AIBU to not be devastated that my DS has red hair

[EvenFlo]

I have a beautiful, healthy 7 week old son who is smiley and basically gorgeous (biased of course).

But shock horror he has a mass of red hair!!

The response I am getting to this from some people is utterly ridiculous - 'oh don't worry it will change', 'oh I am sure it will go blonde', 'oh he is lovely regardless'. This is usually accompanied by slightly sympathetic head tilts.

WTAF - he has hair that might be red (or dare I say ginger) - he doesn't have a bloody life threatening illness or contagious disease. It's just hair!

Does anyone have any suggestions for suitably cutting responses to these comments. It maybe I have it wrong - maybe having red hair is far more terrible than I am realising.

Rant over.

Both my dc were born with red hair, dd 10 has got blonder with time but ds 8 has got more orange, honestly like a fekin carrot, both of them are quite well balanced children and deal with it well, when someone calls ds ginger his reply is 'yeah I know, so'

We are Scottish and he was soo cute at my sisters wedding last year with his kilt and ginger hair, looked like a traditional wee Scotsman.

my little cousin (2) has the most beautiful curly red hair, he is gorgeous and people always comment on it (in a positive way). it's true "ginger" and so cute.

my sister also has beautiful long red hair and i am insanely jealous, again people always comment on it saying how beautiful it is. we give her the odd ginger tease and she teases us back but it's not meant to be nasty.

just cut them off and say "i'm not worried, why would i be? do YOU see something wrong with his hair?"

just enjoy your gorgeous little boy and don't let narrow minded twats get to you.

My DD is just over 2.5 now and has red hair with ringlets at the bottom- most people have only ever been complimentary. The only exception being my MIL as Dd was born with a full head of very dark hair- same colour and texture as her father, after about 6 weeks it turned a very dark red. MIL on seeing this for the first time exclaimed, 'My granddaughter has gone ginger!' she apparently loves her hair now but only because she is lucky apparently as she has dark eye lashes and dark eyes! She is not keen asthetically speaking, on light haired people with light eyes. I am blond and blue eyed so that is always nice to know!

How about "I'm sure you can appreciate how vulnerable a mum is when she has a tiny baby and your negative comments about my babys hair is upsetting me."

That's the fact isn't it? Nobody can argue with how you feel and watch while they shrivel up with mortification.

"Better to have red hair than an evil tongue" :)

I don't even understand why having red hair has become an issue. I think it's attractive; my DH has reddish tendencies and freckles.

Just say, isn't it fantastic, that's one of the reasons why Prince Harry is one of the most eligible men in the world.

I'd be livid at anyone who said something like that. I would honestly think about treating them like you would a racist. What kind of things will they say to his face when he's older?

We have red-haired grandparents and I hoped we'd have red-haired children, but we didn't. Third time lucky maybe.

'How rude' and a patented Paddington hard stare should do the job.

He sounds GORGEOUS, OP. Congratulations. I love the phrase 'kissed by fire'

I am desperately hoping the baby I am brewing with be ginger like its dad, not mousey like me! (Two redheads grandfathers though, so there is a scientific chance!)

I best start practising my "did you mean to be so rude?" Just in case I get my wish!!

"Why, what's your problem with red hair?"

Oh, and I see you've already done it. Well done. Keep asking them.

I also like red haired men. Maybe it's in my genes, because my mother used to have ginger hair and I have red natural highlights. Unfortunately, there aren't many around here (Southern Europe).

But some people are just silly.
My ex-MIL spent at least the first year of my DS's life telling me that his blue eyes would change. I don't know why. She has blue eyes herself.
He still has beautiful blue eyes, with my long lashes.

My DS has red hair and loves it. I can't say I've ever had a negative comment about it - quite the opposite, in fact! His hair was dark for the first four weeks and then suddenly changed virtually overnight. We were delighted! He insists on keeping it long and refuses to be described as 'red' or 'strawberry blond' - from the age of about three, this has been met with a firm 'I'm ginger!!' He underlines this by colouring his hair with a neon orange highlighter on all self-portraits

Sorry you've had negastive comments - people can be horrible. Anyone who would be so rude as to make a negative comment would be met with a firm 'Excuse me?!'

OP I LOVE, absolutely LOVE babies with red hair. I just love red hair actually. Congratulations on your baby and be proud of that gorgeous red hair.

Oh and other people's negativity about it is really their issue and one I really don't understand.

Personally I would respond thusly -

'Are you judging a baby on his appearance? Really?'

And then walking off, shaking my head and muttering WTF just loudly enough for them to hear...

My husband has the most beautiful dark auburn curls, sort of like bronze. People dye their hair that colou.iwould kill for it. Of course,nobody got it. At a push, dark blonde,but honestly, mousey. The curls disappeared too. Not fair.

I really do not understand what peoples problem is with red hair. It's just another hair colour ffs and a lovely one at that. Interestingly I've heard much more of a big deal being made about it here in the UK than where I grew up (Oz). The main concern about it over there is not getting sunburnt.

My mum dyes her hair orange ginger and would've loved one of her own kids to have red hair. Every time she sees a kid with red hair, she comments on how gorgeous they are. my dad also fancies Patsy Palmer

I have a friend with gorgeous red hair and I really hope that one day she stops covering up her beautiful freckles with an inch of make-up :-(

What pisses me off about negative comments, op is that most adults would normally be against bullying, etc. But when it comes to red hair, they find it perfectly acceptable to be downright rude. God forbid we describe the chunky kid who loves junk food as fat - but "sorry to see you've got a ginger kid" is perfectly fine?! WTF?? Makes no sense to me.

My 19 month old dd has red hair. I love it. In fact I'd be more upset if her hair colour changed

i have a ginger husband but unfortunately no ginger kids, I look forward to a gaggle of gingy grandkids, love red hair

I've been reading this thread thinking of all sorts of fabulous snappy comebacks but on reflection I agree with the posters who say you should simply let the person know how hurtful their comment is. Maybe they think they're being funny (they're not, of course!) and it needs to be pointed out to these idiots that what they're saying is unacceptable and upsetting.

Red hair is fab - I dye mine red every winter and wish I had permanently red hair :)

Spiderlight ...love your DS and the highlighter pen!

OP...I genuinely don't understand why people don't like red hair, or even worse, why they would tell you they didn't.
I love it. I grew up in Ireland where it is normal! I am appalled people appear to have this in built prejudice against it...it's as baseless as saying, I don't like freckles or curly hair, or twins! Red hair is natural and beautiful.

And yes, I think anyone who criticises red hair should be made to feel very deeply ashamed.

You'd be suprised at the amount of babies I've delivered that when I. Trying to encourage mum during pushing I say 'come on I can see hair now you're so close' to which some mums and dads say 'is it ginger'

One girl had her mum with her and said as baby was crowning 'don't worry you can keep pushing there's no ginger hair'

To which me and my ginger haired student sighed.

My DS2 has lovely strawberry blond hair - its beautiful. Kids at school have called him names like 'ginger' etc and it does bother him- DD is 10 weeks old and has no hair yet- we are all hoping she ends up looking like this -

www.hdwallpapers.in/walls/braves_princess_merida-wide.jpg