To love my ginger hair?

[SleepForTheWeek]

All through school I was mocked for my hair colour, I hated it and prayed that if I had children they wouldn't be ginger. I dyed it blonde/brown/bright red when I was old enough (not at same time!)

It wasn't until I was an adult and working in an industry that involved people from other countries that I started getting compliments about my natural colour, I've not dyed it for a few years now and love it! It's not JUST 'ginger', it's reds/blonds/browns/golds all intertwined.

Even now I hear people say 'I hope my baby is not ginger' and I've even had a 'friend' tell me they'd drown their baby if it was ginger (in apparent jest). It's not OK to say that about skin colour/disabilities/sexual orientation, so why is it socially acceptable to say it about children with red hair???

Anyway, no point to this except to say

EMBRACE YOUR GINGER HAIR!

Red2017 is that your hair? Speechless, it's so beautiful!!

My daughter has copper coloured very straight long hair (although one hairdresser insisted it was titian) She’s 8 and has people stopping her in the street to comment on how beautiful her hair is and stroke it. On the creepier side a lot of women think it’s ok to walk up to her and touch her hair uninvited without speaking. Most recent was on an escalator in a local shopping centre this woman standing behind her leaned in and was whispering something to her (think Arthur Slugworth from Charlie & chocolate factory) When I saw what was going on I asked her wtf she was doing to which she responds complementing her hair. It really freaked my daughter out but did give us an opportunity to discuss body autonomy & strangers. My daughter hasn’t experienced any bullying but the ‘positivity’ she’s experienced has verged on really creepy.

@Stickystickstick I have had this with my youngest who has very white almost grey hair naturally. People come over and touch it. I even had someone demand I take her hat off so they could have a better look. I have had more than one stranger literally arguing with me that I must dye her hair (she's 2.5, I'm fairly sure I don't)

@Rebeccaslicker yes it's my natural hair and thank you

So it's ok to ' joke' about wanting to dye your blonde grandchild's hair ginger, but don't like it if people comment on a ginger baby's hair.
You have to admit, it's sort of hypocritical.

Nope, I did not say it is not ok to comment on a ginger baby's hair though! My two were always commented about, as it happens in a positive way, but still, I could have handled it if anyone had been nasty about my babies! Yes it is ok to joke about my granddaughter. I joke with my DD and SIL too, you know, family banter. It's great! I was lying on their sofa one day and my SIL walked in and said 'Uh oh, how long has that beached whale been there?' I laughed so much I actually could not get up, I was really beached!

I do get left alone with my DGD, so I am pretty sure they don't take it too seriously!

She’s 8 and has people stopping her in the street to comment on how beautiful her hair is and stroke it. On the creepier side a lot of women think it’s ok to walk up to her and touch her hair uninvited without speaking.

I had a lot of this as a child and I was too polite to tell people to leave me alone! As a result, I hate having my hair touched and do not go to the hairdressers.

DD has had it too. Why oh why do people think they have a right to touch a child they do not know? I do stop people when I am with her though. She shrinks away and knows it is ok to do that. I did not.

Yanbu
I am the mother to 3 beautiful gingers and they wear it with pride!

Google Audrey Fleurot, I'd give my eye teeth to look like her.

Just googled audrey and don't think she is pretty. Sorry. But adriana lima is gorgeous but not a redhead

Nor me! (Audrey Fleurot, I mean)

Yes I googled Audrey Fleurot

Ignore my previous post. I did not read your reply properly

My DH is 6'2" with SUPER red hair and beard (think Merida in Brave colour - nearly auburn) he gets tonnes of attention when we are out. Chinese and Japanese tourists photograph and film him, middle eastern women touch him (fertility talisman apparently) he even overshadowed the Taj Mahal as people lined up to take selfies with him. It's totally bonkers! He loves his hair now but was mercilessly bullied for it when he was at school. When we had DC first question at each birth was 'are they ginger?' They're not!

In the interest of balance, everyone took selfies/group shots with us at the Taj Mahal (both dark haired).

The description of your @Champagneandthestars DH reminds me of the comic strip Hägar the Horrible, about a Viking businessman! Interestingly I live in Viking territory (landscape sprinkled with runestones) but nobody (or very few) around have red hair. I've met few with red hair and really ginger-coloured only in British businessmen as it happens. Probably R1b through and through...