I used to hate it as a child and got all the negative comments people used to throw at you in the 80s. I used to pray that I never had a child with red hair (just so they wouldnt have to get what I did).

All three of my children have brown hair. I was very relieved at this especially my son. Now dont get me wrong Im not being negative to the OP I have a lot of friends with red haired boys (who are just gorgeous) and/or red haired husbands... I just think boys with red hair seem to get more of a rough deal than girls do.

I agree with one of the pps.. teach him that lots of boys with red hair have gone on to be very very popular other than Damien Lewis. Rupert Grint(Ron Weasley), Ed Shearan just name just 2.

Give your little dude a big cuddle from us xx

Thank you, you lovely people. You've made me feel even more proud of my beautiful ginger boy. Almost looking forward to the next negative comment so that I can have a right old go back, thanks to all the inspirational retorts! Sad that it's even an issue.

I was looking at DS's hair as I put him down tonight. It was catching the light and looking amazing. I can't understand how anyone would think it an ugly hair colour.

Oh, and to all those who also have red headed babies... Factor 50 is currently half price at Boots!

OP hearing about your gorgeous red-haired boy is making me broody (coming from a red head with one strawberry blonde DD and one ginger DD)
he will have some comments, but the red haired men in my family have never struggled with the ladies

Ds is 5.5 and in reception class. Complete strangers comment on his bright red hair. We always agree and say isn't it a striking shade ? I had him in a martial arts class at just turned 4 though :-D

Actually was going to start a thread about this topic today as saw outside this v nice gift shop place selling expensive tat a rack of birthday cards etc started looking through them
They were v funny
I.e. Dear Dignity
Sorry about that last night
Yours
Alcohol

But then there was one with a joke re people with ginger hair, I really thought about going in to complain but I was chicken (don't have red hair but this 'joke' really annoyed me
I can't repeat it as it would make me the same as the shop but it suggested that you wouldn't have friends because of yr hair colour WTF
If I go past the shop again I will say something (or at least mess up the cards in the display)

My daughter has the most gorgeous red hair,but her friends call her "ginge". She likes it , its her nick-name, and on facebook she is JuniorJam "Ginge" donut. Hairdressers have always commented on the shade of her hair, since she was a toddler,saying people pay good money to have their hair coloured that shade!

But red hair is so beautiful. Ignore the philistines!

where do you people live? I have two red headed kids and no one ever says a word. anymore than they did the blonde one and the brunette one.

I think red hair babies look adorable. My oldest was strawberry blond at birth, and got redder and now is dirty blond. I loved the red. People wondered where it came from too, Dh brown/blond and me black haired. Funny thing was the post man did have red hair. I creased up laughing when I met him after Ds was born.

My brother has red hair and when he lived in the UK, he was quite surprised at the level of stupid comments he would get.
I also watched a thing about red hair on TV and was shocked at the level of anti-red-hairedness (esp. for boys) that was shown.

However, my brother's girlfriend recently had a baby boy with red hair. My brother was truly delighted and saw the red hair as the icing on the cake, so I reckon, despite all the comments he's endured through the years, red hair can't be too bad for the owner!
I think if you make sure your DS knows it's a good thing, he'll be fine and it sounds like you're working at that for him.

My little boy has ginger hair and I wouldn't change it for the world - hes lovely!

I know that people get teased for having ginger hair but at the end of the day kids will always find something to pick on and with his firey red-head temper I really pity anyone who does choose to pick on him!!

Cor I'd love a ginger nut. Lovely biscuits, you've made me all hungry now

DH is ginger ( I totally got together with him due to his resemblance to Josh Homme. He even plays guitar )

Dd1 is ginger - when she was 2 we were at a baby group when this conversation happened :

Woman A : what lovely hair
Me: yes she gets it from her dad
Woman B: oh I can't stand ginger men, pale skin, ginger armpit hair eeuurrrhghh
Me: !!!!

To this day I cannot quite believe she said it. And possibly due to my being pregnant with DD2 at the time ( and excessively hormonal) I walked away with tears in my eyes rather than 'expressing myself fully'.

Dd1 beautiful by the way (though I say so myself) had nothing but compliments and not had any problems at school ( so far).

And fwiw DH is bloody gorgeous too!

They have red hair envy, its common. I am strawberry blonde and all my life its been a bit of a topic as its unusual. No one in my family has red hair - its recessive. I was slightly disappointed that my children are boring white blondies.

Surely being disappointed that your kids are 'boring white blondies' is just as bad as being disappointed that your kids are ginger?

Obviously not that you'd tell them either way

DS2 has the most amazing shade of red hair ever! Its like rose gold!

People always comment as he also has the darkest brown eyes ever.

Pic on profile but it does not do his hair justice!

There's red hair on DH's and my sides of the family, and I was bit sad that DD didn't get it. I'm doing my bit, though, as a dedicated henna head.

What I've noticed about redheads is that not only is the colour fabulous, but the hair so often thick and wavy. Gorgeous.

How to respond to the comments. To the nice ones, "Yes it's so beautiful."

To the rude ones: "You do realise you said that out loud, don't you?"

This pisses me off. My gorgeous DH is strawberry blondish/red; albeit very short as receding.

We are expecting DC1 and the number of colleagues who have said to me seriously that hopefully DC wont inherit his hair! It's soooo rude.

One particular offender who is rude about anyone and everyone who is ginger is black. I think quite understandably, of course it would obviously be totally unacceptable for me to say that hopefully any of her DC to be wont inherit her dark skin. So completely at a loss as to why she and others think it is acceptable to be so rude about something integral to DH.

"Touched by fire" ( GRR Martin) my DS2 has red hair and he is the light of my life and he has bags of character. When he was a baby people would stop me in the street to comment and it was always nice comments. I remember one Scottish lady telling me about her red haired late father, seeing my son had reminded her of childhood pictures of him.

I don't understand why people think you wouldn't want your child to have red hair? I love red hair, always have. It was very uncommon where I grew up (in Sweden) and of course I always really wanted red hair. Besides, there were always so many red haired heroines in books..

YANBU - some people are just plain stupid.

I do not know why this prejudice against red hair started and do not understand what on earth it's about. Am a brunette myself so have no particular axe to grind, just find it bewildering.

I watched a bit of an old film of Anne of Green Gables this afternoon.

It was in black and white, but they still had Anne Shirley whining about how she hated having red hair, and getting into trouble fighting with people who teased her about it.

So I turned the TV off.