Celine Dion gets a lot of slack for that fact that her son René-Charles, 7, has very long hair for a little boy. While longer hair for boys seems to be in fashion and other celebrity kids like Kate Hudson’s son, Ryder, also have long hair, Dion says it has nothing to do with her tastes and that René just hasn’t wanted a hair cut so she hasn’t forced him:
Celine Dion doesn’t let society dictate what’s right for her household. “We decide as a family what’s good for us,” she shared during her recent appearance on Oprah, which aired on October 28. And that includes hairstyles. Celine admitted her son, René-Charles, 7, has never had a haircut – because he doesn’t want one. “I’ve asked him, and he says, ‘I like my hair like that,'” she says.
[From In Touch, print edition, November 17, 2008]
She’s right that it’s every family’s prerogative if they’re going to have their boys get haircuts. Little Ryder Robinson’s dad Chris has long hair so you can see how Ryder would want to have a similar hairstyle. René-Charles’ dad, René Angélil, 66, is a bald guy, but wherever he got his inspiration for long hair if his mom and dad don’t mind indulging him that’s their decision. He doesn’t look comfortable, but who knows with kids and in these pictures he’s dressed up in a suit and getting dragged to a formal affair. Not many kids would look happy in that situation. It’s not something I would chose for my child and I have a hard enough time getting my son to take a bath without worrying about caring for long hair, too. Wash and wear hair is one advantage of having a little boy.
Celine Dion, her husband, René Angélil,, their son, René-Charles, and Celine’s mother, Therese Tanguay, are shown with French President Nicolas Sarkozy when Celine was presented with the French Legion of Honour at the Elysee Palace in Paris on 5/22/08. Credit: WENN
his hair is gorgeous, such lovely waves… I have to say that I’m kinda jealous of the little guy 😈
It looks ridiculous and since when do 7yr olds make decisions? His next major decisive moments involve smoking a pipe and pilates.
Kid just looks strange with that hair. I would cut it in his sleep and tell him the hair fairy came and took it.
Really, it’s NOT about what your kid wants…you (as a parent) have to step up to the plate and say, “hey look you need a haircut…now when you move out of my house then you can wear your hair the way you want!” That’s how you do it plain and simple! That’s what’s wrong with (some) of these parents today…you (as a parent) have to LAY DOWN THE RULES! Plain and simple.
if i were his mom, i’d at least want him to get his split ends trimmed. ; )
Well for something as harmless as hair… I think it’s better to focus the rules and guidelines on areas that are more important. (ie do your schoolwork, clean up, dont lie, etc) His hair isnt going to caue any harm or warp his character!
A few years back, I might have agreed, but to be honest – it’s just hair. If that’s all that’s wrong with the kid, then let him have his hair long. So long as he’s a well mannered child, I don’t see the harm. Anyway, it could be worse. I’ve noticed the resurgence of the spiked mullet recently. Now that’s a hair choice I will not back in any way, shape or form!
Plus give the poor lad a break – an audience with Sarko is a lot for any adult to take, much less a 7 year old 😉
Yeah, how many kids really WANT haircuts? Both my sons hate it, but with their thick, curly hair, and our rural lifestyle, I’d have two wild, dirt-encrusted afros to contend with every night. Eff that.
devilgirl: 😆
Have you ever noticed that kids are not robots? They just don’t always *DO* what we the parents like?
Kids have their own opinions, likes, dislikes and yes, hairstyles.
My oldest son is 12 and has hair about as long as that except it’s blonde. He likes it, all his friends thinks it cool and oh yeah the girls like to too.
But why fight about hair when you have homework, teeth brushing, clean rooms and maners to fight about?
HE keeps it clean, brushed and neat and that’s all I really care about.
But really one hundred years ago all kinds of young boys had long hair. When did it become such a bad thing?
OMG. Cut that child’s hair already. When he gets to be 14 how else will he rebel?
i dont see the big deal. as long as they are all cool with it who the f*ck cares? im more interested in the fact that she says he has never had a hair cut and his hair is only that long in 7 years.
I think with kids it can’t all be “no no no”, you have to pick the things you want to ban, and live with some things you probably would rather not. As long as it’s not endangering his health, long hair seems like a very minor evil. I’d hate to have to take care of it, but chances are that neither parent does that anyway, I’m sure there’s a nanny or two around.
choose your battles. hair is a harmless form of expression. I dont care for it, but hey, if its okay with them then the rest of the world should STFU.
Dear GAWD, more of that Hollywood, ‘I respect my child as an individual’, hand-holding hippie-drivel, parenting BS. Sounds like Celine has taken a deep drink from the Scientology fountain.
I agree, tons of girls have long hair and its OH SO CUTE! but a boy cant have long hair? hes so far from being a man but i like the long hair look on guys, rock stars and all that 😀
I am the furthest thing from a freakin Scientologist, but this not allowing your child to make ANY choices for themselves is bullshit.
As is the decision by MODERN society that a child’s gender is defined by the length of their hair. Complete and utter crap.
What difference does it make to any of us what length someone else’s child’s hair is???? As a Native American, I know many, many boys with long, beautiful hair, who keep their hair that way as a choice. When did it become the right thing to do to NEVER let a kid make personal decisions?
Wearing a coat in the cold is 180 degrees from choosing a hairstyle, FFS.
I’m sorry, “DIVA” but I am not Native American, so I see where the long hair could be acceptable in your culture…that being said…I wasn’t saying that you should NEVER give your child the option to make their own personal decisions…what I’m saying is that IF I had a son (and I don’t); if his hair was that long at seven years old I would cut it…that’s just me. Now, I do have a five year old daughter, and yes I DO hear her out on what she wants to wear and how she wants to wear her hair…but make NO mistake about it; the FINAL say is mine, because I am the what??? The PARENT…case close get out of my face and read a book!
Grow your hair out when you get older; to be honest…it looks stupid! And I know I’m going to get a lot of flak about this…I said the HAIR looks stupid…NOT the kid is Stupid…don’t confuse what I’m saying.
When did it become the right thing to do to NEVER let a kid make personal decisions?
About the same time all the parents became little wussies who let 7-year-olds have the run of things. I bet she doesn’t spank either 🙄 I didn’t say never, but goddamn who’s in charge? The kid?
Considering he’s likely to be bald as an adult, he may as well enjoy having hair now.
Also, Celine looks HOT.
In my culture? We do interact with the rest of the world.
So, long hair is ok if you come from a culture where long hair was the norm? Isn’t that pretty much all of us? At some point?
It’s hair, ffs, HAIR! And a boy having long hair does NOT make him look stupid. I cannot understand why people freak out about something so innocuous as hair length.
How exactly does it concern everyone else how long someone’s hair is?
Yes, because he’s allowed to wear his hair long he MUST also be deprived of all forms of discipline and he’ll probably turn out to be the next Nick Hogan in 10 years.
Remember those blonde little Hanson boys? Yeah man, they just went craaazzzyyy, all…getting married and having kids n shit.
It’s hair. chill the balls out.
How exactly does it concern everyone else how long someone’s hair is?
It’s not the hair length, it’s that he’s 7 and apparently in charge enough that Celine gives an ear to his wants. Tip of the household iceberg I’m sure. When I was that age, I got the hair-cut whether I ‘wanted’ one or not. I think that’s the word that set me off a bit. But whatever. I’m sure he doesn’t throw a tantrum when he doesn’t get the toys he’s after either. Not.
Remember those blonde little Hanson boys?
And they were in their early teens, and performing, and it was part of the image of being a pop star. Big difference.
vdantev: Agree in full.
I wonder if he is home schooled, other kids in his peer group might make fun of the length of his hair and call him something mean. Most kids that age want to be liked and accepted, be part of the ‘crowd’, not stand out.
I fully agree that the parents need to be in charge calling the shots, not the children. Young kids need boundaries.
When both of my sons were in High School they had longer hair but were getting straight A’s, followed the rules and were respectful. We didn’t make a big deal out of it.
*edit – thanks Jess.
Maybe she thinks it’s cute to have her son look like a rock star. Or stand out in a crowd as her famous progeny. Or whatever.
you know…she might be like my mother and like long hair on boys and if he doesnt mind either then why should she make him get a hair cut. i took this quote as i like his hair long and if he does too thats fine but if he wants short hair he can. im not forcing him to have his hair long.
*edit* LOVE your new gravatar daisy!
Hahaha this thread is hilarious… Since when does a kid’s hairstyle reflect a parent’s parenting skills?
vdantev:
November 10th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
It’s not the hair length, it’s that he’s 7 and apparently in charge enough that Celine gives an ear to his wants.
—
Oh dear, he says he likes his hair long and his mom allows him to keep it that way. He’s definitely too “in charge”! Next thing you know he might say he would like a particular toy for Christmas, and, OH MY GOD, she might buy it for him! Instead of just buying him socks and Lincoln logs! Just because she respects his wishes when it comes to something as meaningless as his hair length doesn’t mean he’s running the household. There is such a thing as moderation.
Hey, I’ve got a great kid and his hair is long, not this long but long. He does what he’s supposed to do, is respectful, gets good grades and does most everything I ask so I’m not going to make a big deal over his hair, plus it looks really GOOD on him! The only rule about the hair is he has to take good care of it and keep it clean (he does) and we have to cut it just enough to stay “legal” with his elementary school rules. In the summer, he can grow it all he wants.
Frankly, I think the hair rules at schools are stupid (and I’m a school employee) and sexist against boys. Who got to dictate that boys only get to have short hair whereas girls can have any kind of hair they want, including hair that “touches their shirt collars” and “hangs in their eyes”? 🙄 I imagine if I homeschooled my son’s hair would be this long as well and I’d be jealous as hell…
Let the kid enjoy his hair while he has it, cause for sure he will be bald like his father.
That stare he has is chilling. Imagine if he and Suri spawned.
*shudders*
oh it’s just hair. it just happens to be long “girl hair” on a boy. everyone would be just as up in arms if, say, suri came out one day when she was older with a buzz cut. big deal. if they’re a good kid, why can’t they pick their battles? well behaved, good in school, gets chores done. get to have the hair cut the way they want. seems like a fair trade.
Let’s just all be honest.
He looks like a girl.
I mean, he looks like a very pretty, very lovely little girl…but a girl nonetheless.
I have no real objection to long hair on men or even older teenage boys.
But if your kid looks like a girl…cut the poor guy’s hair.
At least wait for him to look more masculine before you give him adorable golden locks!
I let my 14 year old daughter do whatever she likes with her hair (right now it’s bright purple), but it’s a *privilege* she earns by keeping up her grades and being respectful, doing work around the house, all that. She’s a straight A student in all advanced-placement classes, works with local charities, and is just the nicest all around kid you could ever want to meet. I’m sure other parents look at her, and me, and think “how could a parent let their kid DO that?!?” but whatever. Allowing her to choose how she wants her hair is no problem for me, and it means the world to her.
Yea, well, my 15 year old has never wanted to brush his teeth either….but mommy insisted, because mommy makes the money and the rules.
Get a grip, Celine. You are the adult. 😡
Does the name ” Damian” mean anything to you?
I think he looks good. My son had long hair till he was about 5. And looking back, or when he shows pictures to his friends, everyone says, “Why did you cut it?”. He looks cool,(Celine’s kid) and not like he’s trying to at all. Kate Hudson’s kid, it looks and seems more like it’s what SHE wants, TRYING to be cool, thus her kid just doesn’t come off as cool with it, there’s more pretense.
The kid looks ridiculous. And since when does a 7 year old kid know what is good or bad for him?
To Celine, the boy is the girl she never had, so let it be.
Poor kid, wait til someone beats his ass or makes fun of him. Then again it looks like he goes to a private school, so he’s more sheltered from bullies and regular average kids. Can you imagine how spoiled he must be?
Forget the rockstar hair, thanks to this ad here, I am right. Go check the archives on Sickitten dot com. Not even their kid.
i want his hair! its so pretty!
i think he looks cute, my god its just hair. you people act like since she lets him have long hair, hes going to turn out to be an a**hole when he grows up or something.
loosen up a bit… 🙄
He looks like a girl.
That said…my daughter likes her long hair. I’ve indulged her in keeping it because she likes it so much, even though it’s a huge pain in my tush to keep it snarl-free and healthy.
I spend all my time parenting her. I put my foot down about sweets, mealtimes, schoolwork, manners, rules of the house, room cleaning, hygiene, sharing pet responsibilities, and being respectful to adults in authority.
Giving her her own way with the hair thing does NOT make me a bad parent.
As for Celine’s kid…I think he looks ridiculous. But he’s not my kid, and it’s not hurting him.
@vdantev: When you said ‘iceberg’ in one of your previous posts I thought “Titanic”. I thought it was funny because of her doing a song for the soundtrack and also because of what I’ve been sipping from. 😆
But I just want to say that I am jealous of his hair. I have no kids of my own so I don’t feel like I’m entitled to say anything about Celine’s choice. Though I can see both views on why it’s bad for him to have his hair long.
Jenna, I was in moderation for saying something along the lines of ‘feral kid meets government leaders’ and it was yanked. Ah well. Maybe it was in poor taste but I’ve read much, much worse on this board that gets by.
My point being he looks like one of those ‘wild children’ that people claim are raised by wolves and then introduced into ‘polite’ society.
Obviously he needs a haircut.
**p.s.** correction, my initial comment is still in moderation.
I think it is ok for kids to have a say about things like their hair. If it causes problems in care or safety or school rules, then the parents have to step in. I am also ok with boys having long hair but I have to say I don’t think it is very flattering on this boy. Maybe because the only photos I ever see of him he is dressed like a tiny grown-up?
Baholicious, seems like our posts are now up. Though your quote doesn’t seem bad at all.
Let the good times roll 8)
I could care less about Celine’s son’s hair. If the parents are ok with it and the kid’s ok with it, what’s the big problem?
I do think the comment that wash and wear hair is an advantage for boys, is terribly passe. What year is this? All girls have to have pigtails and ribbons? Welcome back to the 50s ladies!
First we analyze the social life of a 2-year-old (Suri), and now the style choices of a 7-year-old.
I think we all have a little too much time on our hands at work! 😆
Typical bullshit answer from Celine. How old was he – and how long was his hair – before he was even old enough to respond to the question? She chose not to get his hair cut, and in doing so steered him towards this look.
So b/c she lets her son keep his hair how he likes, that makes her a bad parent who can’t stand up to her child? Ridiculous!
I have a 6 y.o. boy with long-ish hair. It looks great on him and he’s a good kid, so who cares? He’ll likely be forced to conform -cutting the hair – for his entire adult life. Why not allow a little individuality now?
BTW, it mostly looks odd b/c he’s wearing a suit. Little boys don’t much like suits.
The reason for not letting hair get too long on ANY child – boy or girl – is that it’s not good for the hair. It becomes very weak and broken nearer to the ends. If you want glossy, healthy hair you have to keep it cut.
I always wondered if Celine let him keep it like that because she secretly hankered after a girl…
thank goodness he is wearing a suit and not a dress! 😆
seriously tho, the whole sotry that he never wanted a haircut is just BS! we all know any long haired girl needs a maintenance hair cut every once in a while…but oh well
I kinda like the long-ish hair look for boys, but puh-lease, NOT THAT LONG!
having that said, I also dislike way too short haircuts for lil girls! once they are 14 they can spike their hair, grow a mohawk or whatever…
Im a mom of 3 boys and a girl…My boys have had thier hair semi-long a few times when they were younger..but as a mom, and its just my personal opinion, I would never let a 7 yr old child make a decision like that…I would cut thier hair.Boys especially, get a lot dirtier than girls (at least mine did)and keeping that long hair clean would be a real task.
Well if the kid was given a choice between keeping his long hair and having a real gun…the hair wins, hands down!
My son grew his hair long in 7th grade and kept it that way through the 8th.
I can’t tell you how many adults and teachers made comments to “cut your hair!”.
But that just made him all the more stubborn. He asked me what I thought and I told him that I didn’t care how long his hair was. That his grades and personality made much more of a difference to me.
Right around the middle of Freshman year in HS he came to me and said he was going to make an appointment to get his hair cut short. He’d clipped a picture out of a magazine.
He asked if I’d drive him there. Smiling, I said, “sure honey”. It’s like he had his fill of it and then wanted to move on to something else.
I think it’s a good lesson for a kid to realize they have some control over their destiny. Especially with the hair because it’s not hurting anyone.
Oh, please. It’s hair. I can’t see getting in a twist over hair. It just seems to be a non-issue to me.
My goodness, it’s just hair! 🙄
Wow, a female name like Rene and long hair; like that kid isn’t going to get beat up in school.
Rene is a French boys name and happens to be his fathers’ name as well.
The kid has beautiful hair and the girls will love it when he gets older.
I would probably have kept it short or made him keep it back in a tail but thats just me.
Forcing a kid to do something he doesn’t want to do or insulting his style choice could ultimately give him a complex and make him insecure. So she’s doing the right thing with letting him make his own physical appearance decisions. She doesn’t want him to be “like” someone else but instead is happy with him just being himself. That’s a solid foundation for a confident kid.
P.S. I’m not saying let a child run amuck and do whatever they desire. Everything has consequences but I don’t believe in picking on children for their style choices at home. They get picked on enough at school. Home should be their safe haven from criticism.
A little, female cancer patient could be enjoying that hair.
He looks totally cool!
Why is it anyone else’s business, how long his hair is? Get a life!
It looks like he’s had a snip or two in the last seven years
I could sit on my hair at seven and the tears at wash time…gah! But that was waaay back when I bathed once a week, Mum had to cut the rats nest out and they hadn’t invented conditioner yet and only rich kids had ‘no more tangles’ *sigh* bad ole days
Sheesh people give the kid and his parents a break! That’s just a 7yr old kid, why would he care abt his hair? you fckn people are monsters.
you know my son tells me all the time that he does not want to cut his hair. His hair really needs cutting right now but I have been too lazy to take him but when I do feel like it he is getting a hair cut. My child does not tell me oh I do not want one and so he will not get one. Now if you are in agreement then that is another thing.
Look at the identagene ad displayed on this site. Go to the eye color test and punch in brown eyes for both parents and the odds of them having a blue eyed child is nil. Besides, Rene’s parents are from Syria. One of these people is not Rene-Charles’ parents. Look at how beautiful he is, I bet neither of these two are the biological parents.
Sickkitten, she has stated that she has had invitro done with a sperm donor as Rene’s treatments have left him infertile.
Who cares what this kid looks like and about Celine’s child rearing practices, she’s not raising your children so what does it matter. I mean come on – this kid looks loved and well cared for and that’s ALL that should matter to anybody.
Sorry Danielle, but she never admitted to a donor. Instead she claimed to have used Rene’s frozen sperm prior to his cancer treatments. She’s usually so truthful about everything but I guess she was saving face for her husband and her child. It’s just no way in hell that is Rene’s kid. Go to my site for more detail.
Here’s a piece from a fertility website:
Thousands of words and magazine covers revealed all in vivid detail – how it was done (using husband Rene Angelli’s frozen sperm and 14 fertilised eggs, one of which is being held in a New York clinic for the couple’s next child); how much her treatments cost (US$14,000); even what she ate for lunch (toast, pate, tea) since the day she was told she was pregnant.
Sickkitten – if you had studied ANY genetics (ie. grade 6 science) you would know that the odds of two brown-eyed parents having a blue-eyed child are up to 25%. Brown eyes are dominant and most people also carry a hidden recessive eye colour gene. My blue-eyed son has two brown-eyed parents and, yes, he is definitely our son. Besides, what do Rene’s origins have to do with his hair length?
Cut his hair and donate to Locks Of Love, so a sick child that has no hair can have a wig.
wow, gorgeous hair for a boy, first time i look at the photo, i think he was a girl!
he look very beautifull..
ok everyone lets get one thing straight, celine dion is a amazing singer and so gorgous at that. so if she wants her son to have long hair or is leting him choose how his hair is then so be it. it is not you family so get over it. i have a son that is the same age as him and he is the most wonderful thing ever in my life and i love him to death. and he has long hair to, it is the same lenght a celine dion’s son’s hair to be eact. but i still love him to death even though i want him to cut his hair. and anyways i would never in a million years let my son do any drugs what so ever and i bet you celine dion wouldn’t let her son either so please let her do what she pleases its her son you know..
THANK YOU TRACIE. he is very loved and that should be all that matters.
in my opinion, if the boy wants long hair, he should have long hair!
why would you damage your relation ship with your son over hair?
and it is after all, HIS hair..
if i were in his shoes, i would respect my parents because they respected my personal style. when he is older, the boy can decide to grow it out longer,
or cut it.. its his hair, not yours,
and here is a quote i found quite
interesting that is somewhat revelent to
this topic.
“selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.” – oscar wide”
Wow, from the comments above, it appears that there are a large number of parents who treat their kids like tangible possessions.
It is their child ,so the parents should make the decisions.It appears to me that they have! God Bless your whole family Celine!
The hair doesn’t look bad at all =)