My mom shaved my biracial daughter’s head without permission — so I called the cops
A recent viral post on Reddit sparked heated debate after a mom detailed the shocking moment her own mother shaved her daughter’s hair without permission.
She explained that her three-year-old is biracial, which is at the crux of the story.
“Zoe is biracial – I’m white, and my husband Tyler is black,” she wrote.
“Zoe has the most stunning curly hair, and I’ve always taken great care of it. She absolutely loves her curls, and we’ve made it a fun bonding activity to style her hair together.”
The poster’s mom, Susan, has always had an issue with Zoe’s hair.
She’s made comments in the past like, “It looks so wild,” “That’s just too much hair for a little girl,” and “Wouldn’t it be easier if it were straight?”
“I’ve always brushed it off. I thought it was just harmless ignorance – until last week.”
“My mom violated my daughter”
“Last week, I had a work emergency and needed someone to watch Zoe for a few hours,” the mom continues.
“My mom was nearby and offered to help, so I left Zoe with her for a few hours. When I came to pick Zoe up, I was horrified – Zoe’s gorgeous curls were completely gone.
“Her head was shaved bald. I started screaming, asking what the hell had happened, and Mom just shrugged and said, ‘I did her a favor. Now she looks tidy and presentable. Besides, it’ll grow back straight.’”
The poster was “absolutely fuming” so grabbed Zoe, who was in tears, and left immediately.
“When we got home, I couldn’t calm down. Zoe kept touching her head and I was livid and on the verge of tears, feeling like my mom had violated my daughter’s sense of self,” she shares.
“I decided to call the police and report the incident as assault.
“They actually came and took statements from both me and Mom, and she was brought in for questioning later. After that, my dad, who I’ve always loved and respected, called me and was furious. He said I’d gone too far, that mom was just trying to help, and that calling the police was a massive overreaction.
“Hearing my dad side with her broke my heart. I yelled back that mom had no right to touch Zoe’s hair, that she disrespected my boundaries as a parent, and that I wouldn’t tolerate it.”
Now her parents aren’t speaking to her and her sisters have called her “cruel,” so she wants to know — did she overreact?
“Ignorance”
People wholeheartedly backed up the mom in the comments, saying her mother massively overstepped.
“Your mom would be singing a very different tune if someone shaved her own hair. Shame on your dad for supporting her. Cutting someone’s hair without permission is a crime in a lot of places,” one person said.
“OP should tell her that if she ever talks to her again, she can see her granddaughter when Zoe gets to shave her head. It would be brilliant if that happened. Grandma should have to wear it like that as it grows out. If this happens, I hope it grows back slowly and that she hates how it looks. This is just so many levels of wrong,” a second added.
And a third agreed: “Slow clap for OP, you handled this perfectly. I’m so sorry this happened to you. I can only imagine how your daughter’s processing this. And we’ll see in court if it was an overreaction. Anyone siding with your mom can get lost.”
Many thought there was some prejudice involved.
“There’s a long, racist history against black women wearing their hair naturally,” one observed.
“I can’t help but think this stems from that. Also, thinking her hair will grow back straight shows total ignorance. Why would you think that?”
Finally, there was this pertinent point: “To your family who thinks you’re overreacting, ask them if they’d be fine with you shaving their heads. No big deal, right? It’s just a haircut. Then show them this post.”
