Updated to add.

[rivka]

Okay, actually, upon sober reflection it's not as bad as all that.

She cut it at school. She didn't give herself a full "haircut" - she just took a big chunk out of the right-hand side, just below the shoulder. She claims that she was curious about what it would be like to have shorter hair, but I think it probably had more to do with the dangerous combination of scissors and poor impulse control.

It will have to be cut. But, you know, it was going to have to be cut at some point anyway. The bottom is straggly and uneven and the lower half is prone to developing horrible tangles which are awful to pick out. And she sheds all over the place.

If she really wanted shorter hair, at any point, I would have been perfectly willing to take her to a salon for a haircut. It's her hair. She is old enough to make decisions about how she wants to wear it. But I'm sad that she chopped at it in a moment of half-assedry, because I don't think she really wanted it to be short. Every time we've talked about it (and I have offered her the opportunity to get a haircut), she's said that she wanted to keep it long.

So I'm shocked and a little sad, but, you know, it's just hair. And it really is one of those iconic childhood moments. My mother once cut off her entire braid at the root.

Comments

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

I remember at that age having a very dim sense of permanence - not realizing that if I did something like that, it wouldn't be something that could just be taken back. And if you're out of paper to cut, and want to cut *something*, well, the hair is *right there*.

[ailbhe]

Linnea always says she wants long hair but she trimmed her fringe... When I first cut my hair I took a chunk off at scalp-level by my forehead. Perhaps children are growing to be better hairdressers generationally.

I warn you though that the sensation of cutting hair, the way it feels through the scissors, can be kind of compelling.

At least washing and combing it should be easier now!

[jenett]

Just below the shoulder is a lot better than it could be. (I had chin to shoulder legth short hair all the way through about 9th grade, because my mother is hopeless at braiding, but early on, I think I did take a huge chunk out of one side leaving about 3 inches and that was really tedious. Also, there were issues with my bangs (or fringe) that we Shall Not Talk About but that were very short and spiky and not there for a while)

But just around shoulder length will grow out nicely without a lot of difficulty, once it's trimmed even.

[iamjw.livejournal.com]

Once upon a time a friend's three year old cut her bangs off while at school. Her mother didn't notice until trying to brush the child's hair that night, because the child, having thought better of it - or having caught sight of herself in the mirror, I suppose - glued the bangs back on.

[tiger-spot.livejournal.com]

Once upon a time, I was taking a nap on the couch while my little brother played with his stick horse in the back yard. Mom noticed that the horse had suddenly sprouted a tail. "Where'd you get that?" she asked. "Theresa gave it to me!" he said. (I have always been a deep sleeper.)

This was a few years after the time a friend and I played hairdresser, which resulted in a trip to the real hairdresser and being mistaken for a boy for about the next year.

And I did it myself at least once, although that was more of a trim than a chop. It does feel rather nice.

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

She claims that she was curious about what it would be like to have shorter hair, but I think it probably had more to do with the dangerous combination of scissors and poor impulse control.

And either of those, really, is much better than if she'd done it at home to get a rise out of Mama. Or ... if she'd cut someone else's hair!

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's too bad! But I will mention - as you may have seen, we just cut Elena's hair. Her hair was so tangly that it was causing MAJOR issues morning and night. Shoulder-length has been *wonderful* for us - she loves it, I love it, and it is 40 times easier to take care of. Hopefully you will reach a similar conclusion......

And - it can always grow back. Hair does that.

*hugs*

[mizchalmers.livejournal.com]

Claire cut Julia's beautiful white-blonde never-been-cut ringlets off altogether. There was a bald spot. I cried. But Julia is rocking the pixie cut:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yatima/4271624372/

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

*Chortle*

That story had better follow that child well into adulthood. It's a gem.

[houseboatonstyx.livejournal.com]

The salon might try an assymetric cut, why not? Leave the long side long and neat, make the medium side medium and neat.

Sometimes she could wear the long side in a bun and just the short side hanging down. I think I've seen styles kind of like that. Lots of cool ways she could wear it.

[zingerella.livejournal.com]

I had thick, shortish brown hair that mom kept in a little bob, which didn't stop me, at age three I think, from taking the safety scissors to it and to the less forgiving hair of Mandy and Jenny (my favourite dolls). I messed up the bangs and the sides something horrible, and mom's hairdresser had to do an emergency repair cut. Then mom gave both dolls bangs, but their coiffures were never as pretty as they had been.

So yeah. One of those childhood moments.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

At least it's reversible.

B

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

true.

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

my mom cut her EYELASHES off. i have no idea how she managed to not poke her eyes out.

[minnaleigh.livejournal.com]

And it really is one of those iconic childhood moments.

I never cut my own hair. I loved my hair! But I did cut my sister's hair on multiple occasions.

[txobserver.livejournal.com]

My younger daughter went through a phase when she was three where she seemed very tempted by the scissors. Once she cut a slit in my nightgown (which she treated as a special blanket, holding against her face and feeling the softness.) Then she cut the wire to my husband's headphones. Her explanation? "I wanted to see what color it was inside." I couldn't be mad at her! :-)

[toadnae.livejournal.com]

Really, it is. And at least hers is fixable. Me, I cut my bangs off at the root on Good Friday. I didn't want to get my bangs trimmed, so I figured if I cut them very short, it would be a a long time before they had to be trimmed.