Mom Confessions: I'm Dying My Toddler's Hair
February 6, 2009 at 11:33 AM by Cafe Cynthia - Comments (109)
It's time for a Mom Confession -- because, let's face it, we're real mothers and sometimes it doesn't work the way the parenting books say it should.
This Week's Confession:
"My son is still a baby and doesn't have hair yet, but if his hair grows in red, I will be sad. I will seriously dye his hair if it is really red. No offense to anyone or any kid with red hair ... some are really cute .. and girls with red are very pretty. But I just love blond/brown hair." --anonymous
Poll
Question: Is it okay to dye or highlight a toddler's hair to change or enhance the natural color?
Total Votes: 814
Does a mother have a right to dye or enhance their toddler-age child's hair for preference or cosmetic reasons alone? How much control should a mom have over a young child's physical appearance? What message, if any, does this send to your toddler?
We all have secrets and opinions -- so thanks to this brave mom for sharing her honest thoughts, and thank you for keeping this conversation non-judgemental!
Past Confessions:
I Leave My Toddler Alone in the Bath
Our Children Aren't Invited to Our Wedding
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The chemicals in hairs dyes are hard on an adults body... I would think they could be almost toxic levels to a toddler.
My big concern though is that the child will grow up feeling like they are not good enough for Mom. That would be like saying I like blue eyes so my kids all have to wear blue contacts. It is very vain, silly, and DANGEROUS!
Yes, she has the right to do it I suppose, she is the mother. However, I think that if someone actually did this they need the crap kicked out of them. The child will not remember it as a positive experience I'm sure.
hair color, whether chemical or "natural", is way too harsh for a child's skin, and can cause blindness if it gets in his eyes--which can happen VERY easily with a little kid. Also, why would you want to tell your son he is not good enough for you? Seriously?
oh, Its all too real. My daughter went to cosmotology school and you would not believe what some mothers do to little kids hair! on lady got her 7 yr olds hair "retouched" every 2 weeks! There should be a law!!
WOW! How vain are some people? First off like the other posters have said, it's dangerous! But besides that, what a terrible message to send to you child! "You are not good enough/ special enough the way you are", "You need to change who you are to make people (including mommy) love you", "Looks are everything"... who would want their child to think those things!
Very soon, if not now, we can find out what color eyes and hair our child will have. If you had found out while pregnant that your child was going to have red hair, would you have terminated the pregnancy?
That's ridiculous. Way to set your kid up for self esteem issues. Sad.
The message is that from birth, they were never good enough.
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It not only damages the hair, but new hair at that doesn't stand a chance at a healthy life starting that early, and do you really want your child to think that he wasn't wanted because he didnt have the 'right' hair color to suit you?
Enchantasi Feb. 6, 2009 at 11:46 AM