I like having curly hair. Well, maybe when it's 500% humidity and the curls turn into frizz and make me look like Janis Joplin--then I might have some issues with curly hair. But other than that, I don't really wish I had straight hair. Except when Cubby gets a fistful of those curls.
Do you know how hard it is to disentangle a baby's fist from long, curly hair? Very, VERY hard. Almost impossible to do without pain, in fact. My pain, that is, not Cubby's. I'm sure it's no fun for anyone when a baby grabs hold of your hair, but I've seen it when Cubby grabs the MiL's straight hair, and she can just sort of slide it out of his grasp with minimal effort and no tugging. Not me. The curls get all tangled in his fist and it requires multiple attempts to unclench the fist all the way, while trying to pull the hair out of the unclenched fist before it re-clenches. I usually lose some hair in the process. And it hurts.
Of course, my hair is fascinating to the child. It's like the most fun toy EVER. He stalks my hair, following it with his eyes and readying himself to pounce if a ringlet gets close to his hands. And if he gets a really good handful, then he attempts to jam it in his mouth, thereby increasing the difficulty of rescuing the captive hair without pain.
I'm starting to see the usefulness of a Mom Haircut. Babies and long curly hair don't mix. But then Mom Haircuts and curly hair don't mix, either, so I guess I'll just have to bear the pain. And resign myself to a couple of years of ponytails.
RESIST THE MOM CUT. RESIIIIIIIST IIIIIIT.
ReplyDeleteI have stick-straight hair, but what always made the baby-grab painful for me was clammy/sticky baby hands. The moisture is like GLUE, and then before I know it, I'm rocking a bald spot. Sadie thankfully lost interest in my hair (but this was replaced by interest in electrical sockets, so...).
Ouch! Maybe a tight French braid for a few years? He'll loose interest eventually and graduate to more dangerous fascinations =).
ReplyDeleteThe Mom Cut is like you're completely giving up.
ReplyDeleteDon't give up!
I wonder, does he think it might taste good? Maybe the cure is to let him actually get it in his mouth and maybe that would make him not interested anymore, because he will know it isn't something to eat? Beth
ReplyDeleteNo mom cuts, friend. Don't do it.
ReplyDeleteMy mom still regrets hers.
Which she got because when she was a first time hippie mom with super long hippie hair (which was straight, but still), her beloved first born child (moi, obvi) managed to get her hand so tangled in it that, once she began shrieking from being trapped (TRAPPED IN THE HIPPIE HAIR - HORRORS) and yanking tangled hands all about, my dad had to cut her hair to get my hand out.
Thus requiring a new do. Forever. Boo.
So, go get some more ponytailers and hold out!
Ponytails are the solution, temporary that it is. The French braid might work, too. Can't do it? Practice. Practice.
ReplyDeleteYou can't possibly look like Janis Joplin...unless you're also carrying around a bottle of Southern Comfort all day.
ReplyDeleteAnd I've lost hair from some serious baby pulls in my day, and you've seen my hair: couldn't be straighter. So do NOT get a Mom cut. That's all.
FinnyKnits -
ReplyDeleteJust curious, why did it require a new do forever? Hair grows back.
I have done the mom haircuts thing. With all 3 of my children. I don't regret it. Hair grows back. I have had waist length hair numerous times. I waited to cut my hair after my first was born, until the day he yanked out a handful. With the other 2, I cut it before they were born.