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Parenting

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Original poster

At what age did you stop letting your girl's hair grow longer?

39 replies

Thurlow · 19/08/2013 14:06

This is probably a very, very silly thing to poll but I've had a few mildly aghast reactions from friends about this!

18mo has always had a lot of hair. Now it is a thick, shoulder length bob and can be cut into a proper style. I mentioned to a few people that I was thinking of leaving it this length, as it's long enough to be tied up, but it's starting to be a pain to wash and also to dry in time for her to go to bed. Friends seemed to react as if it's almost obligatory to keep growing a girl's hair until they are old enough to have a preference themselves I suppose it might be because DD has a lot more hair than the average 18mo, so all my friends are only just seeing their DD's hair start to grow. I've always had short hair, now wondering if my mum kept it cut to make life easier!

Did you just let it keep growing, or cut it and let it grow longer when your DD asked for it?

This has nothing to do with me not wanting it to grow so long I have to contemplate plaits, oh no...

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RhinestoneCowgirl · 19/08/2013 14:09

I tend to keep DD's hair bobbed (she's 4.5 yrs) as it's wavy heading towards curly and is a pain to deal with when it's longer. She likes to have hair clips in it every now and then.

saythatagain · 19/08/2013 14:16

Well, our dd is 9; she had long hair for quite a few years. Last month she had it cut into the most marvellous layered-bob-type-style.
She looks fab and I can't tell you how wonderful it is in the washing/drying dept!!!

specialsubject · 19/08/2013 19:55

until she expresses a preference and can discuss the issues, it is your call. Conventional not to shave it but apart from that, do what is easiest for you both!

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GwendolineMaryLacey · 19/08/2013 20:02

Easier to do it when they're that young I think. DD1 has long hair. She chopped one side of it off last year and now that side has grown to a lovely length for a bob and i'd love to cut it to that length. But at 5.7 years she wants to be Rapunzel and there's no way she'd let me cut it.

NachoAddict · 19/08/2013 20:18

Dd is 5 and another rapunzal wannabe. I have told her she can have it as long or short as she wants.

Dsd always had sort of bob length very fine hair but has pestered her mum to let her grow it.

Original poster

Thurlow · 19/08/2013 20:40

The washing and drying is such a nightmare! She has her bath right before bed too and won't tolerate the hairdryer at the moment.

Maybe I'll keep it short-ish until she is old enough to understand that she needs to sit still while I try and dry it before bed. I probably don't wash it enough as it is because I know it will be a pain

OP posts:

Ixia · 20/08/2013 00:23

DD is 8 and has waist length hair, it's only ever been trimmed. I didn't have it cut at all until she was 3 as it had been so slow to grow. But by the time it did start to grow, she was old enough to have an opinion and she's another Rapunzel wannabe :/
It does look lovely, when it's brushed and tidy, but in the holidays she looks like swampy and when it is finally brushed, it takes an age. I do sometimes wonder if I should have kept it short right from the start.

5madthings · 20/08/2013 00:37

my dd is 2.5 and i am.just debating getting it trimmmed. its long enough i can put it into a plait or two little pkaits, but its very fine (like me) and could do with the ends neatening up and then it will look a bit thicker.

tbh i have let all mine grow their hair until they expressed a prefernce/it looked a mess! my boys all had longish hair as well.

after four boys i am enjoying the novelty of clips and bobbles etc :)

my fourteen yr old has really long hair but as long as he washes it and brushes it its up to him.

the other boys vary, two short and one slightly linger, those are the styles they want.

pracrticality is important so cut it if you want and you think she will sit stillish!

TwoStepsBeyond · 20/08/2013 00:44

My DD's hair was usually full of jam and glue at that age, so it was a short bob or even shorter sometimes. Now she's 6 she insists on having it longer but hates brushing it so its in danger of turning into dreadlocks!

I think it's sad that people see long hair as the ultimate mark of femininity, mine is short too and I look much better than when it's longer and ends up in a ponytail everyday. DP's DD had her first ever haircut aged 5 as I think they prize her long locks like they have magical Rapunzel properties! It's only hair ffs. It grows back, it's like being precious about cutting nails, they're just more practical if they're short!

TwoStepsBeyond · 20/08/2013 00:45

Fwiw, I think Rapunzel looks lovely with short brown hair ;-)

Original poster

Thurlow · 20/08/2013 07:31

Yes, twosteps, I agree - that's probably what threw me, everyone else seemed so insistent on lovely long hair, rather than what works. Because yes, it is usually stuck together by beans, mud or her latest cold....

Odd. She loves the hairdressers, we have a kids on around here that she's been too before, but I shall get it deliberately cut into a bob.

OP posts:

insanityscratching · 20/08/2013 08:00

Dd1 has always had long hair. She's twenty now and it's her trademark so when she was small we'd just have the ends trimmed.When her friends had their hair cut she chose to keep hers long.
Dd2 was like your dd, she had a full head of hair by the time she was a year old that I had cut into a bob when she was 15 months old because I didn't want people to treat her like a clone of dd1 who was ten years older. She kept the bob until she was six when she asked to grow her hair and now at ten she has longer hair than dd1,

Happypiglet · 20/08/2013 08:09

My DD (6) has bottom length hair. It's only ever been trimmed and altho she screams and protests at hair brush time she refuses to get it cut.
I wash it once a week (which is plenty as its always plaited and out of the way) on a Saturday morning (after her football training...not all long haired girls are girly).... And she wears a shower cap in her other baths!
But really it's you call...

gininteacupsandleavesonthelawn · 20/08/2013 08:10

My DD is 2 and I keep hers trimmed to shoulder length, it starts to look straggly if left to get any longer, helped along by the addition of wee tannic, yoghurt, jam etc... I dont have it shorter because its great to be able to tie it up, i might let it grow longer once she's a bit bigger, I've always had long hair and I'm quite attached to it.

gininteacupsandleavesonthelawn · 20/08/2013 08:11

*weetabix

FoxyRevenger · 20/08/2013 08:12

DD is 3 and has had millions of haircuts, mostly I keep it to just above shoulder length. She was born with loads of hair and would be walking on it by now if I left it.

Do what works for you now! How weird that anyone else would care to venture an opinion

cece · 20/08/2013 08:15

Dd had long till about 8 and then she wanted it on a shorter bob. That lasted about 2 years. She is 12 now and its the longest that its ever been.

survivingthechildren · 20/08/2013 12:07

Ah, I myself posted on a similar topic a few months back. My DD is 5 and has waist length curls - at the time she was nightmare about keeping it washed, combed, and tied back.

I was desperate to lop it off, but to save the daily battles, but DD loves her hair. Ever since that blimmin Tangled film she loves to swish it about and such. In the end, I posted on here and was recommended a good tangles brush, and we started a reward chart with the objective of looking after her hair. She's better now, but honestly 5 is too young to maintain the sort of upkeep that goes into this sort of hair, particularly when it's curly.

Bob it and enjoy the wonder of children with wear and wash hair!

Original poster

Thurlow · 20/08/2013 12:42

Things you don't ever expect to be wondering about before you have children!

I think it is starting to look straggly and might do even with a trim. I'm well aware she might want it longer when she's older makes mental note to not let her see Rapunzel or Tangled but maybe then I'll be able to explain things to her a bit better.

Wash and wear hair has to be the best. And DP can't even manage to put it in a pony tail at this length, now I think about it I dread to think what he would leave her looking like if it was longer!

Foxy, I remain permanently baffled by the things other people have strong opinions on! That's always when I end up posting on here, when it's something that you hadn't even considered was worth debating and then lots of people have sudden, strong opinions - that's when I end up questioning myself and thinking, "hang on, is 5 year old DD going to end up hating me because I didn't let her grow her hair from newborn?"

OP posts:

ringaringarosy · 20/08/2013 13:32

my dd is 3 and a half and her hair is still really short and curly,she desperatly wants long hair so i will just let her grow it til she wants it cut,i would most likely keep it tidy withthe odd trim though.

nonstopholiday · 20/08/2013 13:37

dd1 - I let it grow shoulderish length (around 14 months, I guess) and then had to do something to neaten it up. she has a chin length bob, and always has had. she has recently started saying she might like to grow it a bit longer (she is 9).

dd2 - very slow to grow hair, was still virtually bald at 12 months. when it did start to grow, she hated having anythign done to her hair - brushing, washing, even wiping with a damp flannel was a no-go. so we kept her hair short, on the basis that it at least eliminated the brushing part . she had a pixie crop until she went ot re-school, and picked up some nonsense about girls having long hair, and has determinedly grown it ever since - and learned to put up with brushing/washing along the way. she is still on warnings about having it cut short again if she complains too much about the grooming though - she is 7.

I find it odd that people would have such strong opinions about someone else's haircut, tbh.

FoxyRevenger · 20/08/2013 13:51

Thurlow it's weird what people think is important for you to hear their opinion on once you have had children!

Honsandrevels · 20/08/2013 14:07

Dd1 had a shiny bald head until she was about 18 months and only had enough for a trim at 2.5. She is nearly 5 and likes her hair bobbed with a fringe. It is curly and fine and looks much better like that. I'd let her grow it if she wanted but we're both happy with it shorter.

Do what you think is best!

ImpulsePineapple · 20/08/2013 14:11

Mine both had cute bobs when they were younger, now at 9 and 11 they choose to have really long hair, and have since they were about 6, but only on the condition they look after it themselves and they DO NOT take it down at school, because blurgh nits.

TwoStepsBeyond · 20/08/2013 14:15

In the past year a number of my DD's school friends have apparently asked their mums if they can have their long hair cut "short (into a bob) like DD's" and others (especially me!) have remarked on how cute the new shorter haircut is on them. Long hair isn't the be all and end all for some girls.

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