Picking your battles


Picking your battles with a teenager.  New territory for me.  My almost 14 year old is lovely.  I find him genuinely nice, fun and easy to hang out with.  But he's been growing his hair for a year.  It is driving me crazy.  And the more I (and his sisters) get irritated by it, the more determined he is to keep growing it.

Appearances don't matter, I keep telling myself.  And I know this is a nothing issue.  But other people seem to have nicely presented children.

What fights do other people feel are worth fighting over with their teenagers?  Do people fight over hair length?  Or are they too busy worrying about real problems?!

PS  I think it looks better in the picture than in real life!




Comments

Beck said…
ok..well my guys went short for the first time in 5ish years. the long hair never bothered me.It's cool and cheap! I think he looks great...please tell him :) lucky to have the curls:) the only thing is when it isn't washed regularly enough... that's worth battling!
Kath said…
I'm laughing because my husband has been growing his hair like this. Like this, only white. Other people seem to have nicely presented husbands ;) Just biting my tongue at the moment...definitely not worth fighting about.
Sandra said…
what is worth fighting about?

Being able to touch base with the parents whose house you are dropping them off at (soooo embarrassing) and actually being able to come to the door to pick them up and not just SMS from the street.

Not letting them go to other people's houses unless a parent is there except in circumstances when all facts have been made clear

Finding out basic info - where are you going, who are you going with, what are you going to do etc.

Not closing your bedroom door if you are using the computer.

not having friends of the opposite sex in non-public areas of the house.

Wearing a hat and sunblock (sunblock I usually win, hats are definitely not cool - but suffering Billy McMahon's fate when you are 50 isn't either)

probably other stuff.
Karen said…
No experience here, but it looks rather cool to me (not sure if I would have that reaction to my own kids with it though...we keep our boys' hair short at the moment as a nit avoidance strategy).
Years ago, we went to church with a family whose older teenage daughter had bright blue hair for quite a while. Her Mum always used to say that hair length/colour weren't worth getting too upset about (at the time, this girl wasn't a Christian so I suspect that might have been their main concern...)
Richard said…
I'm not a parent so my opinion doesn't really count but I'd agree with Beck and Sandra
Aileen said…
Didn't Rowan have long hair at uni?
Katie said…
Tell him he's starting to look like Brian May from Queen (like from the 70's) and he may change his mind? I don't know, maybe that is cool these days. I guess it is better than him wearing his pants half way down his back side!
Melissa said…
Lol, I think he has lovely hair! I don't think hair, clothing or choice of music are hills to die on.

My question to self is 'does this affect the child's mental or physical health ?' If the answer is no, then I let it go.
Motherhugger said…
My only suggestion (other than don't sweat the small stuff), as someone who has had long curly hair, is comb it with a wide toothed comb when you condition it - best way to get the knots out and the only time I brushed or combed my hair.
Anonymous said…
Sam had super long hair until a couple of weeks ago. He's a fan of the annual haircut. There really are so many other issues to spend quality time on! My rule was it had to be clean, and we had to be able to see his eyes. Jo

Popular posts from this blog

Going grey at 40

Confessions of an earl grey addict

Christmas memory creating