Chop chop to kids locks

Hair drama starts early.

My first child was not blessed with a head full of hair and was virtually bald until 2 years old. Now at 4, it's way better but still not thick enough to grow her bangs out as the hairline is still deciding if it's going to be a serious, serious widow's peak, or just a widow's peak.

So we keep Lauren's in a nice, neat mushroom kinda cut which is easy for mama to manage and is still just long enough to withstand a barrette or little ponytail. Don't tell, but sometimes the child leaves the house with a full bedhead and it's not until we get somewhere that I notice. That should tell you something about our hair routine over here.

Now my son, he has the soft golden locks that cost a million dollars from a bottle. I'm glad the shaggy look is in, because I like the ragamuffin look he's got with the wild, messy curls and crazy wings. It's about as far away from a crewcut as one can get.

We did have to go for a first haircut in June @ 19 months because even a messy cut needs to be neatened to still look like a good messy cut! We went to a great local place specialized in kid's haircuts with all the bells & whistles. We both came out happy - Andrew because he got to drive an airplane the whole time and me, because he still looked like my baby/little boy and not an army recruit.

Now it's October and well, I think we may have to cut his mane again before he needs a tie-dyed outfit & beard to match. This time I am super reluctant and I'm back to debating again about if we should cut it, just trim it or dive in with a shaver and get rid of it all and follow the "simple is better" mantra.

I find the internal debate I'm having over my son's hair really silly since I'm on the opposite side of the fence for girls hair. There's been recent discussion on our momstown boards about how long to keep a girls hair and whether it's worth the daily fight to upkeep it. My perspective and choice is to keep it SIMPLE.

Young girls are already influenced by so much and I personally feel that making their hair a priority early on will just start the whole image / body awareness thing too early. It's gonna catch up soon enough, let's not focus so much on the matching barrettes and pretty ponytails, and just focus on simple styles and keeping it clean -- isn't that enough to ask of busy moms who are just trying to get out the door?

However, despite my stance, my own child has a bucket of hair barrettes and bands which have crept in here (did I buy them? I must have!). Perhaps my opinion has derived from the fact she had no hair for so long that I was so used to not having to worry about taking care of it.

Admittedly, maybe because my own hair has long since left being a priority for me (see above picture, many know that checkered hat very, very well).

And despite my perspective I can't believe I'm so in love with my sons hair that I'm not following my rule of keeping it simple! Why am I so attached and preoccupied with Andrew's mega hair?

No clue, except maybe I'm just a little jealous of those blond locks?

Maybe I feel OK with the anti-stereotype?

Maybe I should just buy a hair clipper and be done with it...?

Maybe I'll just not do anything about it right now...