When people tell me that Brody needs a haircut (frequently this happens, and often they are pretty rude about it), I politely remind them that Brody:

NEEDED open heart surgery. Check.

NEEDED to have surgery to remove an extra finger from his hand. Check.

NEEDED surgery to have tubes put in his ears. Check.

NEEDED to be tested for genetic disorders. Check and DOUBLE check! (Glad we did that even though some people said he didn’t need it!)

NEEDS therapy (7 visits per week…something I also get a lot of snarky comments about).
Check. Check. Check. Check. Check. Check. Check. Weekly.

Now, back to the haircut that so many well intentioned people that I know, and don’t know, so often tell me that he needs.

When you say something like that to a parent, you are either assuming they are too ignorant to know when their child needs grooming, insinuating that you don’t like their child’s hair and it needs to be redone to suit your taste, or just being too rude or possibly oblivious, to care how your comment lands on the parent you are saying it to.

Frankly, I don’t care what people think about my parenting decisions. Not. At. All. However, there are people who do. There are mothers who are struggling to stay awake through the day. Mothers who barely get a shower each night, barely finish meals, work full time, miss their kids growing up, feel guilty for leaving their child at daycare all day (especially if said child has a disability), are already questioning their parenting choices, and all sorts of other issues that come with being a parent, and your comments might sting. I agree that words shouldn’t hurt someone else because they are after all, just words. However, sometimes they do because that mother may just be trying to survive through each day, and a haircut is the last thing on her mind.  Uh…Check to that last part:)

Me?  I honestly don’t care.  The opinions of others mean very little to me, especially when hair cutting advice is given as if I have been offered parenting gold.  However, I will ask this of you…

It may seem like a big deal to you to cut a kid’s hair.  It may be something you did/do for your kids.

THAT. IS. FABULOUS.  And I mean that with all sincerity.  Promise;)  And, hey, the kid might look better after a haircut!

But some of us don’t see a haircut as a NEED.  Some of us are so thankful for the hair on that head and the fact that we don’t have to take our kid to see a specialist to have it examined, tested, or operated on, and cutting it just isn’t what we want to do right now.  We aren’t stupid. We aren’t blind.  We see it getting in their eyes.  That is when we chop it off in a straight line across the bangs while our littles are bathing (creating a very Spock like appearance in our child for a few weeks). And we are cool with that, and it would be much nicer if you were too.  Haircuts simply aren’t a NEED.  They aren’t a health concern .  And the way it looks from my shoes, Brody doesn’t NEED one.  He’ll get one when Lee and I WANT him too;)

Go easy on the moms out there, friends. Especially the new ones!!   You never know what shoes that mom may have put on that day:)  Your comment about their kid’s hair (or any other unnecessary opinion) isn’t a NEED.  Your love and support however, IS:)

This picture is from a few weeks ago. His hair is getting pretty long now.  I love it. Just totally LOVE it! 😉