An American mother has been left infuriated after discovering that her baby son’s grandmother had taken the liberty of cutting his hair without seeking her permission.
The mother, identified as Pippa, shared her story on Reddit, revealing that her son Ryan had been born with thick locks of hair. She and her partner had made the mutual decision to refrain from cutting their baby’s hair for as long as possible, a decision they had communicated to others.
However, when Ryan reached six months of age, something unexpected happened. Following a visit to his grandparents, Pippa noticed a change in her son’s appearance, particularly the back of his head.
Pippa expressed her shock, saying, “There’s something wrong with the back of his head.” It became apparent that someone had taken scissors to her baby’s hair without her consent.
“I had a conversation with her [my mother] multiple times on how I wish to not cut my son’s hair any time soon, even recently,” Pippa explained, adding that her mother had done a “half-a** job” of the unsolicited haircut.
Pippa described the situation in distress, noting that “the middle and right side of the back of his hair is completely gone, while there’s a bit of the left side still there.” She continued, “There’s also small long hairs still visible in the middle and on the right side. This was sneakily done, horrifically, to the point where my mother would assume I wouldn’t notice the difference in the back of my son’s head.”
Her mother defended her actions by suggesting that her grandson’s hair looked “unkempt,” and she worried that people might mistake him for a girl. However, Pippa expressed that she did not care if someone confused her son’s gender, as she had encountered respectful parents who inquired about her baby’s gender before making assumptions.
Pippa felt as though her mother’s actions had taken away a part of her son’s “personality,” even though it was “just hair.” She was concerned about the breach of boundaries and wondered what her mother might do next without her approval.
Many parents who responded to her post on Reddit agreed that she had every right to be upset, asserting that she should set boundaries with her parents and express her dissatisfaction when those boundaries are crossed.
While some acknowledged that the situation was more than just about hair, others advised her not to overly stress about the haircut, as hair would grow back, and it did not define her son’s personality.