Kids with locs

**rose8888** · 12-27-2010, 07:25 PM

Hi all, first off, sorry if this is a redundant topic; I searched and wasn't able to find one on this topic specifically. If it already exists, please share the link?

Anyways, I know this has come up tangentially in other threads, but I'm really interested to get a discussion going just on the topic of kids with locs. I suppose I am excluding the case where kids have locs for religious purposes, simply because I am curious about situations where any hairstyle could be chosen for the child. (Okay, before I get attacked, I am sure that if a religion prescribed locs, one could still "choose" not to have them, but there is obviously much more impetus for locs in that scenario.)

I guess this can be thought of in terms of pros and cons. Some of the pros that I can see are ease of maintenance (great for the "kid" lifestyle), pride and sense of self that goes with having natural hair (more relevant for girls). Some cons could be that the child might not have so much "choice" or informed choice with locs, might have a tough time taking them down later if they decide to.

I intuitively think it's a great idea, but I worry it would just be me enforcing my wants onto the child (I have no kids), but then...isn't that the way many things work with parenting?

Thanks for your thoughts!

**Impy!** · 12-27-2010, 07:34 PM

I love kids with locs, when my honey and i have our child that child will have locs. I'd more than likely wait until they are 4/5 only because Im uncomfortable with the idea of kids younger and the weight the hair would have on their tender scalps.

Both I and my partner have locs and as he is a Rasta, we want our child to know their natural hair and know that there is Nothing wrong with it.

**CinnamonBiscuit** · 12-27-2010, 07:36 PM

I love seeing kids with locs. Hypothetically, if I ever have kids, they'd have locs.

**Olahh** · 12-27-2010, 08:08 PM

Locs can be undone depending on how u loc ur hair. I like them on children also.

**Denny** · 12-27-2010, 08:34 PM

If I had a daughter I would loc her hair from 7 years old, so by her teen years she would have a mature head of locs, when she is 16 or so if she wants to make a change at least she had the experience. Parenting to a degree is about enforcing adult wants (as long as said wants are not immoral or harms the child) on a child, the child cannot raise itself someone has to make everyday living decisions.

**delleaux** · 12-27-2010, 08:44 PM

I think it is awesome to see kids with locks. I agree with a lot of what you are all saying give them the experience and when they do not want it anymore that is okay too. Life is an experience. The good side of it they will appreciate their natural hair.

**Kathleen1** · 12-27-2010, 08:50 PM

dreads are awesome on kids..

i know when i get older and have a family i want a whole dreadlocked family..

its no big deal if my future child wouldnt want dreads anymore, i"ll just help him/her take em down.

nothing to it really....unlesss they decided that they din want dreads to begin with, then thats ok, because i would know how to take care of loose nappy hair anyways...

so yea.....nothing to it

**rootzdawta** · 12-27-2010, 09:10 PM

Both my boys have freeform locks which are beautiful, IMO. I still catch a lot of flack from my mom at times about it. And sometimes I get odd looks from people. It's very easy to maintain their locks and keep them lint free and if they get older and no longer want them, they can cut them.

I have a very low cut and sometimes people make comments [about why they have them and I don't] but it's none of their business.

**rushjackson** · 12-27-2010, 10:29 PM

I think kids wearing locs is great. My son is on his second set of locs and he's 13. His first set of locs were when he was 3 and we cut them when he was 5 because he wasn't able to handle getting them retwisted. About 4 months after I got my locs in Sep 2009, he decided he wanted locs again. I asked him if he was sure and he said yes, so I put his hair in comb coils. He said he liked locs and he didn't like short cuts because they made him look like he was bald.

His look is more freeform. He still grumbles during a retwist session, but I say "Hey, that's the price of beauty".

With kids, you can always cut locs later or pick them out if they decide they want a change when they're older.

**SilverLotusGirl** · 12-27-2010, 10:37 PM

I love seeing locs on kids. When I have kids of my own I want to loc their hair.

I don't think it's bad to loc the hair of a child because well maintained locs don't damage the hair like chemicals or heat and even if the child changes their mind they grow up with a certain appreciation for their natural hair. I think you should wait until they're a certain age, maybe 7 or so, before putting them in but other than that, I see nothing wrong with them just take good care of them and know that at some point they may want to change their mind.