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My Thoughts on Infant Hair Accessories

in stuff

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. Siera

    August 26, 2010 at 11:00 pm

    The partner unit has such a disdain for baby headbands that if we ever had a girl I’d put one on her just to get his goat. If he didn’t make such a deal outta it, I wouldn’t even think too. But I really couldn’t care either way… I do hate it when people pierce their babies ears. I’d never do that until my daughter (or son) approached me and asked me. Why must one punch holes in their kids heads is beyond me,.
    .-= Siera´s last blog ..What Does One Bring Camping =-.

  2. Kaela

    August 26, 2010 at 11:18 pm

    Those baby headbands have always reminded me of tacky wedding garters. A garter on a baby’s head? Wrong, I’m telling you. Wrong.

  3. Stacey

    August 27, 2010 at 12:03 am

    YES YES YES YES YES. I absolutely hate those baby headbands.

  4. Karen

    August 27, 2010 at 6:10 am

    I agree with the headband thing!

    But the earring I dis-agree. My 4 month old daughter has them. Our ped did them so I was very comfortable with her having it done. I look at it this way she has them and it’s over and wont even remember instead of taking her later and having a big dramatic breakdown!
    People have such opinions about everything now adays I say to each his own and keep your negative opinions to yourself.

    Wait. Are you asking me to not express my opinion on MY BLOG? With all due respect, maybe this blog isn’t for you. However, like I’ve always said, you are welcome to take it up with my customer service department.

  5. Kristy

    August 27, 2010 at 7:11 am

    TOTALLY, TOTALLY AGREE! Those little headbands just seem so uncomfortable! They leave indentations….HELLO, MCFLY! My neice was subjected to those as a baby and also had her ears pierced. My brother once asked me when I was gonna get my daughters’ ears pierced. I told him, “When she asks me.” Mine are pierced and I love jewelry; both of my girls have TONS of play/dress up jewelry but I feel like it should be their personal choice. Plus, I think it will be a really cool mother – daughter experience when the time comes!

    AMEN, Kristy. I got my ears pierced when I made the personal decision to pierce my ears. Not my parents.

  6. Tara

    August 27, 2010 at 7:16 am

    Meh, I think a headband once in a while is cute. Not everyday, and certainly not one that leaves indentations.

  7. jenifer

    August 27, 2010 at 8:33 am

    pierced ears on a baby are just as cruel as circumcisions yet the people I know who are anti baby ear piercings (which I am) still whack their child’s perfect body for no reason (which is totally whackado!) i love hypocrites, haha! and the head bands- eh, pretty gaudy.

  8. Valerie

    August 27, 2010 at 9:22 am

    HATE the headbands for babies…I have always secretly vowed that if I had a girl I would never put them on her. So tacky and not at all cute. As for the pierced ears I COULD NOT AGREE MORE! My SIL did this to her 3 mth old baby and I was appalled. Then one of the earrings pulled on something and came out the BACK of her ear and she had the nerve to go back and do it again! I had to bite my tongue HARD. I will never, ever do this. I will let my daughter make her own decisions about her body.

  9. Rhi

    August 27, 2010 at 9:36 am

    I am SO WITH YOU on this.

    Also, I have SO MUCH HAIR now, but was bald until I was 2 1/2. My mother used to scotch tape a pink bow to my head. SCOTCH TAPE. True story.

  10. Mama Bub

    August 27, 2010 at 9:52 am

    I’m totally guilty of putting a headband on my baby, but not one that is tight or large or ugh, BAD MOM ALERT! I think it’s cute and I also totally understand the ridiculousness of it.

    As for piercing her ears, she has to be old enough to at least ask me for it.
    .-= Mama Bub´s last blog ..Little Things =-.

  11. Ashley

    August 27, 2010 at 9:56 am

    Amen! Well said! I can’t handle baby headbands and it breaks my heart the idea of peircing a baby’s ears. We’re not willing to take them outside the house for the first few weeks of their lives (unless you’re me and couldn’t possibly stay home for that long), we make people wash their hands before holding them and we don’t let them lick the floor, but ram holes in their earlobes – no problem.

    Gender issues are usually resolved by a lot of pink/blue and a shirt that says “I’m a GIRL, mkay?!”
    .-= Ashley´s last blog ..The Power of Beauty =-.

  12. LisaH

    August 27, 2010 at 10:44 am

    YES! Awesome, i couldn’t agree with you more. .

  13. KateP

    August 27, 2010 at 11:00 am

    If I remember correctly, having freshly pierced ears requires some upkeep (swabbing with alcohol, turning multiple times a day, etc.)

    With an infant, I have more than enough to keep track of, clean up, manage. I don’t want to add one more *thing* that I have to do. So, my kids won’t have pierced ears until they ask for it and can take care of them on their own.

    I never really cared if people thought my baby was of the opposite sex., and I don’t think he did either.

  14. Christy

    August 27, 2010 at 11:39 am

    I fully 100% agree with you! About both things bit especially the ear piercing.
    .-= Christy´s last blog ..Fracture – A new way to print and display photos =-.

  15. Rachel S. @ Pencil Shavings

    August 27, 2010 at 11:54 am

    I cannot tell you how grateful I am that you have posted this. Two things I want to say:
    1. Teresa from RHONJ is insane and has zero taste for her children’s clothes. Those outfits made shiver from the sheer heinousness of them.

    2. I am a girly girl. I get being frilly, feminine, pink and sparkly. But, for the life of me, I do not understand these ridiculous bows that mothers seem unable to resist from the moment their girl child is born. Bows and flowers that are larger than the child’s bottom – heck, larger than MY BOTTOM, planted onto their foreheads, cocked to one side. NO NO NO NO NO. I asked my husband one day, “If we should ever have a daughter, do you think I’m going to totally lose my mind the minute she’s born and rush out to buy up a bajillion hairbows and then decide that I should launch my own Etsy shop making heinous hairbows since that’s what all our friends are doing these days?!”

    Clearly I have strong feelings on the issue.
    .-= Rachel S. @ Pencil Shavings´s last blog ..Opinions- Please! =-.