AIBU people asking why my baby is ginger

[Licollama]

So my baby has been seriously ill in hospital so I may be being over insensitive.
My point is several health workers have come in to our room and questioned 'why is your baby ginger, where does that come from?' Not really offended as I'm sure the comment was made with no offence intended. However if my baby had been a mixed race, I'm sure no-one would have made comments as this would be frowned upon?
Also there is a big gap between her and her siblings... people alway feel the need to ask 'same dad'. I had trouble conceiving and don't know why I should have to explain this to a complete stranger and so what if they have different dads, why is this an issue??!

iwanttenofthose that would have been a sight to behold

I used to get this all the time when my DC were little and I was out with them by myself. I'm live skinned with dark hair, 2 of my DC are pale and ginger. Occasionally would be asked if I had adopted them, or if I was their nanny/childminder. Didn't have that problem when out with DH as he is ginger.

Didn't really bother me tbh.

My sis has 5 dcs. Two very dark brunettes, 1 white blond, 1 mousey blond, and one vibrant redhead. Same father.

You will not stop getting this question and your child will get it all their life.
Speaking as a ginger, whilst my hair colour gets lots of compliments it also gets lots of questions:
"Are you parents ginger?"
"Are all your siblings ginger?"
"Does it run in your family?"

Don't think it will stop till I turn grey.
No point getting fed up at this point, you have years of this. Best to just come up with a generic answer.
"Parents both dark but blessed with my granny's hair, like one of my sister's, the others weren't as lucky."

May I ask why it is offensive? I'm not from the UK so might be missing something.

I've always wondered if this was a thing outside of the UK (or even outside of England). Do any Americans have any issue with redheads?

My OH is ginger, I love his hair, although he's a pain in the sun. DD was born ginger, but it grew into pale blonde and she's a dark blonde now.

[quote Pembertonrd]@Momijin.
I don't understand the prejudice or the jokes about red heads. It is the most striking and beautiful colour hair in my opinion.

Is it prejudice?
My dad is a red head and I was so disappointed that my dc didn’t get red hair.
And none of my 9 nieces and nephews either.[/quote]
In this country, been read headed has been used as an insult. Like wearing glasses. My boyfriend is red headed and he confirms it. I have a red haired male friend who used to dye it. I have red headed friends whose children are red headed and they have received negative comments.

It may have changed though, like it has with wearing glasses. One of my kids even has fake glasses that she sometimes wears.

Where I come from, red hair is seen as either another and unusual hair colour or something desirable. I personally am obsessed with the richness and hues of red hair.

My DH has red hair, so does his sister (her hair is amazing!) I am really hoping our DC will be red. I think people just find it interesting as a point of conversation as red hair isn't that common and is striking.

People will comment on mix-raced children. I minded my niece for a few months when she was small in a large "cosmopolitan" UK city. She is half Irish/ Half Vietnamese. I got a lot of strange looks and said it to Dsis once when 2 Asian ladies asked me "where did you get your child", she said it happens to her frequently enough!! She said I grew her in my womb.

The comment on the fathers is rude.

Its known to skip a generation. My great gran was ginger, none of her three children were, of those siblings collective three children only my mother had red hair. I have red hair, my sister doesnt and my DC doesnt. It may well pop up again in a generation or two.

Oh! And none of the cousins have red hair

Probably being slightly sensitive but completely understandable in your situation.

We get it the same constantly but it’s curiosity as it’s rare. The little old ladies in the supermarket are the worst hahah

@onlyAFleshWound well you always know who your mother is 😉

I'm ginger and my DD is very blonde and I've had comments

It may have changed though, like it has with wearing glasses. One of my kids even has fake glasses that she sometimes wears
I think it has changed. It's more some adults that have a prejudice against red hair I think. Dd is 14 and at the local comp and has never experienced any unkindness about her hair. Kids seem more tolerant nowadays. There was generally more intolerance when I was at school in the 80s. People who are rude about red heads are showing their age a bit

Next time someone comments, say, very quietly confidentially, "Well, when I was carrying her I had this irresistible craving for ginger biscuits, you know, the ginger nuts."

[quote 1Micem0use]@onlyAFleshWound well you always know who your mother is 😉[/quote]
I've had my DNA sequenced @1Micem0use , I thought there might be a surprise in there but no: I really am unremittingly 100% Jewish

Oh and also I'm not ginger - I'm very dark (skin and hair). It's my cousins. There are quite a lot of ginger Jews around @1Micem0use