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Cindy Crawford's son Presley (left) shows off his long, blond locks.

Posted August 6, 2008 by Tommi Lewis Tilden

Celine Dion, Cindy Crawford, Kate Hudson, and Elle McPherson have something in common, other than living in the public eye: their young sons sport uncommonly long, below-the-shoulder tresses.

"Why is it so weird? My son likes his hair," Hudson insisted to People about 4-year-old Ryder's 'do choice. "He likes his hair long because it's like his father's [her ex, Black Crowes front man Chris Robinson]," she continued. "It's totally his thing. And by the way, he has moments where he wants me to cut his hair, and I've gotten my scissors out. And then he's like, ‘No, no, no, no, no!' He gets freaked out. And I know if I cut it, I'm going to have to do it in stages. He really loves his hair."

When Hello magazine featured Celine Dion with her then-6-year-old son Rene-Charles' Rapunzel locks on their cover, some wondered if he was even a boy. "It could cause problems for a child if someone thinks he's a girl rather than a boy," child psychologist Dianne O'Connor told the Toronto Star, "but you can't really say it's harmful. Maybe the child wants long hair -- if he's imitating a rock star, or (he's) artistic and creative. It could be a cool thing."

And it seems his dad Rene Angelil -- who's long been bald -- isn't too worried. "He'll be 40-years-old by the time she [Celine] gets around to cutting his hair," he joked.
 
Lucky for these longhaired celebubabes, they aren't attending school in Fort Bend County, Texas, where the school board refused to admit a 5-year-old boy to kindergarten -- his shoulder-length locks were against the district's hair code. Or Detroit, where a mom took her case to the ACLU after the Old Redford Academy suspended her 14-year-old son for his anti-dress code long hair.

London Times writer Sarah Vine finds long hair on boys to be pretentious. "Long hair is the badge of liberal parenting. It says, ‘Look at me, I'm an open-minded mother. I want to nurture my son's creative side, to give him room for self-expression.' Keep your boy's hair long and, who knows, he might grow up to be a famous actor, or a poet -- and not, as is more likely, a steely-eyed banker."

Conversely, Vine says short hair "is seen as brutish, sporty, practical and, crucially, boring." Hollywood's buzz cut set includes Madonna's son Rocco Richie and the Beckham boys: Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz. Boring? Not on these guys.

And, of course, both Maddox and Pax Jolie-Pitt have pretty much cornered the kiddie faux-hawk market -- a style that is copycatted in malls throughout the country.

Some experts claim that letting your child choose a hairstyle is a critical step in developing their identity. But for one non-celebrity kid, there's a simpler explanation: "I hate going to the haircutter," 11-year-old Rowan told the Chicago Tribune.

So four years ago Rowan stopped cutting his hair. Not, he insists, due to the influence of floppy-haired stars like the Disney Channel's Zach and Cody or the Jonas Brothers "I don't really watch TV that much. I don't care what happens in the movies," Rowan said.

What's your take? Do you think long hair on little boys opens them up for ridicule? Or is it empowering to let them have control over their hair? Give us your feedback!