To not understand why people dislike buzz cuts on little boys?

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I did not realise this was a thing until I buzzed my 3 year olds hair in lockdown (had tried and failed to cut it so had to buzz).
My mother hated it, friends made comments. I then googled and people say it's trashy or something 🤷‍♀️
I thought it was cute and he is asking me to do it again because longer hair annoys him.
It was also way easier to bath/dry as he hates hair wash etc.

I want to do it again but so people thing it looks trashy/chavy whatever?

I know I shouldn't care what others think but I do 😬

@Hellocatshome

Well its nice to see how judgemental people are, my son has trichotillomania so his hair has to be cut very short (normally a 2 or 3) but he is very fair so it often looks shorter than it is. I hope he never realises the judgements grown ups are making about him based on his hair.

^ Grown ups don’t- only on MN.

I’ve not seen any three year old thugs around here, I must live in a much nicer area than pp

My DD had a carer who was a skinhead lady, great carer and my DD really liked her so wanted to dress and wear her hair the same! My DD was 30at the time and has capacity to choose her clothes/styles.
My first thought when she was invited to a ska concert with a large bunch of skinheads was the stereotypical thugs/trouble/shock/horror... I went with her and they were nothing more than a fun loving bunch of softies ( many from 40-50yrs) They were dressed immaculate, the music was great and the audience were from ALL cultures. There was absolutely no trouble/fights etc... and they raised an amazing amount of money for their charities too! Maybe I was too quick to judge the stereotypical skin head from years ago or the minority groups ( far right) that give them a bad name ( that the decent skins hate). My DD has about 30 pairs of doc martens but has now decided to grow her hair longer ( rather than have the skin head girl buzz style) that has a longer fringe and bangs.

I buzz cut ds6 with a 12 inch thingy and a light hand on some areas.

It's still a bit army but it really suits him and is super easy.

Sorry 12mm. 12 inch would be practically rapunzel 😂😂

It used to be associated with poverty, and this has carried through to modern times. A lot of people think of it as common/chavvy because it used to be so strongly associated with the poor.

It's all just typical snobbery. If he likes his hair that way then I'd just let him have the buzz cut.

My DH had one when we went to work in a desert climate. He ended up loving it and kept it for a few years.

My husband has a buzz cut, and since lockdown I do too lol! I did my son's last week for the first time. (He's ten months). Love the simplicity! However we did get special 'long' clippers, and I really don't think you can tell at all that it's a buzz cut. (It's over 4cm long) maybe that could be an option?

My son's hair just grew longer during lockdown. Much nicer than a buzz cut.

It looks like you're trying to make him look thuggish, not that he is a thug. Also reminds me of the boy in striped pyjamas.

I couldn't, his hair is too lovely and I'd probably look funny at someone who did. Everyone in our family would tell me what they thought

@Gizacluethen

It looks like you're trying to make him look thuggish, not that he is a thug. Also reminds me of the boy in striped pyjamas.

I couldn't, his hair is too lovely and I'd probably look funny at someone who did. Everyone in our family would tell me what they thought

Although I wouldn't think the same if they had afro style hair actually

Must be a British thing, I'm not aware of those connotations / hair stigma in NZ. Buzz cuts pretty standard in the part of the US where my husband's family is from too. And a quick Google shows an awful lot of hot celebs with them.

We buzz cut our boys (no 4) then let it grow out as long as they want, then buzz cut when they get annoyed with their long hair. They're happy, we're happy. No one else cares.

I love any hairstyles on kids and it's adorable when they choose their own style. It only pisses me off when parents' insist on a look for their DC to suit their fashion agenda, ie. Alternative wacky types attention seeking through dying their small DC hair.

How short is a buzz cut? I’ve always cut my two DSs hair with clippers, usually a 6 or 9. Never had any comments and they are thoroughly MC despite not having floppy hair. Even my mum never commented and she’s usually a reliable source of snobbery.

They loved their short hair, especially as we live in a warmish climate and it kept them cool. There aren’t the same associations with’ thugs’ etc here either.

It is really chavvy I'm afraid.

Hair is a real class marker actually. E.g. if you shave one side of and gel the other as it's a bit longer.

Mine had buzz cuts from being 2 years old. They're now in their 30s and have never had any other style through their own choice.
My mum didn't like it, but her opinion went over my head faster than the shears over theirs.
Who cares what others think.

Shears on grade 2, I forgot to add. Heads like velcro.

@elbea

My husband has a buzz cut. He is privately educated and has a variety of degrees, most definitely not a thug and I’d hazard a guess that nobody has ever thought he is a thug. It’s such a bizarre generalisation to make.

It's not bizarre at all, is your dh with his many degrees not aware of the cultural associations with skinheads and far right groups? Maybe you are too young to have grown up with this in the 1980s Or too busy with eduation to be aware of the world.

@DrinkFeckArseBrick

Personally I think anyone who associates a pre schooler with 'thug' has a problem. He is 3!

People aren’t going to judge a 3 year old but his family.

@Hellocatshome Have you honestly never said to someone “ your hair looks nice?” Guess what. That’s a judgement.

Couldn't give two fucks what anyone else's kids hair is like. I'm shocked people judge kids hair

It’s just perceived as chavvy. If you don’t care about that then it doesn’t matter. It’s just snobbery really.

It usually means the dad is a sexist oaf.

@DrinkFeckArseBrick

Personally I think anyone who associates a pre schooler with 'thug' has a problem. He is 3!

It's not that hard to understand, it's like a playboy bunny on a little girl. You don't think they are in playboy, it's just not a nice association!

Just don’t think it suits many faces, male or female.

Well it’s lovely to know my son with autism who couldn’t tolerate sitting for a hair cut or having his hair brushed when he was younger was considered chavvy, a thug, neo nazi, looking like a prisoner. Oh and that I’m a lazy parent. I’ll add it to the long list of stuff I get judged for.

Obvious point is that you should do what you want and ignore what anyone else says. I dislike the word "chavvy" as an insult, its a snobbish cop-out.

But you asked so, for me a buzz cut has associations with cultures where they place a big emphasis on the importance of "boys being boys" and staying in your gender lanes etc which I find a bit regressive and yuck. Military/police/old-fashioned football obsessed cultures. Not the vibe I'd want my DC brought up in.

Some people have said National Front: I wouldn't go that far but it would make me think you have a very conservative view about how boys should behave (and about how girls should behave).

Of course many of this sort of symbolism is utterly wrong and intelligent people won't judge you for that anyway. But I think if you do get judgement it would be people assuming you have very "traditional" views about boys and girls and all the unpleasant baggage that goes with that.