Is this strange?
My 20 month old son LOVES playing with my hair. I pick him up from day care and he immediately pulls my winter hat off and grabs my hair. Yesterday he ran in the house grabbed his blanket and pacifier, sat on the couch and said hair. He wanted me to sit with him so he could play with my hair. My hair is now the equivalent of a blanket!
Is this strange? It is not just a few times a week, it is all the time. It is cute but annoying at the same time. LOL
I have twins age 6 (boy/girl) and my son has always LOVED my hair. I can't ever say that he's asked for it, but when we're snuggling, he will play with it and rub it on his face some times. He tells me that he loves my hair and we giggle and I tell him that I love his hair, too and rub his head. I've always heard that there's nothing like a bond between a mother and her son. My daughter has never done this - she's just too busy playing to be bothered with snuggling, so I'm eating up all the hugging from my son. I would make sure you don't stop what you're doing to give him your hair, but if you're cuddling or reading to him (when he's on your lap, etc), you can let him play with your hair. Enjoy it if you can - they grow too fast.
Evelyn,
This has to be one of the sweetest things I have heard of. Please take Carries advice, while snuggling or reading a book let him twirl his little fingers in your hair. They grow up way too fast.
When he stands taller then you one day and has to bend down to give you a hug, you'll have no regrets. Who knows maybe even then he'll do it! haha.
Awe...I wish mine were little again.
~Waya
Hey, my friend has a brother that's 11 years younger than her, so when they were growing up, he would do the same thing with her hair. He would even crawl into her bed when he wanted comfort and lay on her hair like a pillow. She thought it was the most endearing thing, and they continue to have a close relationship. He's about 14 or so now, and while he's still the sweet boy that would snuggle with her hair when he was little, he no longer feels the need to do it. So, I'm guessing at some point he'll quit when he's feeling more secure. It's simply a comfort thing.
Also my own son has his own little quirk with hair. He's 19 months now, and when his hair began to grow in the back into a little flip, he would stroke his own hair for comfort. Then when he turned 1 we got him his first haircut, so he couldn't do this anymore. Immediately after, he discovered his eyelashes, so he started touching them with his finger tips. So now he's still doing this throughout the day as comfort/habit. it's the cutest thing in the world though! We call it "doing the eye" and he even does it to us and we have a doing the eye exchange where he touches my eyelash while i touch his. It's really cute and I know one day he won't do it anymore, at least not all the time like now, so i'm really enjoying it while i can. Don't worry about it at all! Your son might continue to do this into his school years, but it will fade and eventually he won't need to anymore. It's really a good thing for the 2 of you and you should continue to encourage him to show affection like this. It might lead to a really good bond that will be crucial to his teen years. Enjoy your little boys sweetness before the rest of the world tries to beat it out of him.
Hi
my son holds my hair too, he has since he was about 8 months and still does at night time and he is 4. I don't mind unless I am trying to go out, on a rare occasion and was able to spend some time on it. I think it soothes him for some reason. My older kids never did this and yes they grow up so fast, so I really don't mind.
My nephew also did this and he is 25 now and a great guy. It is definitely nothing to worry about.
my 9 month old boys plays with my hair as he sucks his thumb.must be aboy thing..
my duaghter never did this she had her pacifier and that was it.
My son just turned 3 and he has played with my hair ever since he was a baby. I am glad to know I am not alone in this. I agree sometimes it can get a bit annoying but for the most part I don't mind and find it cute. He mainly does it when he is tired. I agree that it is a security thing. We use this time to snuggle, talk, sing and read books. Good luck everyone. It is 8:30p.m. and my hair has a bedtime date - better get going!!
I know that he is a little boy, but you are a mommy and need to do other things to do than have your hair played with (it does feel so good though), so my recommendation would be to get him a baby doll with, one with a lot of hair to play with. It could be that once he realizes he isn't going to get mommy's hair all the time that he finds a different comfort and gives up the doll - or plays with it for a while. I'm told that both of my uncles (they're twins) played with barbies and what have you with their older sisters (there are three).
Evelyn-
My 16 month old son LOVES to play with my hair too! It helps calm him and he will fall asleep doing it! So maybe it is pretty normal??? My son does not have much hair of his own yet so maybe when he gets some he will do the same to his??
Take care! Megan
My daughter has used my hair as a security blanket ever since she was 6 months old (she is 19 months now)she also sucks her thumb. It started when I was nursing her. Now, she won't go to sleep without it so I have to lay next to her until she is asleep and I can sneek my hair out of her grip. When she wakes in the middle of the night I go into her room and repeat the process again. It usually takes 30 to 45 min for her to fall asleep. I would like to sleep train her but know that I will have to wean her off my hair first. I don't know what to do, a substitute won't work. I'm afraid I will be doing this until she is an adult! lol :) It was cute at first but now I wish I had steered her away from my hair and into the arms of a lovey! It does help to hear I am not the only one and that other children are obsessed with mommy's hair, thank you for writing in!
As long as he isn't hurting you, than enjoy the cuddle time. If he is hurting you, tell him it hurts and not to pull. Kids that age are old enough to know what an ouchie is and that you don't like it. Good Luck
My son (he is 3) loves to hold on to my ear lobes. As soon as I pick him up he grabs ahold of them. My daughter, who is now 18, did the same thing. I think that it is like their security blanket. Just know that he won't be doing it forever...he will graduate from high school one day and you will wonder where the time went. (My other son is 23) As long as it does not bother you, I don't think it is strange... :)
I think its just a comfert thing. I had a friend whos baby girl did that, even in the car rides. Soon it went to just having to touch mommy some how... she's about 7 now and shes over it.
I don't think it's strange. My 2 1/2 old daughter plays with our ear lobes just the same. She will feel her own if no one else is around. She mainly does it when she is tired or has her pacifier which is just at bedtime and naptime. I do believe it's a comfort thing and hopefully through time she will stop. I am not sure. I can understand that it is cute but annoying. Sorry, I guess I don't have any suggestions on how to get him to stop. I just wanted to share with you that I understand how you feel. (o:
My son, who is now 7, loved to pet my hair as a baby and toddler too. It's just a stage. I think it's pretty common and I am sure he will grow out of it. I would just keep offering him alternatives to comfort himself such as a blanket.
It's just his way of comforting himself. It sounds really cute. My son used to put his hand in my shirt to make sure "they" were "still there". Embarrassing but cute.
When he is doing it, before it becomes annoying, tell him to stop in 3 (or 5, or 7, etc) minutes. Then just cuddle him and talk about his day. He sounds like a sweet little boy.
This time that he wants to be with you is so short and passes so quickly. Cherish it with all your heart.
Evelyn,
My son is 27 months old and loves to play with my hair also. It it the first thing he likes to grab in the morning when we are sitting down for his cup of milk and he runs his hand thru it at night during his story time. I don't know what to tell you, he has loved mommy's soft hair for over a year. Enjoy it for now because the day will come when he will be too busy or to big to want to play with your hair. Jackie
My grandson does this to my daughter all the time, and he's 2. He has always loved her thick hair. A friend of mine had long auburn hair that one of her sons was attached to, and when she wanted to cut it shorter, he freaked out. So her mom had her hair made into a pony tail that they attached to a rocking horse! Kinda weird, but he was happy! He's 5 now, and perfectly normal. :)
I suggest giving him a hair brush (after you have brushed all the snarls out) and let him brush your hair. That feels so good!!!!!!!! ;-)
When my son was little he used to have to play with my hair to fall asleep so no I don't think it is strange I know that it can be annoying at times but you will miss it when he grows out of it so my advice is enjoy it why you can!!