'My daughter's dad went behind my back to style her hair – I'm raging'
Most significant parenting choices should ideally involve both parents.
When you're co-parenting post-separation, finding common ground on what's best for the children can be challenging. While day-to-day decisions like dinner choices don't need consultation, major ones such as ear piercing or holiday plans should be discussed with both parties.
One mum was outraged after her six-year-old daughter returned from a stay with her dad sporting "ruined" hair, as he had decided to change her hairstyle without the mum's knowledge.
On Reddit, the 26-year-old mother shared she has been apart from her daughter's father for most of the child's life, but they maintain a "shared parenting agreement". She mentioned they "get along so-so", suggesting there are no significant conflicts over their daughter.
READ MORE: Genius method means you can drink coffee or tea all day while boiling kettle once
READ MORE: Man scoops Too Good To Go bag from Greggs and is blown away by what's inside
However, the situation took a turn when, after celebrating her sixth birthday with her father, the girl came back with bright pink hair. The mum described the dye as "permanent and incredibly vibrant", and now believes her daughter's hair is spoiled.
She lamented: "My daughter just turned six and wanted pink in her hair. Her father dyed half of her hair this pink/fuchsia colour with an at-home dye kit. I am so upset, the dye is permanent and incredibly vibrant. I wouldn't have minded a few streaks of pink here and there and if it were PROFESSIONALLY done."
The debate heated up as the mum sought opinions on whether she was overreacting about the home-done hair dye, which split sentiment online. Some chided the dad for not consulting her before taking the plunge, while others reassured that such box dyes often fade fast and could be sorted out soon.
Others highlighted the mum should calm down about it, particularly since her daughter seemed thrilled with the outcome.
A commenter mentioned: "Pink box dye is going to fade out very quickly. It won't stay that vibrant for long at all. Just let her enjoy it for a little while, and once it starts looking faded take her to a salon to get it fixed up. This doesn't have to be a big deal."
Another weighed in: "Sounds like dad wanted to do something fun and cool with his daughter and didn't think 'ask mum first'. Separated or not, this is a pretty classic issue and not the hill to die on. Hair is fixable. More importantly... is your daughter happy? If so, laugh it off and let her have fun expressing herself."
A third brought up custody etiquette, advising: "These kinds of things should be spelt out in the custody agreement. In our family, haircuts aren't even allowed unless both parents agree."