KRITIQ
No extra grooming time is necessary if you learn how to care for particular hair types, its no big deal.
I think it is far more damaging to a childs self image to have their 'unruly' curls chopped off, just to make it easier for their parent to manage.
Curly hair is not that difficult to manage. Curly hair is not bad hair.
All three of my boys have had at some point long hair, their hair is very curly, yet we still manage fine. It's no big deal and they are now old enough to care for it themselves anyway.
This goes both ways, you shouldn't use your daughters hair to make a political point, anymore than one should use it to conform to societal gender requirements IMO.
I don't think it was any coincedence that my hair being cut off coincided with the start of my Mums journey into radical feminism!
Anyway, Im quite possibly projecting.
If a child wants short or longer hair, their wishes should be respected.
There are two issues here, if its about conforming, then Id say to any Mothers, do what you like to yourself, but listen to what your daughter wants, don't push your ideals onto her.
If its about managability [sp?] then learn how to deal with the hair type, there is no excuse, the internet has masses of info on how to easily care for curly hair types. Don't chop it all of just because you see it as the 'wrong' sort of hair.