Reddit Sounds Off About Grandparents Who Want Grandkid’s Long Hair Cut Before Babysitting

There are few things better than a summer week at the grandparents for little kids. Making memories, being spoiled, giving their parents a much-needed break. It’s an all-around win. Mostly. One set of grandparents have Reddit talking after making a bizarre request before babysitting their 7-year-old granddaughter — she needs to cut her long hair. And her mother has taken to Reddit out of frustration over the request, saying it’s a “hill I’ll die on” to protect her daughter’s bodily autonomy.

“My 7yo has gorgeous waist length hair, which she loves and is a part of her identity,” the mom in question shared on Reddit’s Parenting forum, adding that her father and stepmother had volunteered to watch her daughter for a week this summer. With one condition. “They want us to cut her hair short before we send her to them.”

She went on to share that this request was based on her stepmother’s own experience of having her hair cut ahead of attending summer camp when she was a child. The stepmother (or “stepmonster” as the OP calls her) remembers being glad to have it cut eventually when she was a girl, and reasoned that “It’s hair. It grows. Just saying.”

The OP does not agree. “This is a hill I’ll die on. I’ll go NC [no contact] before I cut her hair. How would you answer this?”

Naturally, the people of Reddit came in with some strong feelings. One Redditor offered a quick response that might diffuse the situation, suggesting she write back, “‘Great for you, we’re not going to do that. If this visit is contingent on us cutting her hair, the visit will have to wait until another time.’”

Another noted that the OP might not want to send her daughter for a week after all. “It sounds like you have a history with this woman, and don’t trust her to respect your boundaries. That’s a great reason to cancel this visit.”

Many Redditors shared same dire warning. “If you send her they’re going to cut her hair. That’s a guarantee,” one wrote, while another said, “I would not send your child unless you’re OK with her coming home with short hair.”

The OP shared that she was “going to attempt to have a private conversation with my dad about this. Is this the issue he’s willing to lose his daughter and granddaughter over? Because I will absolutely go NC over this.”

Grandparents can sometimes have differing views on how to parent, which can often crop up when they babysit. But ultimately, they need to respect a parent’s decisions about their own children.