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AIBU

Leaving long hair wet on a 7 year old granddaughter

(134 Posts)
Londonia Sat 03-Apr-21 20:42:05

Does anyone else find it unreasonable to leave a child's long (though not particularly thick) hair wet after washing it - rather than using a small hairdryer. I find it unreasonable and have discussed it with daughter and s in law. They just consider it is not necessary. To me it's important for a couple of reasons. Just interested an objective point of view. Thank you. New member.

BlueBelle Sat 03-Apr-21 22:20:03

Well I can beat you all when I was a kid my nan used to put the gas stove on open the oven door and put me on a little stool in front of it to dry my hair ??
No my grandkids don’t use hairdryers

Elegran Sat 03-Apr-21 22:19:42

Hellogirl I wasn't that keen on ringlets, because I knew two girls who had that hairstyle, and they were both Little Miss Prissy Bossyboots. I'm sure you weren't, though!

Elegran Sat 03-Apr-21 22:15:06

Not strange at all, Welbeck Many people thought when I was young that it is bad for your health to go out in the open air with wet hair, and it certainly makes your head feel cold and unpleasant.

We used to get swimming classes with the school, but had to cross town to the public baths in North Street for them. I hated being damp and cold, waiting for the bus home, where the icy wind blew off the sea. Some people were happily buying and eating ice lollies while they waited. Not me.

MerylStreep Sat 03-Apr-21 22:13:41

I think you’ve all been had. Don’t forget the kids are on holiday.

Hellogirl1 Sat 03-Apr-21 22:13:04

Actually, Elegran, I rather liked the ringlet effect, but I don`t think my mother fancied the palaver every night! When I was 8 I went to stay with my auntie, who was a hairdresser, and she cut and permed my hair, the style was called Bubble cut back then, my mother went ABSOLUTELY BONKERS when I arrived back home!

Elegran Sat 03-Apr-21 22:07:48

Hellogirl I had an aunt who was always telling me how my hair would be so lovely if I would just put it into rags every night. She had three sons, but no daughters, so she hankered after someone to prettify. I wasn't convinced that sleeping on lumps of knotted hair and cotton rags night after night was worth it for half an hour of glamour before rain and wind returned it to rats' tails. I am afraid I wasn't the dainty little miss she wished she had. My own mother was more realistic.

EllanVannin Sat 03-Apr-21 22:00:54

Lightly towel dry to stop it from dripping and making the clothes damp then leave it.

Farmor15 Sat 03-Apr-21 21:59:45

When I was a child we didn’t have a hairdryer and I used to go swimming one night a week. Long hair - just spread a towel on pillow and went to bed. Never did me any harm!

welbeck Sat 03-Apr-21 21:55:45

another strange query.
will we ever hear from OP again ?

SueDonim Sat 03-Apr-21 21:54:36

It’s not unreasonable. My DD’s both had waist-length hair when they were small. I’d mostly let it air dry, they wouldn’t sit still long enough to use a hair dryer.

Dryers are bad for the hair anyway, if used too much. I rarely dry my own hair and sometimes go out with it damp. I’m still here, no untoward effects. Yet. ?

Hellogirl1 Sat 03-Apr-21 21:39:37

My hair was always left to dry naturally as a child, and so were my childrens`.We didn`t own a hair dryer anyway, I still don`t. Elegran, I was one of those with ringlets, every week for Sunday school!

Jaxjacky Sat 03-Apr-21 21:24:19

No, I don’t think it’s unreasonable, never used a hairdryer on my daughters, or on mine which is thick and was long. Just towelled semi dry, both of us.

Sara1954 Sat 03-Apr-21 21:17:59

One of my daughters was a swimmer, she went to bed every night with wet hair, probably not ideal, but it doesn’t seem to have done her any harm.

grandMattie Sat 03-Apr-21 21:17:42

My MiL was horrified when I left my children’s hair dry naturally, often at bedtime! It never made them ill. What’s the problem?

Septimia Sat 03-Apr-21 21:10:57

Leaving it wet goes against the grain with me, too, but DGD has always hated having her hair brushed/combed or dried when it's washed. She's even gone to bed with it damp. She's never suffered any ill effects.

Bibbity Sat 03-Apr-21 21:08:42

Also my mum has nagged me a few times about it.
Let me give you some advice from the other side.

1st time I told her my reasons politely.
2nd time I told her my reasons again and said my child. A little more firmly.

3rd time I told her to but out and never to mention it again.

If you’re posting this here I assume you’ve mentioned it to them and as a result possibly annoyed them. Don’t push it further or you may not like the result.

Nanna58 Sat 03-Apr-21 21:08:20

Sara1954 I’ve no idea but the things that, according to my Irish Nan could send you mad were legion, not throwing spilt salt over your shoulder , crossing your eyes, and looking in a mirror after midnight we’re just a few!!!!!!?

Bibbity Sat 03-Apr-21 21:06:45

My daughter is almost 5 and I have never used a hair dryer. I don’t even use one! Her hair is very long and quite thick. What is the point? It just causes heat damage.

Grannybags Sat 03-Apr-21 21:02:59

I'd be interested to know what the 'couple of reasons' are

Can't see anything wrong in it myself

DillytheGardener Sat 03-Apr-21 21:02:27

As a former hair dresser, drying hair with a hairdryer ruins beautiful young hair. If the house is warm it will dry naturally just fine. I think it is perhaps an old fashioned worry about wet hair as my mother used to force us to dry ours, but my sister never dried my nieces hair and she’s made it to her twenties without keeling over grin

Elegran Sat 03-Apr-21 21:01:16

Londinia must be one of the younger grannies. Hairdryers have only been around for a comparatively short time. Previously the normal way to dry hair was to rub it well with a towel and brush or comb it into a style while still damp, or else to let it dry first then brush out the tangles. If you were among the many with hair as straight as pumpwater (you should have eaten your crusts!), your mother sometimes wound it up onto strips of cotton fabric and left it all night to dry into waves or ringlets, but that was for special occasions.

It is in fact better for the hair to dry naturally. Hot air dries out the natural oils, which then have to be replaced with conditioner.

CanadianGran Sat 03-Apr-21 21:00:37

No, I don't find it unreasonable. Perfectly normal to let hair air dry. If her clothing ends up damp, then put a small hand towel over her shoulders to absorb the moisture.

Sara1954 Sat 03-Apr-21 20:56:45

Nanna58

Same here, where in earth did that nonsense come from?

Nanna58 Sat 03-Apr-21 20:53:06

My hair was always left to dry like this when I was young, and I didn’t come to any harm. Was never allowed to wash it the week I had a period as my Nan told my Mum that would send you mad , but that’s another story !!??

Aveline Sat 03-Apr-21 20:50:46

Let it dry naturally. No need to frizz it up with a hairdryer