Chances are every one of us has had a bad haircut at least one time in our lives. There's a massive wave of guilt and impatience as we wait for our hair to grow back. But, that's what is so great about haircut mistakes — our hair is always growing, and we're never stuck with a wrong decision for too long, and especially during the time of social distancing, it's less risky.
And then there's the flip side — when we get a haircut that makes us feel incredible, it can make the whole world seem brighter. When we take risks with our hair, and it pays off, it can lead to a level of confidence we didn't know we needed. One mom took to Reddit to share a hair risk her daughter asked for, and mom got slammed for allowing her daughter to follow through.
A mom took to Reddit's AITA to ask for opinions about what she did to her daughter's hair.
The mom started off her Reddit post saying, "So this past week my 8-year-old daughter has been begging me to shave her head." She continued, "This just started after her 17-year-old cousin did it. I've always considered myself a supportive mom and let my kids do whatever they want (within reason of course)."
According to the Redditor, her daughter wasn't going from short hair to shaved head. Quite the opposite, really. "She had extremely long, blonde, gorgeous hair just like I do. She was fully aware that I was going to support her decision, school was cancelled for the rest of the year and she won't go back to school until August (possibly September) so her hair will have time to grow out."
And that's what the mom and daughter did.
"So last night, I got out my husband's clippers and shaved her head for her," OP said. "She smiled the whole time and loved the end result." Sounds like a total win! And it was until the mom shared photos of her daughter's new hair with family.
"The next day, I took a photo to send to my mom and only my mom. My mom decided to forward it to a bunch of other family members, who got back to me," she wrote. "90% of them agree that I'm the a–hole for not saying no to her and setting limits for her, and also told me that I'm setting her up for bullying."
The mom isn't worried and knows hair grows back.
"Here's the thing – it's literally her hair will grow back. She knows," the mom said. "I asked her if she regretted it and she is extremely happy that she did it. As for bullying, she knows how to stand up for herself and that hair doesn't define her beauty."
She then asked the Reddit community for input. "I personally don't think I'm TA but I want to know everyone else's views on this."
And the reactions were mixed.
One person commented, "It may take a while to grow out, but the lesson on self-determination will be lifelong." This person added, "Everyone else who thinks mom needs to set limits needs a course on bodily autonomy and on the policing of women's bodies."
Another said, "NTA, I do think it's important to help your kids understand what they're doing and what the consequences of their actions can be (so they avoid acting impulsively), but I think you did just that." The commenter continued, "On the bright side, she's saving money that would've gone to the shampoo and conditioner bill."
Not all agreed though. One person wrote, "You can't expect a 8 year old to know whats what. You know what's what." The person continued, "You know this was a dumb idea. And now you're asking Reddit for advise. If you have to ask any Social Media for a response to your personal actions, odds are not in your favor despite the people who tout 'stunning and brave' as a thing. 99% of them don't have kids and are probably only 5 years older than your daughter. But you do you."
Another shot back and said, "I don't understand how parents let their young kids make these drastic decisions."
About a month after her first post, the mom returned to Reddit with an update.
The original poster came back with an update saying everything worked out. "So many of you guys said that I am NTA. The people who told me I was TA said that because she would regret that decision."
She continued, "We shaved her head almost a month ago. Just a few nights ago she asked me to shave it again for her since she really liked it. I was more than happy to do it."
The mom says she plans to buy her daughter some wigs just in case she wants to wear them, but her daughter is really thrilled with her shaved head, and has some advice she wanted to share, too.
"My daughter wants me to let everyone know that if you really want to shave your head, just do it," OP said. "According to her, she loves the way it feels on her pillows (she has silk pillowcases) and she liked feeling the shower and rain on her head."
So, there you have it. An 8-year-old girl knows the importance of doing what you want to do when it comes to how you present yourself, regardless of what others think.
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