Saturday, May 17, 2008

BIG HAIR or NOT???

Ok, I need some help here. Todd as you can see is growing his hair and growing his hair and growing his hair. If he has his way he will continue to grow it forever. He even has a friend at school that will pay him $10 if he keeps growing it. I keep telling him that he is going to get it cut when school gets out.

He is not happy with me. What do you all think? Tell me the truth.

Todd is such an awesome kid and never gets in trouble. What would you do? I just think that he looks so much better with short hair. I keep telling him that girls won't like the long hair and he doesn't think that I am right. I wouldn't mind if it looked well groomed most of the time but I don't think it does.

What do you think?

6 comments:

Lara Neves said...

Hmmmm....hard to know how to let them express themselves, huh? It's not like he's doing anything terrible. But I do think he'd look better with it shorter. But of course, that's just my personal preference.

When Joel and I were dating he wanted to grow his hair out to an afro for some concert he had tickets to. He totally did it, but I made him cut it again after the concert. There is a picture of him on my blog...Maybe if you look under my Joel label...it's a big tag about how we met and stuff. Maybe if you show Todd that picture it will change his mind, since I think his hair will do the afro thing that Joel's has done. :)

Colt said...

I don't have any kids nearly his age so in 10 years I might have a totally different opinion when its my own kids. But for now I can only go on my own experience.

Image is always important for teenagers. I remember feeling like my image defined me. And also feeling like everyone else judged me by my appearance. It wasn't until years later that I learned the breath and depth of the human soul.

The other thing important to them is their independence. They want to feel like they are in control and that there parents trust and understand them instead of try to control them.

Concerning girls... Well, I nearly ignored them entirely when I was in school. I think I was more the exception than the rule. I felt like marriage was a long way down the road. I still had to spend 2 years on a mission. I didn't see the point of getting involved with any girls just yet. For me I didn't care so much about what girls thought of me. It was my friends and kids I wanted to be friends with that mattered to me.

So to finally come to the point and answer your question. I would advise him and give him your opinion. But I would leave the decision up to him without too much pressure. He needs to work out his own social identity. All in all, he is a very good kid and I really doubt his hair style will keep him from anything important.

Let him have fun with it.

Kristi T. said...

I say I have to vote with Colt let him have a little fun with it. I hate to say this but it is life and if he didn't have tomorrow would you be happy with forcing him to cut his hair just because it would make him look better? I feel it is more important to let our children learn from their own decisions. I have been trying to get Bowdee to grow his hair out forever and everytime I get it long enough were it is starting to look nice and long and cool then he begs me to cut it off. But I go with it because after all it is his hair.

I do know how you feel when Todd got up to bare his testimony the other day at Kyles I had a hard time taking him serious... Until he started talking. Todd is an amazing person with a strong very strong personality which is great. When Todd started to talk up on the stand I realized in an instant how self confident he is and how amazing he is. Yes it would look better short but I kinda feel like the long hair is Todd being Todd right now in his life. I LOVE IT! And who knows once you get through the rough stage it might be simply amazing. He will be 19 before you know it and have to cut it so let him have a little fun with it. Love you sis and I am do know how hard of a decision this is. But anyone who really knows Todd or even speaks one word to Todd will get the drift of who he is and will get it. Love you GOOD LUCK

Rae said...

Interesting dilemna. I lean towards shorter hair and more streamlined haircuts for men, and I definitely think he would do great for a haircut--HOWEVER....having said that. I think that if he is a good kid all around--which I can affirm that he is, and you have, and I know Angela will--then I think you might just let him have this little rebellion. Maybe give him a time frame. "Cut it off after such and such date....trim it at least an inch every such and such amount of time"...that kind of thing. -OR- just tell him that it's fine, as long as he feels it does not interfere with the image of a clean, well-groomed priesthood holder when he is administering the sacrament on Sundays. :) Bottom line, even though I don't have kids his age (yet), I think that if this is the biggest rebellion he clings to, then you're doing GREAT, and I wouldn't be too stressed about it!

Unknown said...

I think he makes a great Napoleon Dynamite! Seriously, every boy needs to grow their hair out and feel like they make their own decisions. I grew out my mullet and wore it with pride--Colt had a great modern bowl cut for a while the summer we worked in Jackson.

If it really bugs you--you might need to just pay more money than his friend and consider yourself blessed that he isn't doing the ink/needle/pearcing thing.

Terry Townsend said...

Grow it now while you can. Now that I am old and bald I can't grow anything unless it is on my back. So I say let him enjoy it while he has it.