Does your teenager want blue hair?

I helped raise my husband’s twin sons. When one of them was around 15 he decided he wanted blue hair. At least I think it was blue that he wanted the first time. For the next two years he experimented with every colour of the rainbow. Both my husband and I were fine with it because we know once he became an adult he unlikely would want to be walking around with green or blue hair. It wasn’t going to be permanent so, so what. There were far worse things he could be doing.

I have a close friend whose 17 year old daughter has a style that can be described as “alternative”. She loves spiky, green hair and multi-coloured vintage clothing . She chose black, shiny platformed boots to wear with her graduation dress. She’s often seen wearing striped tights with short skirts. That is who she is right now and my friend is as easy-going about it as we were with the blue hair. Her daughter happens to be an outstanding flute player and an excellent student so her choice of dress isn’t having any kind of adverse affect on her performance at school or in any other part of her life. She also designs and sews her own clothes.

I admire my friend’s attitude and know her daughter will look back and appreciate her mother’s light hearted approach to her current style. She supports her talents and doesn’t try to make her into something she isn’t. There are far worse things to worry about with teenagers than unusual clothes , purple hair or a pierced lip. This is all part of finding out who they are.