real dreads for a childs hair?

[candikaboom]

Ok i have a client who called me asking if i can Dread there 4 year olds hair, my first response was, was it a joke? I know myslef didnt get my first hair cut til i was 4 years old, cus it was still changing and thin.. everyones different, and i told her to send me a picture and tell me why she wants to do this to a 4 year old. He never wants a haircut and has thick wavy hair very tangly. Then i told her i would have to call her back and thought about it and the process some more, to dread a whole head usuaslly takes hours, and doubt a kid wants to or can sit for the hours it takes, and then did they think of the maintenace? dreads dont grow in as dreads and doubt hes goign to do it on his own. and the price isnt cheap, kids want something one moment and somethign else the next, might blow money for nothing. But i was wondering if anyone esle has a opinion on this? or knows anyone with dreaded children? thanks for reading..
~Candi
Salon SUGAR
philadelphia pa

[LittlePinkFaery]

I have no experience with this but I would never do it.

First, as you say, not approproate
second, the hair is likely to be fine as it is still 'young'
thirdly, their school may be very unhappy with the child's hair and demand it removed
Fouthly, the child may have no understanding that all their hair may need to be cut off if they don't like it and how long it will take- seriously a 4 year old knowing waht this entails?
Fifthly, the upkeep, do oyu belive the parents will look after the hair?

Lastly...the ridicule the kid may go through at school without being old enough or mature enough to cope with it.

My advice is to not do it, it just feels totally wrong to do this to a child, l like parents who have babies ears pierced.

The statement 'the kids never watns it cut' really, a 4 year old can make that decision? they have no idea what they want, it will change next week/ month/ year...I bet they think it is something that will stop mum trying to brush his hair to get tangles out.

Parents should take control of their kids not give in to them on whims- or worse inflict their own whims!

[sammu]

I have photographs saved on my old pc of a family, and their two kids both have dreads. Both of them no older than 10 years old. They look incredibly happy as a whole, and if they're clean, neat and tied out the way I don't see a problem with it.

If the child is old enough to think it through and make a decision with the help of their parents, I really don't see why not.

Also, what about Rastafarian kids? My friend Amina has had dreads all her life. If you told her to shave them off, you'd be classed at racist. Why can a child of any creed not be allowed something, when a child of another can?

[candikaboom]

yea i have done maintenace on a family, and they have a 8 year old girl who has them, and while doing her maintenace i was talking with her, felt like she did it cus her father did and she did get wierd looks/comments /questions in school and was just starting to like boys and all, it was really cool and i felt bad at the same time..

[candikaboom]

yea and then i thought of african american kids with there texture of hair is so wild they get braids put in to make the hair easier to deal with, and if the kids not brushing and refusing a cut, this may be easier to deal with??

[LittlePinkFaery]

Also, what about Rastafarian kids? My friend Amina has had dreads all her life. If you told her to shave them off, you'd be classed at racist. Why can a child of any creed not be allowed something, when a child of another can?

I know, but the thing is that a school WILL class this as unacceptable, whist being perectly happy to accept the black child with braids/ dreads.

It may be seen as wrong...but this IS the case. Of course it can be fought but think what that puts the child through.Reverse racism? quite possibly! We are talking about a 4 year old here...they like what parents like and think what parents think, they are not developed enough to have fully thought out informed decisions.

[LittlePinkFaery]

I can certainly tell you as a teacher that braids and cornrows would be more acceptable in general in a school AND the kids can have them taken out easily if he gets bored/ picked on.

[SyNNy+SuKKupyre]

Schools can say that a personal choice is unacceptable?
Like I understand what your saying in the face that other young kids wouldn't understand and may pick on the kid but for a school to say something like that rubs me the wrong way.

Then again all school related things rub me the wrong way but if my child wanted dreads and my child's school ever said anything to me or my child I think they would be getting a nasty earful!

[LittlePinkFaery]

Schools can be VERY conservative here in the UK, i cannot talk for schools elsewhere- but I should imagine many are.

A school will decide on its dress policy and what is acceptable and what isn't. Even schools without uniform can have policy regarding dress and hairstyles. If a parent was to fight it, You may well get told that you may want to look elsewhere for your child's education- that or take expensive legal action- seriously, 'outrageous' hair is a no no...hence I have to wear falls and not have installed dreads- being a teacher! I certianly know some teachers who are okay to wear dreads and some schools that would be more diverse...there is still the issue of bullying though.

My main concern here is the child's age and their inability to make an informed decision.

[SyNNy+SuKKupyre]

WOW
I sometimes forget how it can be across the pond.

School boards here are too scared to get sued for discrimination over things like hair and appearance especially in Public Schools since they are funded by Parent's taxes partially.

They do still have some very stupid rules but not a lot refer to hair.


I agree 4 is maybe a bit young but 10 or older, given they have stuck to their decision for at least a good 2 months then it is their life and they must learn through experience.

[IKickShins]

I think maintenance is the key issue here. If the kid is fussy about getting hair cuts, he probably won't take kindly to maintenance for the dreads either.

[BeautifullyChaotic]

I treat natural dreadlock installations like tattoos. They both hurt, they're really painful to reverse and society generally looks upon them the same way.

As such, I don't do natural dreads on anyone under 18.

I recognize there's ethnic and cultural considerations, but generally folks looking to dreadlock their children for ethnic and cultural reasons aren't coming to me.

[harlequin]

I can certainly tell you as a teacher that braids and cornrows would be more acceptable in general in a school AND the kids can have them taken out easily if he gets bored/ picked on.

i agree with this.
i have never been asked to dread a childs hair, though thinking about it now i dont think a 4 year old has the mental capacity to take into consideration what exactly it entails (i think littlepinkfaery also said that!)


braids would be generally easier i think if the parents still insist on you doing something to their childs hair.

im not certain on this, but maybe it would impact on your reputation?
other people may not agree with your decision to put dreds in a 4 year old if you do go ahead, and so would rather go to someone else rather than a person who styled such hair on a 4 year old.
im not sure on that though, just a thing that came to mind.

[candikaboom]

thanks guys, yeah totally was asking for opinions and thats what i got, thanks! i did already decide not to do the dreads on the 4year old, exactly alot of my thoughts, and was trying to explain it to the customer even thou she was very persistent about doing it and showed me pics of her attempts at doing it herslef.. all u can do is inform people the best u can. thanks again for everyones thoughts
~Candi kaboom

[Gracey]

I've never been asked to do this and I would definitely turn it down if I was. The ethics of starting dreads on such a young child is something I wouldn't want to broach, but my personal ethics wouldn't stretch to it. I will only do dreads on people whom I am sure have thought about it seriously and have weighed up all that it entails, and I doubt that could include a youngster.

There are children around my area with dreads and a great number wearing extensions. I do find the rules to be less strict in more etnically diverse areas, particularly in primary. Some of our high schools are more rigorous; my daughter attended a girls' school where cornrows were only allowed on afro hair and absolutley had to be neat, no fuzzy halo or unnatural toned extension added.

I think dreads could cause a problem with even the most tolerant school, as they do go through very messy stages before settling into ordered dreadlocks. Maintenance would be very hard, particularly on a child who markedly dislikes having their hair messed with. If I cornrow my daughter's hair, it is usually done in a couple of stints as the impatience (coupled with the discomfort) makes it impossible to do all at once.

I think you have definitely done the right thing

[PirateQueen]

The other issue for children getting dreads, and it's quite important, as anyone with school age children will know, is that headlice are rampant in most schools on a regular basis. It's hard enough to get rid of the little blighters on regular hair, but on dreadlocks it's really difficult. Obviously, any of the combing methods are out, so the only methods are to use harsh chemicals, and it can often take quite a few applications to be effective. (I've got personal experience of this as I once got headlice in my own dreads, which were hip length at the time - not fun!)
Also wondering how schools make decisions about whether a child can be allowed to have dreads based on ethnicity'? I've recently thought about dreading my oldest sons hair (he's 9 and has asked for them), but although he's mixed race and his father is black, he's very pale skinned and looks 'white' but has afro textured hair. So would he be allowed to have them or not? And if he was, would it then be fair to refuse to let other children have a similar style - to the other children at school he looks the same as them and some of them probably don't even know he's mixed race. Seems a bit of an unfair basis for making a decision to me.
To the original poster though - you could suggest they consider something like two-strand twists, maybe using a small amount of afro-kinky textured hair to help them stay in if the childs hair isn't actually afro curly enough to make them stay in without it. You can get a good few months out of a style like that and it's quick to do and easy to maintain.

[rhiannon]

I think if the child is old enough to make decisions for themself then it is understandable, but a child of 4 years old.. Social and school problems teamed with the fact that kids can be so fickle means that I don't think it would be such a good idea.

[kogepanfanclub]

I have dreads at my school in UK, most of my teachers praise my individuality. And its not a low achieving school, its one of the best schools in the area. Colours and such are fine too, (i have a red fringe, and of course my dreddies ). It may vary within schools, but mine is fairly liberal. I have had some ridicule over the past few years, but not enough for me to want to get rid of them. Its only hair, it will grow, or can be cut out. At the end of the day, government wants you too go to school, so its their responsibility to make sure you are allowed a place. Also, its not your problem, if the mother wants it for her child, she will have to be responsible to any problems that may occur.