• Make sure you really, really want dreadlocks.  You are going on a journey filled with disappointments and crushed dreams.  Consider all the reasons you want them before you open the discussion.
•  If you are from another race, this is your first hurdle.  You parents will throw in words like “cultural appropriation”, “only drug dealers wear it, “it is dirty, and  “crazy” could come up a few times too.
• If you are of African descent and your parents are religious,  honestly, I would do like all Generation X before you did and
  • (a)    wait until you get in university or college and just do it 
  • (b) .  make them while at college/university and remove them when you finish and must go home
  • (b) Forget about it completely as they tend to live a long time and what’s the point of getting dreads at 70?
  • Wait until they cross to the other side but avoid all your aunts and uncles who will regularly remind you how much they would hate to see what you have become
• Start your plan after you have cleaned up your behaviour or attitude.  This will save you a lot of trouble unless you are a byproduct of a divorce and your guilty parents will do anything to keep you happy or you were just spoilt to begin with.
• Consider how you will maintain the look.  You might have to get a job or keep marks up in school to get it paid.  You could also do it yourself so watching a lot of videos and reading up on the subject will help.
• If your parents say “no”, don’t have a meltdown.  No could just mean “not now”.  They could have a lot on their plate and need time to think without you going off. 

If you do not succeed the first time with how to convince your parents to let you get dreadlocks, remember you may not be able to get them right away but anything can happen in the future.

By Paula Barker, Silkie Locks Hair Design

Buy my e-book:  Dreadlocks:  A Hairstylist’s Manifest, Silkielocks.com/Amazon.com