Advice for a relatively new bald guy.

[ProudBaldy]

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[Mike E. P.]

First off, welcome, ProudBaldy. Glad you're here and glad you are enjoying your newfound slyness. I am a dad, too, although my son is now 20, so beyond where your guys are. In my opinion, forcing your boy to shave his head would be a BAD decision. I mean, besides taking up valuable bathroom time, what is the harm with him spending time on his appearance? To me it seems a normal part of puberty/adolescence. He just wants to be attractive and look good. With you guiding him on what's important, he will outgrow this. How about just giving him a time limit in the bathroom. "Here's your time in the morning; when your time is up, you're out!"

I am a teacher and lots of boys in my elementary school have earrings ( I have a left piercing, too). Pierced ears do not say anything about a boy's character. Don't worry about that.

I'm sure you're raising great boys.

[slymyke]

Welcome, ProudBaldy!

I agree with Mike.  I wouldn't force him to buzz or shave his hair.  My son is 15 also, and has buzzed his on a few occasions on his own, and usually gets some type of fade style that is still pretty short.  It seems like he is growing it out a little more lately, so we'll see what he does next... lol.

I just don't think forcing him to shave his head will help him get over the "obsession".  It may cause a divide in your relationship that may be harder to repair than it would be to limit his time in the bathroom. 

[Cave Dweller]

Welcome to the board, sir.

I vividly remember being a teenager in the seventies who obsessed with his hair every morning. The blow dryer and hot air comb were in use daily.

Your sons seem to care about their hygiene and appearance.  Be thankful for that, sir.  I wish my fourteen year old son cared half as much as yours do.

As the two Mikes have stated so well, forcing your eldest to have a shaved head is not the solution to his time spent in the bathroom. And I agree with them that it will lead only to his resentment toward you.

Making him get up earlier (and therefore go to sleep earlier) setting time limits, etc. probably will work better for you both.

[Munkynutz]

Hello and welcome!  I am not a father but would certainly not advise shaving your soks head for him.  That's the sort of thing he should decide for himself if he ever wants to.  If you are finding it extremely tiresome to have him occupy the bathroom for this long and want to take a little poke at his vanity maybe with Christmas just around the corner you could buy him a mirror large enough to take care of his hair styling somewhere other than the bathroom?

Don't even have to be too insulting about it but emphasize that there are other people who are in desperate need of getting their morning routines done as well.

Glad you like the sly on your head though.  Looking forward to trying myself and finding out how I feel about it.

G

[Sir Harry]

Welcome to the board!

While I congratulate you on your happiness on being sly, I have to agree with the others. Forcing your son to shave his head when he is at an age where he can't necessarily defend himself against the comments of others could be far more damaging than a minor controversy about "bathroom time". Maybe you could compromise by allowing him 20 minutes in the bathroom. But I would strongly suggest you don't shave or buzz his head unless HE asks for it.

[TheSlyBear]

Agree with everyone else -- you are risking forever damaging any relationship you might have with him. He's quite old enough to be choosing his own hairstyle.

Now, limiting bathroom time that impacts the rest of a family is a necessary lesson in etiquette, sharing and consideration of others.

[calbito]

I would agree with everyone that it would be an extremely bad idea.  I speak from bitter experience, having been on the receiving end of such an action when I was 13.  It is surprising the psychological damage this can do, especially when done in anger a la "Mommy Dearest" (yes, mother was the "hair dictator" of the family. ( I would use another term, but this is an international board     )  ).  I sometimes think this might be why I am having such a hard time accepting the shaved look on myself, and keep growing it out.   If you want your son to grow up to be a fine adult, it is best to treat him like an adult, and limiting time in the bathroom, or providing facilities where he can groom himself in his own room would be a far better solution.

[ProudBaldy]

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[ProudBaldy]

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[DOC_OSMC]

I obsessed over my hair for years and years, when it was long, when I wore it in a pompadour, when I had it spikey, even when it was buzzed.  I would spend almost as much time as your son does when doing my hair, especially during the pompardour phase.  Let him find his way. 

[Semi-Sly]

I agree with Calbito.  Having been on the receiving end of that I will attest that it can be incredibly psychologically damaging.  It happened to me twice.  Once it was the "cajoling, arm-twisting, etc." and all of the taunting that came along with it from my Dad.  The other time I was actually ordered to go to the barber shop and get a "brush cut"!

You couldn't have a worse idea!

Tell your son that how he wears his hair is entirely his business and that you will let him make those kinds of choices - but hogging the bathroom is not his business.  He gets a set period of time and that is it - period!

[Munkynutz]

Yah, no arm twisting I agree.  I still think providing him with his own mirror is not a terrible idea.  Don't need a bathroom to style your hair, just a comb or brush a mirror and some slick styling gels hahaha.

Good luck man

[Mike E. P.]

Sounds like you have some pretty great boys! Since they think it's cool on you, maybe they'd consider a shaved head themselves. I see nothing wrong with suggesting it. I convinced my son to let me buzz his hair really short once (but not completely sly). But if they decide to pass, I'd let it go. I wouldn't be surprised if one day they consider doing it on their own since they've got you as a role model.