Mums, is this weird or am I being weird?

Thank you OP for sharing all the updates and particularly the last one. So heartwarming. It sounds as if you have made new friends and were able to help a family in times of anxiety and uncertainty. That is truly kind of you and I imagine will be remembered by your neighbours for a long time. A small gesture from you clearly meant a lot to the little girl.

Well you'd be totally wrong! Read the OPs updates! Not many of them!

The girl.is too young to do her own hair, maybe she can brush it but mot properly and she definitely.wont be able to plait it.

You're lovely for doing it. I don't think it's weird. OK you don't know them but you do now :) I'd do it no problem.

It's a bit weird since you don't really know each other. I'd wonder if he was trying to use you as free child care since he wasn't really interested in learning how to do it himself.

I honestly don’t get where people are coming from with saying this is a weird thing for a parent to do?

Guy is obviously panicking and stressed about his wife in hospital and is trying to not let his daughter get caught up in that and keep things as normal as possible for her.

Guarantee his wife has been taken into hospital and when he’s explained to his child that mummy won’t be home for a few days she’s freaked out and the first thing that’s come into her head and she’s asked is who is going to do her hair if her mum isn’t there.

I’d bend over backwards to help anyone in a stressful situation like this when something so simple will really make such a difference to them.

Hope no one who’s said it’s weird for him to ask is ever in a situation where they need to rely on help and kindness from strangers.

It’s cheeky of him to ask really. I wouldn’t dream of knocking on my neighbour’s door to ask if he would hang a picture on my wall at a specific time each day. I hope he’s panicked and is massively grateful and understanding if you ever can’t do it. Rather than do it yourself from now on could you say you’re going to teach him how to do it? He will need to know when his wife has a baby stuck to her most of the time!

It’s pathetic isn’t it? 40 years ago my dad managed to do my hair while my mum was in hospital. He’s not even asked a woman he knows or the mother of a similar aged child, just any old random woman. He could have just watched a YouTube video and figured it out.

But yes, you’re a lovely person for agreeing to do it

It’s weird, I’d have said no. I‘m a mum but shit at hair as my own mum was shit at hair and keot ours short. Thankfully I have 2 boys who have also always had short hair so I’ve never had to learn to be good

How very dare he! Oh the pearl clutching here is ridiculous. OP, you’re doing a kindness to a little girl whose world is in the process of being turned upside down. And at least now you can get to know your neighbours so win/win.

I haven't read every post of TFT but all of OP's. @ThirtyThrillionThreeTrees you are a lovely, warm-hearted and creative person. That family, especially the little girl, will remember you as such.

Show the kid youtube videos to show her daddy

I think you’ve been very kind. I hope life treats you with unexpected kindness when you need it.

Dad is clearly panicking!
She'd probably benefit from having her hair just as normal whilst Mum is away.
It would be nice to do it if you can x

It's weird he just found the nearest woman, assumed she could plait and do kids hair... Also weird he thinks it's reasonable to ask you to do it every morning like you have nothing else to do ..

Very sweet of you though.

Hope kid is ok with stranger doing her hair. If she's that particular about plaits every day she might also only want it the way mum does it ...

As a mum I would think you were very sweet to agree to such a random request, although I would feel mega awkward DH asked in the first place. I would also tell DH he should have bloody watched you tube and worked it out himself rather than bother a neighbour he doesn't know. Clearly not an equal parent.

You are lovely OP - everything you've written about your concerns & then your actions is a tick from me. Can't get over some of the bonkers replies on this thread.
You are a good person with your heart in exactly the right place, doing the right thing.

This would freak me out completely. Yes that probably makes me a bad person.

It is a suprise request yes, but he's got a lot going on and it's a lovely thing to do for the poor little girl. Long hair does need to be plaited, otherwise it'll get tangled very quickly and cause her distress. There's no way she'd be able to manage long hair at her age. It's a lovely thing you'll do which will mean a lot to the confused and worried little girl I'm sure.

She may just really be used to the routine and missing her mum. You’ve been very kind Op and it’s a bit sad there are people saying it’s odd or weird. They’re entitled to feel that way. But it’s still sad. Kindness is brilliant and the world is a better place for it.

This!

I think it's really great the dad asked for help. Asking for support is a great life skill. Poor bloke is probably overwhelmed with life at the moment.

Good job he didn't ask me, I'm unbelievably crap at styling girls hair

Agreed I'm sure he is super stressed to be desperate enough to go ask. What a lovely thing you are doing but yes a bit weird.

I have boys so would be as clueless as him but if I’d had girls and came to ask I’d happily oblige, I think it’s sweet. It’s a nice way to become a bit friendlier. I don’t think it’s weird.

male entitlement of free women's labor has no bounds does it!

What a lovely neighbour you are! Ignore the naysayers, it was a kind thing to do during a stressful period for your neighbours and it sounds like you've got new friends out of it, so it's a win-win!