Have you ever had your hair cut against your will? Because I have had my hair cut, oh-so-many times, by my own mother. I used to run away from her and lock myself in our bedroom, with her furiously running after me and demanding that I come right out and obey her.
Why couldn’t I have long hair like the other kids in our class? Why do I have to have my hair cut above the shoulder? Why couldn’t I have long, shiny braids like the girls? I thought those braids looked so cool. But my mom would have none of it. She always got her way, of course. 🙁 But I vowed, once I had children of my own, to NEVER cut their hair UNLESS they want it. They should be free to do whatever they want with their hair. I wouldn’t insist on having their hair cut the way I want it.
This was how I looked like, most of the time, with my hair cut short:
I think I was about 2 or so at that time. See the shocked look on my face?!! Uh, no, that’s not because of the haircut. It was because my mom had to leave me alone temporarily to be photographed. 🙂
And every time my hair grew long, my mom would put her grim scissors to work. Snippity, snippity, snip!
Mom did her best, but she’s not a pro, see, and so there were many times when her cut would be longer on one side, shorter on the other. She usually resorted to cutting the longer side to even up the length – much to my disgust. It was I who had to face my classmates the following day in school, puhleeze. Di pa uso yung shaggy non, so I always ended up looking like I had a “bunot” (coconut husk, for the uninitiated) on my head. I hated it, I hated it, I hated it!
Did I forget to mention that I hated it?
That, and having my milk teeth pulled by my Dad using a sewing thread (use your imagination on how it was done). I would run away from him as fast as I could, but drats, he always managed to overtake me. But that’s another story.
Fast forward twenty years after. Oh okay, I’ll be honest, thirty years after. 😛 I have my own daughter now. She’s the most adorable thing on earth. I told my Mom to stay away from her hair. I let Aya’s hair grow, never cutting it except for the bangs, and a little trim on the edges to keep the split ends away.
By the time Aya was about 2 years old (same age as when my photo was taken above), I could make a nice braid out of her wispy thin, baby hair. Aya loved having her hair fixed.
She also loves having her hair hang freely.
Sure, it could get pretty messy at times, especially after a night of tumbling and tossing in bed. She’s like this mini-bruha every morning, greeting me with eyes hiding behind a glorious mess of hair. I did my best in fixing her up.
One day, out of the blue, she told me, “Gusto ko magpagupit na.” (I want to have my hair cut.) Whaaattt? I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I mean, she’s only four years old, right? And she wants a haircut already? I asked her again. She was pretty sure that she wanted a haircut. And she seemed pretty serious, too.
Well, okay. I agreed. I gave her a few more weeks to think about it. Then I asked her again. She gave the same answer, so I thought that it was really time to pay the beauty parlor a visit. I wouldn’t dare cut her hair myself. Huh-uh, no way Jose. Let a professional do it instead. I don’t want to make a mess of my daughter’s first official hair cut.
Off we went to the beauty parlor at the shopping center. They placed a comfy child’s seat on the chair, then propped a tv playing Tom and Jerry in front of Aya. The plastic cover used to wrap Aya with even had cartoon characters. Not bad for presentation. Needless to say, Aya was all smiles. She couldn’t quite contain her excitement and happiness.
Several minutes later, Aya’s hair was just barely touching her shoulders, but her eyes were bright and happy at the way she looked. The next day, at the daycare, the senseis and her classmates oohed and aahed when they saw her. Everybody said she looked “kawaii” (this means cute in Japanese). See, that’s how drastically her appearance changed. And it seemed that everyone else in the daycare knew that Aya’s hair was never cut short, and so maybe they seemed really surprised to find her with short hair – for the first time in years!
One night, as I was tucking her to sleep, out of the blue she asked me:
“Hahaba ulit ang hair ko?” (Will my hair grow long again?)
“Yes, of course,” I replied.
“Kelan, bukas?” (When, tomorrow?)
“Hindi eh. Matagal bago humaba ang hair.” (No. It takes a while for the hair to grow.)
And my dear little one started to cry softly. She wants her hair to grow back so soon. 🙂 I cuddled her, and softly whispered:
“In time, my dear, in time.”
Haha.. hair cut and milk teeth 😀 kami naman, kinakalbo nun bata kami or if you remember the haircut na sa tuktok lang ang natitirang buhok tapos white side wall na. Yay, ang lamig sa unan pag gabi.
my mom was my barber when i was young, alam mo yung parang ni-ruler ang bangs? pantay na pantay! hahaha
btw, i love the picture of aya with that pink bicycle and a ball, ang ganda ng register nung mga kulay against the grass, the trees and the blue sky!
Ang cute cute talaga ni Aya!
😀 Si Mama din ang nag gugupit ng hair ko kaya i know the feeling having the hair against your will! And i can laso imagine having that tooth pulled by a thread naranasan ko din yan! i find it cool kasi kakain ako ng ice cream after! 😀
When i was 12 uso ang one length nun, yung 4-year old neighbor namin nasa bahay habang ako ay nakatulog while doing my project…nakita na ang gunting at sinubukan kung matulis…ginupit ang bangs ko as in sagad!
awwwwww 🙂 little kids always want to try new things or new looks. Maybe she really thought that it will grow back overnight 🙂 Kat just tell Aya that Mommy’s blogfriends think that she’s really pretty in her new haircut 🙂 its true…
hayyy same experience. Most of my childhood pics bunot na bunot din haircut ko. As in super bangs talaga. Mama would always tell me “papayagan ba naman kita na magmukhang panget?” everytime I tell her na pangit ng gupit nya hehe Syempre ako naman maniniwala. But everytime I look at my pics now..dyosme! ang pangit talaga hrhrhrhr
Parang parusa naman yung ganong haircut. 😛 Pero tipid naman sa shampoo. 🙂
Haha, alam ko yun! At least yung sa yo eh pantay. Bunot style ka rin pala, lol.
Wow, you noticed that too? Photographer ka talaga ha! I love that photo, too. I wish I could claim the credit for it, pero andon ako mismo sa photo eh! 🙂
Awwww beautiful picture story. Beautifully and lovingly told. Your pieces are so touchie feelie, Kathy, the way I like it. And you love so well it can almost be touched.
Baka na-bad hair day lang si Aya. 🙂 O more deeply, talagang may sense of loss. First lessons in grief — in a fashion.
Ayun, may kakampi na ako, hehe. For some reason I couldn’t remember if I ate ice cream after having my tooth pulled. Baka ice buko o ice candy yung kinakain ko non. 🙂
Shocking – that’s a terrible thing to happen to your hair when you’re 12! Naughty naman nong kapitbahay nyo. Nakakatawa ngayon, pero I’m sure nong nangyari siguro gusto mo sakalin yung squirt na gumawa ng bagong hairdo mo hehe.
Uy, ang sweet naman ni Tita Verns. Sure, I’ll tell her. 🙂 Kahit ako nagulat nong nalaman kong hindi pa pala niya na-grasp yung concept na matagal humaba yung buhok!
Alam mo, linya rin yan ng mader ko! lol
Pangit ba talaga? Patingin! 😛
What’s with Moms and haircuts? Anyway, now you know what NOT to do when you have your own kid! 🙂
Wow Anna, you’re too kind. 🙂 I’m so happy to know someone appreciates the things I write here. Your comments never fail to make my day! 🙂
Actually, ako rin mismo nagulat sa tanong niya. I didn’t realize that she really thought her hair would grow back that fast. First lesson in fashion indeed!
Hey she really looks just like you, hair and all…
Funny how in high school, we hate having short hair, it was so uncool then. But these days, I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s much more economical… mahal na ang shampoo. LOL 😀
Magkamukha kayo ni Aya!!!
Yeah, we really do look alike, eh? If you want to know how she’d look like 30 years hence, just take one good look at me (nyeh!). 🙂
Magtipid sa shampoo para may pampagupit hehe.
“What’s with moms & haircuts?” kamo? Sa akin naman, what’s with dads & haircuts! It’s my Papa who used to cut our hair when my siblings & I were little kids. It was very rare not to see us crying our eyes out after every haircut (specially my sis and me, the boys didn’t mind). Hate na hate namin dahil super iksi at super straight ang bangs! Sabi nga ni Zherwin-parang ni-ruler na bangs. hehehe.
Seguro ,that’s one childhood memory na I’d rather forget =P pero naalala ko dahil sa entry mo.
As for Aya, I’m sure mommy assured her that she is still very pretty & adorable!
I’ll take that as a compliment! 😀
never an issue with me. my father was a good barber and he passed it down to my eleder brother. what i hate most was the hair sticking on your skin especially during a hot, hot day.
now it is academic, got no hair to cut, well, a little bit, but a few pass of hair clipper followed by foil shaver and it is shiny like a full moon..
Thanks for hopping by and a thoughful comment on enviroment friendly subways.
Oh, I could totally relate to your experience, even if it was your Dad! I do remember the times when I too cried with disgust over my bad haircut. But in a way, parang mas nakakatakot yung Dads para sa akin kasi pag magalit yung lalaki, parang mas threatening. You wouldn’t want to mess with Dad when he’s cutting your hair! Hehe! 😀
Hi Vic, thanks for dropping by.
Well, you were indeed very lucky to have a dad who was also a good barber. But then again, probably only girls have issues like this, what with their obsession about looking good and all (ok now that’s as close to admission as I can get hehe).
“…shiny like a full moon…” – haha! That was very funny! 😀
I hope you don’t mind, I’ll add you to my blogroll! Domo arigatou. 🙂
Kathy! Read your comments on my reunion post. Torres High, yes. Gagalangin yes. Would you have an idea when your mom graduated from high school? Or at least tell me her name (if this doesnt breach your privacy policy) and age. Or ask her if she knows the classmate I mentioned in that old post (he’s more wellknown than I am haha). Who knows, your mom might be a classmate … and we’re really tracking down classmates for a grand reunion in 2 years. Or e-mail me? You’d know how to access my email, wouldnt u? Omg this is exciting.
kabaligtaran naman tayo sis, ako naman lagi gusto ko noon off-shoulder lang ang hair ko kasi super hot hot hot sa Pinas, maalinsangan. I’ve maintained a one-length haircut til now.
tipid na tipid, kasi di naman kami nagsha-shampoo e… hehehe
Hi Kathy 🙂
Aya’s hair suits her fine, it’s more practical. She’s so cute!
you should visit him for your haircut!
Ang galing talaga ng internet, ano? It helps us to find long-lost friends and acquaintances. Even long-lost friends and acquaintances of one’s *mom* hehehe.
Thanks for emailing back! 🙂
Blame it on the shampoo commercials! Don’t they just drive you crazy thinking about long, shiny, black hair tossing and gleaming under the sun? 😛
But you’re right – sobrang init sa Pinas, mas maginhawa ang pakiramdam pag maiksi buhok. Not even the best colognes around can beat that. 🙂
Thanks for dropping by – I’ve added you to my blogroll, hope that’s alright!
Your picture and your daughters are so cute! BTW, I like the way the light was set up for your portrait.
When I was a kid I always had that buzz cut; real short. I detested going to the barber because he had to use that frightening razor blade and I easily got tickled by it. Not a fun experience at all, because the barber would get upset at me for moving my head 🙁
Cute post and pictures, kathy. Bilib din naman ako at napahaba mo up to 4 years ang buhok niya. It’s so different with boys. When mine were smaller, ako lang ang naggugupit ng buhok nila. Quite a challenge actually dahil hindi pwedeng hindi gagalaw ang ulo nila. And now that I look back, yeah, korteng bunot nga yung gupit ko sa kanila. But around 3-4 years old, dinadala ko na sila sa professional hairdresser dahil hindi ako marunong ng gupit lalaki. Ngayon magastos sila sa gupit. My eldest wants a haircut once every three weeks. Yung 2 nakakatagal up to two months. Kaya ako ang nagsasakripisyo na nagpapahaba ng buhok, makatipid lang ng kunti.
Hey Kathy, super cute naman ng photos niyo ng anak mo–the two of you look alike actually, and I think your hair didn’t look too bad..cherubic nga dating mo, eh. 🙂 Care to exlink? Linked you up na.
Thanks pining. 🙂 And it sure does save me some time from fixing her hair. Plus, it takes less time and energy to dry her hair in the mornings.
Wow, thanks for the compliments! That photo was taken at a photo studio, actually. Iba talaga pag pro ang photographer.
Haha, that would be such a torture! At least we girls don’t have to deal with a razor blade (unless we want to shave, um, legs hehe).
Whew, it must be hard when all your kids are boys! Mas mahirap nga naman talagang gupitan yung boys. I also noticed, whenever I cut Aya’s bangs, she wouldn’t sit still long enough for me to make a decent cut. But when I brought her to the beauty parlor, well-behaved siya! Baka dapat talaga ibang tao ang gumipit ng buhok ng kids?
I pay the hairdresser a visit once every two or three months myself. I like my hair longer anyway. 🙂
Hi Gypsy, so nice of you to drop by. Wheee, cherubic ba? I’m flattered to hear that! But that was then, haha. 😛
Thanks for the link! Add din kita. 🙂
i’ve linked u too, thanks.
I remember having a short hair cut (like a boy) with my other 2 sisters. We really looked like little boys. I think it was mainly due to “kuto”. My mom always get our hair cut done in a salon/beauty parlor, she even allowed me have a perm then. So I cannot relate to your “hair torture” days. Probably my brothers had the same feeling since my dad did their army/navy style hair cut.
My daughter loves getting a haircut (probably has to do with the lollipop and toy treat at the end). She usually tells me when its time to get her hair cut. I liked her hair long too kasi I can do braids and pony tails pero its so hard to clean it and comb kaya I decide to get her a short hair style and she likes it too.
Cute na cute kayong dalawa parang kambal ah. Pero medyo may bahid na kasupaladahan yata yung unang picture kesa doon sa mga sumunood na ubod ng tamis ang ngiti 😛
Your daughter is so cute 🙂 And she is a replica of you when you were the same age !
I have a 5 year old and boy, expect your daughter to be a fashionista soon 🙂 My daughter is fond Baby Bratz and is now becoming fashion conscious LOL 🙂
Haha, oo nga no. Meron nga akong kakilala, dati Mr. Clean yung gamit niya na “shampoo.” Yan ang all-around cleaner! 😛
Thanks, Nao! 😀
Oh yeah, “kuto” is a real problem for those with long hair. More places for those vile things to hide and lay eggs! 🙁
I agree, long hair is indeed high maintenance. I always make it a point to fix my daughter’s hair before I bring her to the daycare, but at the end of the day, her braids or pony tails become undone and unkempt(those daycare people, grrr).
Anyway, good thing that you and your daughter have no problem about haircuts! Lollipops/toys are such a cool idea. I wonder if I could find something like that here. 🙂
lol!
“Bahid na kasupladahan” – this is such a hoot! Suplada nga yung nauna. Iilan lang yung childhood pics ko na nakangiti ako eh. Ewan ko kung bakit.
Buti na lang palangiti si Aya. Nabawi ang ina. 🙂
Thanks bw! 🙂 We do have such an uncanny resemblance – take a look at this: http://bmblog.bagarinao.com/index.php?/archives/7-A-Successful-Human-Cloning.html
Future fashionista, oh no! Baby Bratz sounds like an expensive hobby. Buti na lang my daughter isn’t fond of dolls…yet. 😉
Hi! My mama also used to cut my hair once the line crosses my eyebrows. And you think yours was bad? My dad and mama would fight whenever he comes home from work to see his cute children with jagged bangs! LOL I’ve warned mama too against cutting my children’s hair. One time she just could not resist and I came home to a daughter with jagged bangs! dejavu!
Hey Te Let,
Nakatawang maisip ngayon, pero noon sobrang miserable talaga ang feeling. I agree. Isa rin ako sa mga navictimize ng deadly scissors ni mommy, promise!
I also had Ria’s hair cut 1 inch short when she turned 2. Habang nanonood ng barney. Hehe! Kailangan na e, I don’t need to wait till she turned 4, sobrang kapal ng buhok nya e (like mines), at napakainit at this time of the year. Kaya baka puro bungang araw ang abutin ni Ria. No way, men, I’ll go for the scissors, thanks! 🙂
Si Aya kasi mana sa buhok mo, manipis, parang mais. Haha! Sana magkita kita tayo sa May. Oja…
Hi Chateau! Thanks for dropping by. 🙂
Hmm, jagged bangs does sound worse than ruler-straight bangs. But at least your Dad could argue with your Mom about it, haha.
Same here – my gosh, these lolas…they just couldn’t resist now, could they?
Oh yeah, you said it, sister! Pareho tayong nagmukhang bunot non, courtesy of Mader. Kaya pareho tayong natraumatize.
For Ria, I think you made the right choice. Lalo pa na summer na. But at least you could take her to the parlor for a proper trim, hehe.
Kitakits sa May…:)