Boys with long hair?

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I just want to know why people are so against toddler boys or just boys in general having long hair?? I always thought it was cute but I've heard so many rude comments about it lately. It seems to really bother people?

We get this all the time from older relatives who say that my son (4) needs a good hair cut as he looks scruffy. He doesn't. His hair is past his shoulders, dark blond curls that I tie up when he is out of the house to keep him neat and tidy. It is beautiful.
His dad has similar length wavy hair but his is thick and dark brown but no one says anything to him about it. Although dp is a big guy, covered in tattoos and a heavy metal drummer so that does have some baring on how many people avoid him ect (he's so kind and gentle, its actually quite funny).
I had short hair as a little girl. There's nothing wrong with hair of any length as long as it is clean

It doesn't bother me in the slightest - though I do get a bit green with jealousy when they have lovely thick, long hair, and all I can manage is thin, fine hair that is just not worth growing long!

Do people get equally steamed up about girls/women with short hair? If not, why not?

"Well I am hoping shell grow up to be a lesbian."

My dad had long dark brown curls in the 60/70’s
It all fell out when he had kids and he really morns it
One of my sons went through a ‘I want to be a girl-I pray every night that my Willy falls off’ phase and wanted his hair long so I could tie it up for him in ‘girl bobbles’ (his words)
The amount of adults (the irony being dad was the loudest) that told me to cut it off as ‘he’s a boy’ was insane
He wanted his hair like that-my other boys had short hair-and so did my daughter as she wanted shorter hair (a Bob)
I’d just tell them to do one-it’s his hair and his choice (unfortunately peer pressure from adults meant he felt he had to cut it off as he hit his teenage years and he keeps it short now)
It was nothing to do with them-the amount of people who told me to force him ‘to be a boy’ was incredible
He wasn’t out mugging old ladies,he wasn’t carrying a knife to school-he simply had long hair
Hair is hair-no matter what sex the persons head it’s on

My DS has randomly got curly ginger hair (me and DH both have boring straight dark hair). I cannot bear to cut it and he's just about 3! It's too crazy and beautiful and it suits his wacky personality.

I love it! So cute on little boys.

People used to be bothered by this in about 1963. I thought society had got over it decades ago.

It is extremely rude to comment (especially negatively) on the personal appearance of others. So parents of boys with long hair, please do just remind those commenting that your sons may have long hair but they also have manners too, unlike the speaker.

That said, I'm in the shortish hair camp (for both boys and girls) because I think long hair gets in the way of sport and other fun activities. I had very thick waist length chestnut hair as a child and it was always a bit of nuisance for playing sport, heavy on the back of my head and I couldn't tie it up myself, plait it or care for my hair without help until I was around 10 or 11. Having said that, there is a happy medium between flowing waist length locks and short back and sides.

I don't like it either. They look like girls and long hair must get in the way. When my DS was a little boy I used to shave his hair on a number 4, its looked really cute and was so much easier for him.

I don't think they are really. DH was against out toddler DS having long hair, but that was because it made him look like Bill Bailey!

I prefer my sons hair short and my dd's too. Dd is 4 and wants it longer so fair enough but I wouldn't let it get past her bum length yet as I am the one who has to take care of it, when she can care for it herself she can have it as long or as short as she likes. Same with ds, at the moment he doesn't seem to have an opinion on it, when he does I will take it into account.

I'm not a big fan of long hair on kids in general, just my own opinion.

DS(8yo) has decided to grow his hair out, and it suits him much better than when we used to shave it off. He's got lovely thick wavy hair with natural blonde highlights- I'm quite jealous. Currently it's a bit of a 70's mop, so not too long yet, but he wants it shoulder length.

Your lucky it started in toddler hood. My son was born with lots of hair. He's only 7 months so it's not really long but past his chin. I think lt looks gorgeous and cute.
My husband hates it and says he looks like a girl and it'll be confusing for him as all the other boys will have short hair 🙄🙄.
Don't think my son cares yet and if he wants it cut when he's older that's fine. Reckon my husbands just jealous that his son has more hair than him.

long hair must get in the way
What does long hair get in the way of for boys that it doesn't for girls..?

my DNephew has long (above shoulder length hair) - it's fairly thick and a lovely colour and I hope no one has made nasty comments to his DP's about it!

It's no one's business but theirs and he likes it this way. They do, sometimes put it in a ponytail for a laugh but that's only fun. It suits him far better this length than a lot shorter.

Long hair on boys and men looks really nice. My son (strawberry blonde) and my partner both have really long curly hair, it looks gorgeous on both of them.

@virucidalrage

I don't like it either. They look like girls and long hair must get in the way. When my DS was a little boy I used to shave his hair on a number 4, its looked really cute and was so much easier for him.

You mean you don't like it on other kids or your own?

On my DNephew his just above shoulder length hair never gets in the way, why would it?! If he's cooking (which he loves to do) he has a nice chef's hat and anything else where it might get in the way just tie it back.

I can assure you DNephew doesn't look at all girl like too - he a good looking cute boy but definitely looks all boy. He is lucky that his hair is cut in a nice style (with fringe) but it has gorgeous highlights from the sun, it's a nice thickness so sits well on him.

@Fireandflames666

Long hair on boys and men looks really nice. My son (strawberry blonde) and my partner both have really long curly hair, it looks gorgeous on both of them.

Actually DF (my dad) had blond straight hair which apparently he got my auntie to perm (70s) and he looked a lot like Paul Nicholas out of the sitcom Just Good Friends.

My dad was good looking but stylish but liked his hair longer, when DM met my stepdad (70s too) he also had long curly dark brown/black hair and he kept it a certain length for a while because he liked it - not too long but suitable for work.

I think long hair can look really messy on boys and girls. My nephews had long hair as little kids which was always clean but never trimmed so looked straggly, in a similar fashion my niece doesn't get her hair cut either so it's all split ends.
DS had long blonde curls as a baby but I must admit he looks so much smarter and cuter now it's cut shorter, just suits him better.

The "He looks like a girl!" When he dresses in stereotypical boy clothes at the moment anyway. I really don't understand it.

Well it’s a social norm for boys to have short hair, so it’s not surprising people mistake him for a girl. Nothing wrong with going against social norms but why get upset when people get confused?

Lots of kids wear unisex clothes these days so I’m not sure what you mean by ‘stereotypical boy clothes’. Lots of girls wear blue jumpers/black joggers etc as dresses are impractical for playgrounds and nursery. What are ‘stereotypical boy clothes?’

Personally I prefer to keep toddlers hair short (bob for a girl, short back and sides for a boy) as it’s easier to wash, dry, condition, the regular cuts remove split ends and it doesn’t get in their way. Hair bobbles get lost and girls often take clips out as they ‘hurt’. You don’t want long loose hair at nursery as it increases risk of catching lice!

I think long hair on little boys can look a bit unkempt unless it’s brushed and trimmed regularly. Some of my friends have toddler boys with long hair, one has silky blonde curls but the other has matted, straggly hair down to his shoulders. Both get mistaken for girls.

Recently I was at a playground with DD, she was about to go down the slide and I said ‘mind the little girl at the bottom’. I assumed girl because of the long hair. The mum snapped at me ‘he’s a boy, isn’t it obvious?’ I replied ‘no, sorry.’

Because it wasn’t obvious. Sure he had a heavy metal hoodie on but girls wear those too? Hair length is often the only indicator of gender. I could have said ‘mind the little child’ but it sounds a bit harsh compared to ‘little boy/little girl’.

My DD has been mistaken for a boy a few times, I’ve never taken offence. Nor would I force her into a dress or pink coat though! It’s just one of those things.

@MaryShelley1818

I think long hair can look really messy on boys and girls. My nephews had long hair as little kids which was always clean but never trimmed so looked straggly, in a similar fashion my niece doesn't get her hair cut either so it's all split ends. DS had long blonde curls as a baby but I must admit he looks so much smarter and cuter now it's cut shorter, just suits him better.

I think it depends on the hair honestly. DS has naturally wavy hair, loose waves though, so it looks intentionally tousled rather than scruffy. But DD has fine, flyaway straight hair, so unless it's brushed it can look really scruffy.

My DD would actually look better with a short bob, but she doesn't want that and I'm not going to force her, just keep teaching her how to tie it back neatly.

My 5yo ds has long hair. Been mistaken for a girl since he was born but that's because he's just so pretty. He doesn't want it cut, and is fine with keeping it brushed/tied up for school etc. Fair enough imo. We get regular comments from older members of family about how it should be short, and even the odd 'are you sure it's a boy?!'. Er, well, yes, I did birth him . Got a penis and everything, which shows no sign of falling off, regardless of how long his hair is.

I've found the opposite is true where I am. Lots and lots of toddler boys have long hair. My DS is actually an 'odd one out' among friends children as he has short hair.

I have two DDs with very long curly hair and the idea of having to maintain another head of hair was just a big nope for me, so he has his short.