Kid cut my girls' hair!

[wantsababy2]

I am LIVID. DH is ready to "take it to the next level" and "game is on" whatever that means. Mama bears run and hide because Daddy bear will trample you! Anyway......

It happened days ago, but I just can't shake my feelings of anger and dismay. I have to see the evidence every day, for MONTHS now.

My girls are 4 and almost 6 and the kid who cut their hair is almost 6. He is a sweetie and they play together very well and all the time. We've never had a problem other than typical kid issues. But last week, he had a pocket knife/multitool thingie with scissors on it and he clipped my girls' hair. Both their hair! They were playing outside at this boy's house at the time.

I should say the almost 6 year olds have been in school for 2 years now. They know what scissors are for.

My big girl had long, beautiful blonde hair, all one length, past her shoulders. She now has short, pixie bangs (shorter than they would be even if I took her to the salon to get bangs cut in!) and some jagged lengths down one side of her head. Baby girl, who had a grown-out bob (and indeed was going to get a cut soon anyway) now has a huge chunk cut out around her ear on one side, and another short, layered chunk cut out in the back.

They look HORRIBLE! Baby girl needs a passport photo (that's good for FIVE years!) and there is NO way to fix her hair aside from giving her a short boy-cut, which I refuse to do.

Big girl now has [unwanted] bangs. It took 2 years to finally get her baby bangs grown out, and now we're back at square one.

I can't stand looking at them! My beautiful girls have such ridiculous hair I can't stand it.

I know there is nothing I can do. Its gone and can't be glued back. I know it will grow back, but how do I cope in the meantime? It will take MONTHS, and every time I look at them, I want to cry.

I haven't taken them to the salon yet to fix it because I need some time to think about it. I know they will say big girl needs her bangs evened out (which I will hate to do) and I have no idea what they can do with baby girl other than give her a short boy-cut, which I also refuse to do. I'd rather just pretend to ignore the mess.

I need your help with coping because every time I look at them I want to cry.

Another thing that ticks me off is that we made our girls stay in for the rest of the day as "punishment" for *letting* the boy cut their hair (because how can he cut their hair without them knowing, right?), while his dad took him out for ice cream! Also, apparently, the boy wants an apology from my DH who raised his voice at him and "upset" him. WHAT?! YOU HACKED MY KIDS' HAIR, MY DH WILL EXPRESS HIS FEELINGS TO YOU. YOU SHOULD BE UPSET because if next time my girl gets her eye poked out, your parents will be sued! NO kids that age should be allowed scissors unsupervised. I understand the boy got scared (because apparently they never raise their voices at their kids) but HE HACKED MY GIRLS' HAIR. THAT IS NOT O.K. They're all "oh, it'll grow back, lets go out for ice cream" while I am forced to look at my girls' wretched hair for months on end now and I guess be thankful that it wasn't their eyes that were poked out because eyes don't grow back.

I.hate.this.feeling. Help!

[coffee cat]

I would be upset, too, if another child did that to one of mine. I think it's pretty normal to be angry about it. At this point their "oh, it'll grow back, let's go out for ice cream" is not helpful and they are basically dismissing your feelings. I don't think they've handled it very well! And I don't know that their child will learn the lesson this time...

If it were me I would take my kids in right away to get it fixed at the salon (ha and present the little boy's parents with the bill ) so that their hair looks better and not so hacked up. And then I'd work hard to put it in perspective... yes, it's maddening and you have every right to be angry but in the grand scheme of things it won't "matter." I hope one day (I'm sure many years down the road) you might even retell the story and find it a little bit funny

[Adrienne]

I agree with the salon and presenting them with the bill since they let their kid have access to an inappropriate tool.

To be honest, most kids do this kind of hack job on their own hair...mine cut a hunk out right in the front and it looked bad for quite some time.

[katrack]

I've had my kiddos cut their own hair, but never a neighbor kid! That's a new one on me.

I understand being upset because their hair was so pretty and long. However, as you say, you can't glue it back on, so I think you need to get over it and get used to some short hairstyles for awhile because staying angry won't change things and it'll eat you up which only hurts you.

Take them in for some cute short styles, get the passport pictures taken, and when the passports expire, laugh about how short their hair was in the pictures and why.

Every one of my four daughters (and one of my sons) has cut their hair at one time or another. The saddest was one of my now-10 year olds who had long curly hair down to her shoulder blades by Kindergarten and after her hack job, it had to be cut into a pixie! It grew back.

[CindiR]

I would take them to the salon right now and get it fixed.

I would be really mad too, BUT........you need to keep it in perspective. Hair does grow back. And it is just hair.

[SC-Sherb]

I agree with everyone else and I'm surprised at the parent's of the kid that did it by taking him out for ice-cream and no punishment whatsoever.

But, it is only hair and it will grow back and you know what, when they reach a certain age (teens) they will cut it however they want. My DD had beautiful long hair, very dark, almost black. She had a few different colour strands in it and then she wanted this outrageous hair cut and I said absolutely not (shaved up on one side and hair flops over! no way), so we compromised and she went with the short pixie cut that Kiera Knightly has and it looks awesome on her. She has bright red on her bangs. She can look like a boy from behind because of it's shortness and she hasn't fully filled out yet but everyone comments on how great her hair looks and suits her. And, it'll grow out if she wants it too.

[BC-CrystalAZ]

I wouldn't have the parents of the kids pay for the haircut. This was your girls' fault as well for letting him do it.

Definitely take them to the salon. I bet the stylist might have a good idea for cute cuts.

Just get it over with, and maybe you'll even like their hair...

Crystal

[MamaBear]

I'd be upset too. But, for younger DD, you can get a darling pixie cut and then accessorize her with cute clippies or headbands that have bows or flowers on them to feminize the look more. A stylist will know more how to "fix" it to camouflage the damage. Take a deep breath and let it go. This stuff happens to nearly all kids at some point....though it's usually self inflicted. I like the idea of handing the bill to the parents.

[Kristen E]

I will be a lone dissenter. I would probably laugh. And I wouldn't make them pay for the hair cut and I would apologize for losing my temper.

The only thing you have control over at this point is your reaction. And your reaction teaches the lesson your kids will learn.

As girls we will face bad haircuts, self-inflicted and professional. We face bad hair color, screwed up styles, bad perms, etc etc. Go get it fixed as good as you can, take some pictures and have a good laugh. This is why we have wine!

You should see my preschool pictures. My brother and I did a dandy job on my bangs.

[BC-MAV]

I don't think you are gonna get that lame Dad to pay for ALL or even 1/2 of a hair cut at a salon! I agree it's not all the boys fault but he certainly was older and should have known better at age 6.