Best hairstyle for an 8 y/o girl?

[Takver]

Trying to think of a new acceptable style for dd. Her hair is rather thick, and very straight so clips tend to fall out. Its also very inclined to fall forward over her face so she can't see.

She's not a very 'groomed' type of girl - ie she'll drag a brush through it & stick some clips in first thing, then that's it for the day, and she does quite a bit of swimming and sport so it needs to not get in the way. BUT she says that short isn't ok for school and she'd get teased.

ATM she has a bob with fringe, but she's not so keen on the fringe, so we're trying to come up with a new style. I wondered if layered was the way to go - but also wondered if any nice MNers had come up with the perfect minimal effort hairstyle for a not-quite-so little girl . . .

I find that long is the perfect option, because you can keep it plaited nearly all the time (so it won't tangle). But it's still long and dramatic for special occasions.

Long plait is also better as anti-nit, as it's the mid-length styles which swish around and touch a neighbour's that facilitate passage.

Very short hair should IMHO only be attempted if DD really wants it.

Both DS and DD have long straight hair with no fringe, and both wear it tied back for school.

I do have a nasty feeling that you're right and maybe she's best growing it long again. She used to have long, but keeping it plaited was a PITA (bands sliding off/out), and we had so many fights about nitcombing/detangling, hence the bob. . .

Forgot the other constraint, which is that it has to fit under a bike helmet (velvet scrunchie does stay in well, but they are expensive and get taken out and abandoned carefully put aside the moment she gets on her bike).

Agree that she has to really want the short hair - I cracked age about 12 after years of tears and fights and chopped it all off, and have never looked back. I think dd would go for it if it weren't that she'd be the only one girl in school with short hair, so I definitely wouldn't force it.

Don't you find that the thin hairbands slide/get pulled off, though, Pixie? DD used almost invariably to come home with at least one if not both plaits unplaited.

That sounds good, but might take rather a long time to achieve. I'll have to work on dd to see if she'll go for plaits again (they also it seems fall into the category of 'babyish'/'too girly').

Damn, was hoping for a more minimal effort solution - (and one that didn't involve regular fights) but I think it probably doesn't exist.

Does your school have a hair policy? It's really helpful that ours does: once hair is reaching shoulders it must be tied back (both sexes): applied with light touch in the KS1 years, and more strictly in KS2.

But if she won't wear plaits, then a sharp bob might yet be the answer. There are sisters at our school with a very angular French looking bob, which is very shirt at the back but with a "fringe and step" arrangement at the front, which is far more complimentary and feminine than my description if it.

My DD has a short bob (short enough that it doesn't/can't be tied back) with a side fringe. As opposed to a stright across the forehaed fringe. She does a lot of sport. Oh and since she has had hers cut short like this I noticed quite a few girls have done the same.

BTW it was almost waist length before and she can now manage it herself. INcluding washing, conditioning and brushing. So I am happy too.

cece & oinimolap, could you describe the 'fringe & step' & 'side fringe' a bit more - it sounds like they might be the kind of thing we're looking for.

a bit like this DD has hair a bit like the blonde lady with the black dress - the bottom photo, except hers is a bit shorter. A lot of the girls have side fringes in her school, with both long and short hair.

I'll try (on an iPhone so can't do links).

It's a style that would only work on thick straight hair, and I think only works on dark hair. Think 1920/30s flapper bob with a French accent. Short but full/wide fringe well above eyebrows. Centre parting behind. Another step, as a definite step over each ear, with all the rest of the hair cut to that length all round, sloping slightly upwards to centre back. Hair underneath that bob layer at the back sliced in to the neck.

I think maybe it might be worth one more go at something like that short before trying to grow it back long. The stepped fringe sounds possible, and also like it might work ok with glasses.