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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Headbands and Bows on bald baby heads,

351 replies

PasstheBucket89 · 13/08/2020 10:31

Why do people do that to bald babies, when i see photos of tiny baby girls with this stuff i think god that must be so irratating Sad, i feel sorry for them, i mean as hair gets thicker, etc not as bad, but am i being unreasonable in thinking wtf do people do this it looks so uncomfortable???

OP posts:
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6
GreenShadow · 14/08/2020 21:38

We had the reverse problem - DS1 was sometimes mistaken for a girl. I just played along if a stranger said 'she', and used that instead of 'he' too. Just made life easier.

Yorkshiretolondon · 14/08/2020 21:44

My son is 9 he has long ringlet curly hair (he’s mixed race) and is often mistaken for a girl.... he laughs and usually asks if he sounds like one too .... hehehee!

TorgosPizza · 14/08/2020 21:46

Meh. If they want to do it for photos or a short time around other people, I don't see the problem. Surely the baby will cry if she's bothered.

I wouldn't try to have a baby wear one for long periods, personally, but it seems no worse than putting a baby into a ridiculous and likely uncomfortable outfit just to look cute.

cherish123 · 14/08/2020 21:51

I hate them too. They look very uncomfortable. I this some parents do it to show it's a girl.

modgepodge · 14/08/2020 21:53

My baby wore one regularly from about 4 months to about 11 months, though not for naps as I agree it could be dangerous. She didn’t seem to mind. I thought they looked cute, perhaps that makes me a chav? Once she started pulling them off all the time I (reluctantly 😂) stopped putting them on. I don’t see what the harm is if the baby isn’t bothered. I didn’t particularly do it to make it obvious she was a girl, I generally dressed her quite girly anyway just cos I like that style 🤷‍♀️

MatildaJane · 14/08/2020 21:55

The head bows are ghastly, and unsafe. Maybe the parents want to start them off early in training for other pointless additions in the teenage years, like acrylic nails, false eyelashes, straightened hair, trowelled on makeup and those weird pouty lips. What has happened to our culture? 😒

Dingbat · 14/08/2020 22:07

I want to reinforce how unsafe some of these things are. When I was a little girl I wore a headband with a comb on the underside for grip. I fell over, my headband slipped down across my forehead and yes, it was impaled. I have the scars. Please, please take care.

EugenesAxe · 14/08/2020 22:11

@MaryShelley1818
“ Someone I went to school with used one constantly with her daughter and now at 2.5 she has a dent in her head and you can see where the hair hasn't grown as well as the rest.”

Shock I feel so sorry for the poor girl! It would be awful if this vanity led to her having a bald spot in her older age or something. I mean that’s when you want to hang on to any beauty... not when you are a beautiful baby in no need of embellishments.

nildesparandum · 14/08/2020 22:27

@Lamby225

I thoroughly agree with you.I have 2 sons no daughters.I went for years buying boys clothes and having to walk past the girl ones.My sons are now middle-aged, and I am a grandmother and great grandmother. Having four granddaughters was a joy when they were little and would wear anything you bought them so I took great pleasure by buying all the little girls' clothes I missed out on.They are grown up now so have their own ideas but still are girly. My great grandchildren are both boys so now I am reliving buying little boys things again.
You will get your chance as well!.

winniestone37 · 14/08/2020 22:31

I completely agree. It’s ridiculous.

Marshmallow91 · 14/08/2020 22:51

People are idiots and don't care about their childs' comfort. That's why they do it. My little girl is 18 months and has more "boys" clothes than clothes from the girl section - primarily because they are comfortable, but also as an added bonus that her favourite colour is blue at the moment and is currently obsessed with dinosaurs Grin

Her clothes are bought for practicality, comfort and lastly because of how it looks. She's much happier in her long sleeved t-shirt, joggers and dinosaur socks /trainers than some uncomfortable footwear or dress flapping all over the place getting in the way of her causing carnage playing or a giant bow or headband because she absolutely must conform to some moronic gender stereotype.

I tie her hair in a bobble and clip her fringe back when it's all warm so she doesn't get too sweaty but that's it.

She is her own person and I'll always follow her lead on who she wants to be.

Until she can start choosing things for herself, my main priority in clothing /headwear is that she is comfortable, clean, the correct temperature, and happy.

AlwaysLatte · 14/08/2020 23:13

I hate it, it looks so tacky. They look perfect just as they are.

ohcarolina2001 · 15/08/2020 00:08

I don't see it as an issue as long as babies aren't left unsupervised or sleeping with bows on. It is usually something people dress their baby in for a photo rather than to wear all day.

FluffyPaws · 15/08/2020 00:48

Maybe you all need to get a life .if a mum want to put a piece or soft stretchy ribbon in there son or daughter .surely that’s just how they wish them to be..They may have waited so long for this prescious little person to come into there life’s..and just want to treasure every little moment they can..stop taking down other mothers etc .be a group of supporting mums..instead...or is this showing your true colours.🤡

MountIronSolo01 · 15/08/2020 00:58

I’m probably being unfair but looks daft and a bit chavvy but the babies are cute regardless.

merlynred1 · 15/08/2020 02:56

I wouldn’t personally put head bands or bows on my four month old, mainly because it’s just something else she can prat about with! It’s enough of a challenge getting her to keep her sun hat, socks etc on. Oh and her bib the right way so she doesn’t look like she’s Superman!
She’s got a mixture of clothes, some girly pink tops and onesie’s but also some boys joggers, shorts and jeans.
Anything that fastens around her bum is plus for me! Otherwise it ends up bunched up around her middle. No pretty little girls dresses just yet while she’s busy running a marathon in her bouncy chair Grin
She’s been mistaken for a boy a few times ( she looks like her dad and also a bit like Ian Hislop Hmm) but she doesn’t care so neither do I. I just call her Dave sometimes Wink

Petlover9 · 15/08/2020 04:49

A girl whom I see in The Post Office had her daughter's ears pieced at 3 weeks with loops, looked ridiculous. The girl had sticky out ears unfortunately. I would have thought getting that sorted would be more of a priority. Years ago a friend had a child and the ear problem wasn't seen to, when he went to school, he came home most days in tears and she eventually saw her GP who arranged for the ears to be pinned back. No more tears and he loved school afterwards. Turned out some of the other children were name calling, the least offensive being Prince Charles, worst Dumbo. Children's health and well being is far more important than "buttons and bows". Leave them to be babies the teenage years come soon enough

BBOA · 15/08/2020 07:41

Worse still is pierced ears on a baby. I don't care even if there's a cultural element. Just barbaric!

Teddybear27 · 15/08/2020 10:29

Personally I think they look dreadful!! Babies are gorgeous as they are. As for letting people know if your child is a girl? How about putting the baby in a pretty dress or a pink top?! Radical I know!
YANBU......

dogsdinnerlady · 15/08/2020 10:49

What about tiny baby girls having pierced ears? It's a form of abuse imo.

dogsdinnerlady · 15/08/2020 10:49

BBOA - cross posted.

daisychain1620 · 15/08/2020 10:54

They're not cute, I never understood it

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 15/08/2020 10:56

@BBOA

Worse still is pierced ears on a baby. I don't care even if there's a cultural element. Just barbaric!
Hate seeing babies with pierced ears. I couldn’t be friends with someone who thought it was ok to do that.
user1472151176 · 15/08/2020 11:50

I agree. With both my babies it was all about their comfort. I stopped putting my little girl in dresses when she was crawling because she kept putting her knees on the dresses and making it harder to crawl. The only time I put a bow in her hair (a stretchy band around her head) was when we went to a wedding. It was only on for the ceremony and photos. She didn't seem to mind it to be fair. She was about 6 months old at the time.

TurquoiseDress · 15/08/2020 12:04

I never got the thing about letting people know whether I had girl or not, it seriously never crossed my mind with either of my DC. I never felt the to ensure DD 'looked' like a girl...she's a beautiful sweet baby, that for me was enough!

DD has maybe one t-shirt in pink but that's about it...I'm not anti-pink but it's not my favourite colour so I tend to buy clothes in green or blue or whichever is on sale!

Gifts from friends & family have tended to be a wide variety of lovely colours, we never advised which colour we preferred, glad that neither DC has a wardrobe full on specific gender coloured clothes!