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My Thoughts on Infant Hair Accessories

From what I gather, some people don’t take too well to their offspring being identified as the opposite sex. I happen to think most infants look rather unisex, so this issue has never bothered me personally. Why, just a couple of weeks ago, a lady referred to Wito as a girl. HE IS FOUR. (What can I say? He’s purdy.) However, it seems that the baby-girl-being-called-a-boy thing is a much more prominent point of contention.

This must be why so many parents put horrific bow-type headbands on newborn girls. Look at meeee! I’m a girl! SEE MY PINK FLUFFY BOW??? Here’s what I’m thinking. If you don’t possess hair, you probably don’t need a hair accessory. Additionally, if a hair accessory needs to be attached with tape or velcro, you might want to reevaluate your decision-making process. Here, let me help you!

A headband to hold hair back and/or accentuate a hairstyle? GOOD.

A headband to cut off blood supply to a 3-month-old’s bald noggin? BAD.

(I feel strongly on the matter.)

(And don’t get me started on shooting stainless steel studs through a baby girl’s ears. GAH.)

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49 comments
  1. Tanya

    August 26, 2010 at 5:12 pm

    I have felt that way since my oldest daughter was born. I’m very opinionated about it as well!! She is 17 now and never was subjected to the baby head garland!

  2. Kathleen

    August 26, 2010 at 5:14 pm

    I’m with you! They are children not accessories and not Christmas trees.

  3. Jess

    August 26, 2010 at 5:17 pm

    i am so with you on this!! i think that baby headbands are ridiculous looking. i never put one on my daughter and she survived just fine. i’m also one who thinks that she didn’t need to be dressed in all pink just because she’s a girl. i definitely bought some boy onesies that had puppies on them. she didn’t know or care! she sure looked cute though.

  4. Sizzle

    August 26, 2010 at 5:17 pm

    I could not agree more! GAH.

  5. marymuses

    August 26, 2010 at 5:20 pm

    We are adopting a three-year-old from Ethiopia, and I’ll admit that I’ve bought headbands for our very-short-haired girl. I’m not sure I’d do the same if she were an infant, but right now I just want to cover some of her little bald spots and give her some accessories.

  6. Jessica

    August 26, 2010 at 5:34 pm

    Totally. My mom used to attach little bows to my head with *gasp* KY Jelly to keep my rebellious infant cowlick down. How embarrassing. Thankfully, as an adult, I’ve graduated to Astroglide.
    .-= Jessica´s last blog ..Details of My Awesomeness- in list form =-.

  7. Allison

    August 26, 2010 at 5:38 pm

    Absolutely couldn’t agree with you more… I hate seeing little baby girls with their circulation cut off with a stupid headband… UGH!!!!
    .-= Allison´s last blog ..Peach Pickin =-.

  8. Sarah

    August 26, 2010 at 6:33 pm

    Amen and amen!

  9. Michelle

    August 26, 2010 at 7:43 pm

    I saw a pic a mom had posted on FB of her ~6 month old just up from a nap, still in her crib with an elastic headband on. Can you say strangulation hazzard? Ugh.

  10. Sonja von Franck

    August 26, 2010 at 7:55 pm

    Saw your tweet & before I saw your post, I IMMEDIATELY thought of how Teresa has made me feel inadequate at “dolling up” my baby – but I’ve always felt babies are beautiful as is. Seems like one step away from that sad beauty pageant show with the little girls. Not to mention mine would pull it off and throw it out the window in about a minute flat. I do have to use little tiny clear rubber bands w/ clip in bows to keep her hair out of her eyes, but I think that meets your definition of a hair accessory.

  11. Missy Marshmallow

    August 26, 2010 at 8:13 pm

    Completely agree, especially to a mom of a toddler girl. Oh, and baby ear piercing. I am not even going to get my soap box out for that one. I couldn’t possibly ever fathom doing that to her. I heard a baby get her ears pierced one time in some jewelry store. I have been tramatized since.

  12. Angella

    August 26, 2010 at 8:35 pm

    I read this to Matthew (while he’s slicing peaches).

    He now sees more clearly why I love you so. Emily was bald for what? THREE YEARS? Almost four.

    One thing we’ve always agreed on is that hideous bows and ribbons on the head are ridiculous.

    (As for the earring thing…I kind of wish I had done it when Emily was younger, so she wouldn’t remember the pain. The whole, “losing one and having to do it again” thing was emotionally traumatizing on the both of us. She still talks about it…)
    .-= Angella´s last blog ..Pulling Myself Together =-.

  13. Maya

    August 26, 2010 at 9:05 pm

    Totally agree about the headgear- on the ear piercing, siiiiighh…its a very Cultural Issue…Hispanics tend topierce early amd view it as a feminine right of passage. I had mine done at 4, and was a “late” comer to the world of ear fashion. Would i pierce my daughters ears? Mmmm probably not.

  14. Mama in the City

    August 26, 2010 at 9:25 pm

    Oh my god. I hate hair bows on baby heads. Why? Because they are freaking babies! They don’t have hair to hold back! I hate the pure ridiculousness that head bows represent when placed on a baby’s head. So silly!
    .-= Mama in the City´s last blog ..Deep Fried Oreos and Family Fun =-.

  15. holly

    August 26, 2010 at 9:56 pm

    ah yes, thank you, i really shudder when i see infants with earrings.