To wonder why all girls have long hair?

[Mightymoog]

Just driving past the secondary school at home time and every single girl had long hair. Different colours, some wavy, some straight, but every last one of them had long hair.
Where are all the short cuts or even mid length.
when I was at school (admittedly many moons ago )there was a huge range from short and spiky to mid length bobs to long.
just a little something I've been musing on for a while and prepared for people to tell me the local school is an aberration of long hair lovers

Even if your GD is “only 9” that’s 9 years she’s had of taking in the message that girls have long hair.

she may not have access to social media, but you can be absolutely sure her peers at school know that girls have long hair, and boys have short hair. And will comment if anyone deviates.

my child had a pixie crop in reception. Mean little shits were even then telling her she must be a boy, and to go play with the boys.

I remember even when pregnant people were projecting gender stereotypes- it’s kicking? Got yourself an active little boy there, he’ll be a footballer….you feel crap? Yes that’ll be a girl, always giving mum grief.

children are exposed to these stereotypes very very early, even if we try not to. You really think girls have a “natural” affinity for pink? Not so long ago pink was a boys colour, so if it’s somehow innate how do explain that?

In all my classes at school (3 year 7, 2 year 8, 3 year 9, 1 year 10, 1 year 11) there are 2 girls with short hair. They are into alternative music.

I also have very short hair- think Mia Farrow in Rosemary's baby- and most students first assume I have cancer, or am gay. Some ask me openly. I answer honestly- I have an autoimmune issue which can result in my hair vanishing overnight. I initially kept it short to reduce the trauma of losing it, but now I do it because a) it's a piece of piss to get ready b) I have so much more time! C) i can dye it and change it regularly d) i'm 54 and I don't care about men finding me conventinally attractive e) I don't care if other girls laugh- most school girls would f) i think it's nice!

Most girls all look similar because the ideals have narrowed and narrowed and the pressure to look a certain way has ramped up. Girls have openly said to me they'd like to not bother with the hair, the eyelashes, the brows, the make up etc, but "no-one will like them otherwise".

By sixth form some of them are confident enough to switch it up and it is lovely to see.

When I was a teenager I remember being the only girl that had short hair, once when I was 13 and then again at 17. It wasn't fashionable to have short hair but both times I had wrecked my hair so had to do it, so it is probably just fashionable again.