Shaving child’s head??

[DropYourSword]

Ok, I swear this is genuine.

My son is 5. Until very recently he had long hair - he hadn’t had it cut since birth. Me and DH always agreed that if and when he decided he wanted it cut he could, because it’s his body, his choice and we wanted to promote bodily autonomy. A few weeks ago he decided he wanted it all cut off so we went to the hairdressers and he had a major chop. He loved it and was very happy.
Now he’s been talking about another haircut. He’s said on a number of occasions he wants it all shaved off - like totally bald! The t doesn’t seem to be a passing thought but something he’s really wanting. He even came home today with a special Christmas drawing with his “bald head”. His granddad is shaved bald so I think that’s probably where he’s got the idea.

I have no idea what to do. We’ve always said he could be in control of his hair but this seems pretty extreme! Every instinct tells me to say no but it does then feel a little hypocritical! We’re in Australia so currently hitting the height of summer and school has just broken up for the year so it would grow back in time for returning to school.

I’d really like some other perspectives here. Am I being a bit precious thinking this is too full on? Or are my instincts spot on thinking this is fairly unacceptable! Cheers!

I understand your point of view @Receptionclass but it’s not actually to do with perceived class structure. He’s already gone from long hair to a short fade (it’s called a “fresh cut” here) so I’m not concerned from that point of view. I really don’t have an issue with him having it extremely short, I just think totally bald might be a step too far for a five year old!

Go for it. Mine used to have a No1 when in primary school (and one continued it for much of high school). The one with blonde hair looked bald. It was because they swam several times a week, other sports and we were incredibly busy so it was just so much easier all round. They loved it in winter as everyone else left with dripping hair and froze, whereas they just gave a quick wipe with a towel and their fuzz was dry and they put a beanie on.

We live in Australia, and a No1 is easy as you just put sunscreen all over the head (and back of neck), just like on the rest of your body, and of course a hat but you need one anyway, whether your hair is long, short or non-existent.

Also, depends on your race. It is pretty usual for black boys to be shaved. Judgy pants don't like that on white kids.

Why don’t you let him have a buzzcut? Not completely bald, but a grade 1 or 2 all the way round. That’s fairly common for young boys. It will grow back really quickly over summer if he wants it longer, and if he likes it, then it’s not bad to keep the buzzcut.

Think about how easy it will be to manage headlice and how much tidier it will be when he’s running around.

@CatsArePeople shaved bald? I have never seen that!