Gutted

[maisieandvicks]

My 3 year old cut off her hair yesterday. I’m still sat here in the kitchen with my coffee thinking about it now.

She had lovely, curly hair down her back. Until she got hold of a pair of scissors she had been using to cut up paper and make shapes all day.

I was in the kitchen washing up and didn’t realise she had them, I thought I’d taken them off of her before I came into the kitchen.

Can’t have been any longer than 5 minutes later (because I always pop my head around the door to check she is okay) and she had cut off about 4 inches of her hair.

I didn’t shout at her, but I did literally break down in tears, I was so upset and still am.

She had the most beautiful hair 😢

AIBU to think that her hair won’t grow back the same? Or am I just being stupid and need to get a grip?

I need some sense talked into me, I don’t care how blunt, give it to me please because I feel like such a useless mother at this point.

Thanks.

It’s a normal thing.

our twins gave each other Rad hairdo’s with paper scissors.

honestly, it won’t be long before you’re laughing about it:

I really hope so because deep down I know that I am overreacting because of the anxiety I suffer from. The overthinking.

Will it grow back? Stupid question, I know but I just need some sense kicking into me because it’s really bothering me.

When it comes to children of that age, would you say that the hair will grow back and if so, would you say that it would necessarily grow back quicker than an adult head of hair?

Argh, I feel like such an idiot. I should have taken them off of her but I genuinely thought she was just cutting up shapes with the paper and drawing on them.

I’m such an idiot 🤦‍♀️

What did she think about the haircut herself? Has she been upset by it? I think if she's okay about it then it's okay. It is a bit worrying about the safety aspect but hair definitely does grow back - maybe not exactly the same but sometimes that would be the case if you or a hairdresser had trimmed it. I do get the emotional side of it though.

She could have cut her skin, bled, caused scars, poked her eyes with them, needed medical attention etc. Be thankful it was only her hair.

I’d treat it as a warning to be more careful and stop putting so much emphasis on what she looks like as that will fuck her up as she gets older.

Compared to some of the shit kids do growing up, honestly, this is nothing except a funny photo opportunity and a story to tell when she’s older.

My daughter did that to herself and her friend who was visiting! They were three and four, ,cut chunks out of their side hair, from the back, it was a total mess. Visiting child’s mother was completely unfazed. I had to take mine to the hairdresser for an Eaton bob! She did look super cute;it suited her cheeky little face.

You’re not an idiot. Most kids have done it.

@LoveInNashville She could have cut her skin, bled, caused scars, poked her eyes with them, needed medical attention etc. Be thankful it was only her hair.
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I’d treat it as a warning to be more careful and stop putting so much emphasis on what she looks like as that will fuck her up as she gets older.

Thank you so much for this reply and this perspective. It’s not so much the superficial side of things, that’s not the type of person I am.

It’s more that I’m angry at myself that I took my eye off the ball and actually trusted her with them. I genuinely thought she was only cutting up paper which she had been doing all day.

But you’re absolutely right. Thanks so much for your reply. It’s made me feel a tad bit better. 💐

No, she wasn’t upset by it at all which just makes me feel even more ridiculous. She was gleaming from ear to ear, explaining that she just wanted to cut it so her hair would look prettier 😩

I feel a bit better knowing that it’s quite a normal thing for children to do.

Thanks for all your replies, they’re extremely helpful x

I remember when my now 14 year old dd did this. She literally cut half of her hair off, I was mortified!
I have the photos to embarrass her with and we laugh about it now.
Don't worry OP it will grow back, if it looks really uneven take her to the hairdressers

Honestly practically every kid does this at some point and sometimes they do it to themselves and two of their cousins while grandpa is supervising but watching the golf.

It'll grow. Honestly.

Great advice, thank you so much. I think I managed to cut it so that it does look a bit more even but considering taking her to the hairdressers just to be safe. Thank you so much 💐

Lol thank you! I appreciate you sharing your experience.

I do hope it grows back ffs! I’ve put so much effort into maintaining her hair. Any mums/dads of curly-haired children will be able to relate to how difficult it is to maintain.

Aww probably just the shock of it OP. But yes, lots of kids do this, if they are quiet start to worry 😂I did this to my dolls, and to my own hair. Can your DD hair be tidied up by a hairdresser, it will soon grow. At least it’s summer, if you go out use a sun hat. Take a photo of the new hair do and have it put on her 18th birthday cake! Kids honestly never fail to surprise you. My two are adults now, but I could write a book with all the ridiculous things they have done over the years.

My daughter chipped her baby tooth on the bath when she was 2 and I was devastated. I can't really verbalise why. Totally get it.

I don't understand why you're so devastated? It's just hair.

My DD did the same. Cut off her hair and fringe the day before school picture day. She wanted to look like Dora the Explorer 🙄😳 ( this was 2005/2006 )

She had sneaked the scissors out the kitchen drawer and did it early morning! I was furious with her but also myself for removing the drawer lock things to early - it was a nightmare trying to get her to look presentable for the photos! She had also stuffed all the cut hair behind the radiator!!

Anyway, she’s 20 now and I regularly get the eventual school picture out to show her friends or boyfriend 🤣 ( a lot of hair clips and pigtails involved - still looked bloody awful!) and we laugh about it a lot. Don’t be too hard on yourself or her - these things happen and I promise you when she’s the age of my Dd it’ll be a great story you can dine out on!

It’ll grow back and I’m going to wager it’ll grow in looking lovelier.
What I find is that as much as mummies love their wee daughters’ long hair when they are three, the reality is it’s usually a wispy bedraggled tangle made up of fine baby hair. A good cut will do wonders. Every cloud.

You know what, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head right here.

Because DD’s hair wasn’t/isn’t wispy at all. It is a head full of very thick, curly hair.

Honestly? She’s just woken up and is actually happy with her haircut 😩

So to be honest, as long as she is happy with it, I can safely conclude that I am the one with the issues and need to get a bloody grip.

Presumably, it will grow back stronger and in better condition?

Gosh, the hair itself will probably grow back to the same length inside of a year so I really don’t know what my problem is.

Thank you for your input, I really appreciate it 💐

I think I would be devastated too so don't feel bad about how you feel. Curly hair takes so long to grow too and the worry of the curls not growing back is normal. Plus now your daughter doesn't have something you used to be fond over. I would feel exactly the same if either of mine cut off their curls.

I would say if she had long curly hair and it wasn't just her baby hair then it's quite likely to grow back the same! It's only just happened which is why you feel this way but over time it will become a funny thing. Its like when my son covered everything in sudocream it absolutely was not funny but now I look back at the pictures fondly! Yes it's good nothing more serious happened but it doesn't mean you can't be sad about the less serious thing. Just imagine her little smiling face and also try to imagine her thought process of doing it. That usually helps me to get over crazy things kids do when you think of the cuteness of their intentions lol.

This is a very cute and funny story. Thank you so much for sharing x

Lol thank you for this post, it made me smile. I think you’re right , it’s the initial shock. I think I had an anxiety attack when I saw it!

But now that she’s woken up and the smile on her face has sort of made me feel a little bit better.

Yes, she has always had curly hair since she was about 6 months old. So this is definitely her normal hair texture. I would say her hair is about 2C/3A. So they’re very loose curls.

I do hope it grows back the same 😩 but if it doesn’t, I suppose it’s fine because at the end of the day, like pp said, it could have been so much worse. She could have seriously hurt herself.

This is most certainly a lesson for me.

Thanks again for all of your replies, I feel a bit better now.

My DD did the same thing the day before she started school. It was about 1cm long at the front. We laugh about it now it looked ridiculous.

I agree that most children have done this at some point and it grows back in perfectly, so please don’t worry.

Aww I get it OP. My son had amazing long curly hair down his back when he was about two and a half. He caught nits from a friends child and we had to cut it to treat them it has grown back straighter but we keep it shorter now he's 4 anyway, like a George Harrison job 😁
it would have had to be cut eventually anyway and he's still beautiful and we have great photos.

It will grow back honestly in time you will look back at this and laugh. Keep some pictures for their 18th birthday 🤣