Mums, is this weird or am I being weird?

[ThirtyThrillionThreeTrees]

Hi, I don't know if neighbour is weird or if I'm just being silly?

I also don't have any children or huge experience with them. I asked a mom friend and think she is still laughing at me!!!

I don't know my neighbours well other than to wave and say hello in passing. I don't even know their names or they mine. I suspect they don't have family nearby.

This evening I get knock on the door. Male neighbour and his little girl. It's clear little girl (5/6) is a little upset. Mum is pregnant and due in 2 weeks and has been taken to hospital for observation. Don't have full story but iron & blood pressure issues.

The man has asked if I can do his daughter's hair every morning for school as he can't plait it. Little girl has gorgeous long hair she always wears in a plait. He can't plait it.

In awkwardness, I tried to show him how. I think he has bigger things on his mind as he didn't really want to learn, just wants me to do it. Anyway I have agreed to plait it every morning while mum is in hospital once his daughter is here at a certain time. What else could I say?

Is this normal and ok? Will the mum be ok with it? Should kids that age not be able to do it themselves? Could he not just put it in a ponytail?

Please tell me it's normal and I'm just overthinking it. I'm not usually awkward but this has thrown me for some reason. I don't know these people.

I think you sound a lovely person 😀

This is going to make 1000 posts with 600 not having read the updates!

🤦‍♀️

Lovely 🥰

I think I know the person you are talking about.

And if I'm right the dad works away and comes home on leave sporadically- so pretty much everything at home is the mums job most of the time

Hope you never need a man's help with anything, he might get all grumpy and assume you're judging him because he has a cock and tell you to fuckoff

Ah, the irony of posts who cry misogyny, and at the same time decry all men who ask something like this.

Every request has a unique set of circumstances behind it. He should have learned to do this? Why? Have all of you who criticised his request learned to change tyres? Unblock drains? Rewire a plug? All of you?

No. Because we're all different. Who cares if he can't plait? His wife is in fucking hospital, for goodness sakes! How does feminism trump personal tragedy? I despair.

I think you did a lovely thing. I really don’t get what all the fuss is about. It sounds like he tried, couldn’t do it properly and the little girl got stressed and upset, so he asked you, and you did a kind thing by helping, and then helping them to find alternatives that the dad could do (sounds like he was panicking and desperately looking for a way to keep his kid calm). Not all of us are demon plait-ers! I’ve never been able to plait properly. It takes time and practice I guess. Maybe the dad will now learn to do it a bit better but when you’re at a crisis point and panicking reaching out to a neighbour for help is hardly something to condemn. And I think your idea of a present for the little girl of hair ties is just lovely ❤️

Ok but I don't think he works away at all.

He's here all the time. I see him any morning I'm not wfh. He walks his daughter to school and they usually leave around the same time I do.

Usually bump into the 3 of them most weekends too.

PS - mum also works.

@ThirtyThrillionThreeTrees must not be the same then! I have a client who has gone into hospital under the exact same circumstances and had her baby girl today - just a coincidence.

Your kindness has really made me tear up

Thank you for helping them! Little things and routines are a massive deal to young children. The little girl is probably your biggest fan now.

She's been hospital since Tuesday.

Are you in Ireland or the UK?

What a lovely story of neighbourly generosity, thanks for sharing the updates. If only we all made a little more time for our neighbours.

What a lovely thread, from the OP.

I don't think it was that weird a request and it was kind of you to fulfil it. You helped them in need and built a connection. I'm sure they are really grateful.

You wave and say hello in passing. Perhaps they are the closest friend they’ve got!

id feel flattered, but a little weird about it.

use the opportunity to get to know their names! You could make a bit of a light hearted game out of it …. “Hello I’m hair dresser @ThirtyThrillionThreeTrees, can I take your name?”

@ThirtyThrillionThreeTrees my lady was Monday and I think she is England x

I think it was lovely of you to do it.

How awkward. Yes. This is very weird.

My husband couldn't manage to even put my hair in a ponytail when I was in hospital with drips in my hand...I had to ask a nurse. Think this just isn't something boys and men learn to do and the poor guy was a bit lost and needed some help. What a lovely way to help your neighbours out during a difficult time. It's very sweet. It's nice that he felt he could come to you for help. Could be the start of a wonderful friendship.

I think it's a great opportunity to make friends with your neighbours!!

You sound like a lovely neighbour.

You could tell how this would go, people banging on about men being weird and blah blah. Probably the same people that whine their partners are useless. Kudos to OP for helping and kudos to the dad for trying to do his best for his little girl, maybe what he thought was best is different to others on here but that doesn’t make it weird. DH can do a ponytail, bunches and a bun but I’ve never seen him even attempt plaits so fair play to the dad.

My OH.would be the same.... your neighbour doesn't know you but has obviously seen you in passing and feels comfortable to ask you..... you must give off a friendly vibe....I'd definitely do it.....don't think its that weird tbh.....

I think he might have been better asking a parent at school or one of the school staff, that might have been less weird, but he probably didn't think of that and may have been rushing. Stress does odd things to people and keeping things as normal as possible helps young children cope with what will inevitably be a big change in her life. Lucky you know how to do them, my mum wouldn't have a clue, I mostly had short hair when I was young, pretty much the whole school had matching basins. I have had long hair for years now and taught myself as a teenager.

im going away with work for a few days and have told mum friends to sort my girls’ hair out at the school gates if my husbands attempt isn’t great 🙈 in my view this is simply a case of a dad trying to keep some normality for his daughter at a time when things are a bit crazy

Tbh, I was more offended by the posts referring to me as "the nearest vagina" than anything the dad did or said.

People are so rude. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this. I actually think it’s quite a nice story