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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To dislike long(er) hair on boys?

75 replies

kreecherlivesupstairs · 29/10/2009 08:23

My dd and I were on the internet yesterday, she was watching over my shoulder as I read some threads on here. She asked me if the person 2nd from left in the Clarkes advert at the top of the page was a boy or girl? I said I thought it was a boy but wasn't sure. She said she only likes boys with boyish haircuts, I agreed. AIBU? I think boys with longer hair look untidy and the mothers are being a bit lazy. She has a boy at her school who has the longest rat tail I've ever seen, it comes down to his bottom and just looks awful. There's another one who looks like my dd with a long bob. She's jealous of the latter though, his is thicker than her nine hairs and a nit.

OP posts:
PoisonToadstool · 29/10/2009 08:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Earthstar · 29/10/2009 08:30

Some boys look great with long hair and some look terrible

borderslass · 29/10/2009 08:33

my son had long curly hair last year (HES 15) reason being he wouldn't let me cut it as he was terrified of the noise the clippers made, only allowed me to cut it when his eczema got so itchy it was unbearable for him, as he wouldn't let me use the specialist shampoo just normal stuff.

diddl · 29/10/2009 08:33

YANBU to not like long hair on boys.

Speaking as as until recently lazy mother here , it was just a trend.

No harm done!

FrightsMonth · 29/10/2009 08:33

YABU
They look gorgeous.
at lazy mothers. Maybe not everyone can afford the barbers?

RustyBat · 29/10/2009 08:33

Can't really see why long hair means a lazy mum - surely it's actually more work to sort out long hair every day than to take a trip to the hairdresser occasionally? So they're not being lazy, they just like the look, which is fine, as long as the child likes it too and it's tied back for school if necessary.

GossipMonger · 29/10/2009 08:37

I do know what the OP means though.

We let our boys grow their hair a little but they looked so scruffy (like they had been abandoned!!) and DH couldnt bear it so we had it cut.

This time we had it cut with scissors not clippers and so they dont have shaved heads which I also cannot stand.

A few boys at school have v long hair and it dont tie it back which is annoying.

worldgonemad72 · 29/10/2009 08:38

YABU about assuming mothers are being lazy if their ds has long hair, as another poster has put it is more work than short hair.

LynetteScavo · 29/10/2009 08:41

"his is thicker than her nine hairs and a nit."

What? Your DD only has 9 hairs and a nit?

BouncingTurtle · 29/10/2009 08:42

YABU assuming mothers are lazy. DS (22mo) needs a haircut but goes completely off it if you go anywhere near him with scissors! We have managed to trim his hair quickly/badly when he has been held or been asleep, but not often enough.

Besides I love his long, thick curly blond hair

fartmeistergeneral · 29/10/2009 08:42

My son has very long hair and he's 11. I quite like it. It does look untidy at times, but tbh that's his 'look'. I was much like that myself in my teens (Bananarama look!) so I'm not remotely bothered. It's his hair, his look, and I'm glad he's actually got an opinion on it. The short, back and sides look is a bit boring IMO.

I've also got many, many other battles I could have with him on a daily basis. The messy hair is WAY down the list!!!

Original poster
kreecherlivesupstairs · 29/10/2009 08:42

OK, with the benefit of hindsight, the lazy mother thing was wrong, but I stand by the rest of my post. I am really hoping it is a fashion that will soon be over. Gossipmonger, I totally agree with you about the abandoned look and maybe that in conjunction with the general 'grungyness' of the boys at my dd's school ( in a very prosperous part of Switzerland) adds to my general feeling.

OP posts:
SorciereAnna · 29/10/2009 08:47

I think long hair on boys has nothing to do with lazy mothers and everything to do with fashion.

It's a problem, though, because boys are notoriously bad at washing and styling. We were having this conversation with the DSSs' (young, male) hairdresser very recently and he said that boys are much worse customers than girls because they refuse to wash/style and want cuts that require no maintenance - but long hair requires much more maintenance than short to look good.

SleepingLion · 29/10/2009 08:49

Hmm - I'm not a fan of really long hair on boys (DS about to go to barbers today because he looks like a Shetland pony with his fringe at the moment ) but I much prefer it to really really short hair. We try to get DS in the middle!

traceybath · 29/10/2009 08:54

DS1 is 5 and most of his friends have longer hair. Not really long but certainly not shaved or short back and sides.

Its a bit of a class/fashion thing isn't it?

WoTmania · 29/10/2009 08:54

YABU
DS1 has long hair -he's 3.9 and doesn't want it cut. DH also has long (almost hip length) hair.
The only thng I would say is that the both have thick hair (DS's is in ringlets) if it was thin and ratty I wold porbably have lopped it off by now.

glitterstar88 · 29/10/2009 08:57

DS (3) wont let me cut his hair. Hes been to the hairdressers once and wont go anywhere near there again. He has got longish curly hair, yes it looks messy at times, but it suits him.

BobbingForPeachys · 29/10/2009 08:59

YANBU to dislike anything you wish; I for example loathe the colour yellow and barbie dolls.

However if you expect me and mine to cut the longer hair of ds3 becasue of it, you would be U. And on aloser,frankly!

DS1's hair is longish and very curly, ds3's is long (just above shoulder length) and wavy, I adore, he loves it and it's nopt lazy-avoidance but our choice. One we are often complimented on.

FrightsMonth · 29/10/2009 08:59

Given that DH was losing his hair in his twenties (he looks like this now: ) I have resolved to let my DSs do whatever they want with their hair whilst they have some.

Tortington · 29/10/2009 09:00

pmsl @ lazy and can't afford

my son (on profile) spends a lot of my money at the hairdressers coiffuring his mane

Arsed · 29/10/2009 09:02

The boys in my family usually have curly hair, The boys in dfs have straight. I have my fingers firmly crossed that ds's is curly so I can keep it long he's pretty bald all the moment though.

I am lazy too, both my kids are scruffy.

I cannot stand little boys having shaved heads, better
to look a bit unkempt than look like a little convict.

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 29/10/2009 09:03

YABU
it's a personal preference. I think it looks adorable and will resist DH's attempts to cut DS's hair as long as possible.

I think shaved heads on little boys look nasty but they are undoubtedly easier than longer hair.

You are also being very sexist. Why do little girls look sweet but little boys look scruffy with exactly the same haircut?

minnietheminx007 · 29/10/2009 09:08

i love longer hair on boys, but then i am a bit of a hippy, dp also has longer hair than me and has done since he was a child, he also has quite a unique name so as he put it " i grew up learning not to take any grief and how to stand up for myself!"

fartmeistergeneral · 29/10/2009 09:09

It's quite bad that I would look at a child with a shaved head and immediately have preconceptions about that child, his lifestyle, the food he eats, his behaviour and manners, his performance at school and job prospects.

Must stop being so judgemental. And yes, I'm aware that I'm being VVVVV unreasonable!

fartmeistergeneral · 29/10/2009 09:09

ooh Minnie. I'm wondering what his name is!!

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