Hair Rebellion

Rather early in my life it was apparent to me that hair can cause grief and controversy. It was a subject of much consternation to my mother, as I sported a partially shaved head (half-life) and attended a Catholic High School. The sisters at the school were non-pulsed by this and it never caused a disturbance in classes. (Though my mother gnashed her teeth over my hair choices for quite a few years.)

As a result, I have tried to be open minded in my daughter's hair rebellion. I remind myself that it is just hair and move-on. This was extremely tough last spring....

Over the break, my daughter and some friends did a sleep-over hair party. They returned home with bleached and colorful hair - hers was blond/pink/blue. I was fine with this - reminding myself that there is much worse trouble for 6 teens to get into. After they spent a week in salt water and pools, as well as very strong sunlight - the color was largely gone and the the bleached out hair remained. School began - and so did my rebellious streak.

I asked my daughter how school was and she reported it was fine - the principal made a comment about her hair, but that was it. "OK, fine" See, I know the rule is "no unnatural hair colors." Actually written in all district middle school rules - though not enforced at all. On Weds. I received an email from her team's leader requesting that I change my daughter's hair. I complied, telling her to pick a more natural color. She chose auburn, and we dyed just her bangs, as they were light blue. Problem ended - right?

NOPE! Then I received an email from the AP at her school - who I really do like. He relayed to me that her hair needed to be all one color - " WHAT?" I have been to events and functions, there is no "one color" rule - His message goes on to say that if she can not change it 'til the weekend, he will keep her in "quiet study" (feel good speak for ISS) on Friday, but it won't go in her record. That was it, the rebel was unleashed...

I spoke to my daughter about it, who had now poured over the rules and was ranting when I got home. I listened and agreed, I thought of all the highlights and bleached white/black hair styles sporting the campus and...Oh, how I wanted to tell her to fight it, to take it to the board if need be - I think I actually left the room once or twice to push the rebel teen down. (But the "No hair styles that cause a disturbance" is just too broad so I tried to remain a grown-up) To make a long story short, I told her to pick the fights that matter - soon she would be in high school without hair rules. I kept her home Friday & out of ISS, she chose bright red dye and sported her 3rd hair color on Monday - I don't know about you - but I think 3 colors in 6 days was probably far more distracting then simply allowing the original blue to fade...but then again I am a hair rebel..