I cut First Born's hair yesterday. Instead of waistlength tumbling locks he now has shoulderlength etc etc. It was his decision to chop (as was the initial one by he and Little Bro to have their hair long in the first place).
So why now? In preparation for Big School of course. He feels he doesn't want to draw too much attention to himself but wants to retain his individuality at the same time.
All through primary school he's been subjected to taunts and worse about his hair. Occasionally it's upset him, mostly it's just made him more determined not to give in to other people's fixed ideas and prejudices.
The most upsetting thing for me has been the appalling levels of homophobia in schools. The slightest difference in boys (don't like football, have long hair, are perceived to be in any way 'soft') is punished by accusations of being gay. Which is like The Worst Insult!
And I thought we'd made progress since the 70s!
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2 comments:
Out in the deeply untrendy styx where I live (aka Kingston), it is considered very trendy for boys in yr 6 (and up) to have long hair -- long may it continue! (probably we are very out of date out here in zone 6) Hate all those "buzz cuts" or whatever they call them. Give me a few curly locks any day!
My boys' hair was pretty extreme even by shaggy grunge standards (and Little Bro's still is) but my thinking has always been that there are far too many fixed ideas about how people should look. And it's a short step from 'All boys must have short hair' to people being the wrong race, religion etc.
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