# Should let my son shave his head? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 17, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-let-my-son-shave-his-head/593095 "2011-08-17T23:39:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-let-my-son-shave-his-head/593095/41 "2011-08-18T17:19:24Z")
It’s a haircut, i honestly don’t understand why you would be involved in the decision at all in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-let-my-son-shave-his-head/593095/42 "2011-08-18T18:58:38Z")
Yes to the bald head, no to the swastika tattoo on the back of his neck. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-let-my-son-shave-his-head/593095/43 "2011-08-18T21:22:23Z")
Generally I’d say no big deal - but would his mother freak? would it cause you any difficulties there? ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-let-my-son-shave-his-head/593095/44 "2011-08-19T01:09:07Z")
How long is his hair right now? Can it be donated to those charities that collect hair to make wigs for people who are undergoing chemotherapy? You might check into that and allow him to donate his hair. So, if anyone asks him, he can say he did it for charity. There is a poster at my work advertising such a charity or event. It shows the back of a head with long hair with a reverse-mohawk going all the way up. The caption says, “The hair grows back, but the feeling never goes away.” Since you said your son is autistic, I doubt he is identifying with Skinheads. He is probably just trying to be like you. I say cut it as short as he wants; it will grow back in a few weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-let-my-son-shave-his-head/593095/45 "2011-08-19T01:27:02Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > It’s a haircut, i honestly don’t understand why you would be involved in the decision at all in the first place. Generally agree. But if my son might encounter potential harm; I have to get involved. > [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Generally I’d say no big deal - but would his mother freak? would it cause you any difficulties there? Mom is on the fence. Which basically translates to: “Ask your Dad.” (Not a slam on her. Just say’n) ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-let-my-son-shave-his-head/593095/46 "2011-08-26T01:48:52Z")
So, did he get a sunburn yet? ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-let-my-son-shave-his-head/593095/47 "2011-08-26T02:14:32Z")
Let him. He wants to express himself. My son is six and he can wear whatever he wants (within reason if we’re going to school or something). He [picks out his own clothes](http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/314030_789772467902_42111580_38520317_4407624_n.jpg) when we shop. He frequently wears a tie to school or a cape to the movie theatre. He also has manly-smelling body and wears [hair product](http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/318633_788294330102_42111580_38497738_3609551_n.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-let-my-son-shave-his-head/593095/48 "2011-08-26T02:27:24Z")
The swimmers at my high school shaved their heads every year. No biggie. Why you want to police your child’s choice of hairstyle is a better question. Why do you care? ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-let-my-son-shave-his-head/593095/49 "2011-08-26T10:14:56Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > The swimmers at my high school shaved their heads every year. No biggie. Why you want to police your child’s choice of hairstyle is a better question. Why do you care? He’s explained this a couple times. His son is mildly autistic, and so misses a lot of social cues. He’s concerned that others at school might interpret the shaved head look as a statement of racial prejudice (i.e., trying to be a skinhead) or other negative connotations and the boy might face permanent social consequences–social consequences that he really can’t see right now. I think that’s a pretty legitimate concern. He’s not being a control freak, he’s gathering opinions to make sure his son isn’t about to make a terrible mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-let-my-son-shave-his-head/593095/50 "2011-08-26T19:55:25Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > He’s explained this a couple times. His son is mildly autistic, and so misses a lot of social cues. He’s concerned that others at school might interpret the shaved head look as a statement of racial prejudice (i.e., trying to be a skinhead) or other negative connotations and the boy might face permanent social consequences–social consequences that he really can’t see right now. > > I think that’s a pretty legitimate concern. He’s not being a control freak, he’s gathering opinions to make sure his son isn’t about to make a terrible mistake. Exactly. As a father of an autistic son as well, this is a daily of concern of mine. I try to teach him how to respond to certain cues (correctly), but some social cues he may never understand, so we have to err on the side of safety. **Shakes** issue could be seen as one of those issues where safety might be an issue. It depends on the population of kids that his son may be around that is the determining factor. And we know how cruel some teenage kids can be. ---
**Author:** ![AndyLee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@AndyLee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyLee)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-let-my-son-shave-his-head/593095/51 "2011-08-26T19:56:50Z")
I say yes, it’s just hair, it’ll grow back, of course for a lot of us it’ll fall out soon enough on its own, so we don’t see any point in rushing it [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-let-my-son-shave-his-head/593095.md?page=2)