How would you feel about somebody cutting your child's hair without your permission?
It's not something that has happened to me but a Dad's Reddit post recently went viral when he asked the internet for advice after collecting his 15-month-old daughter from nursery, only to discover that her hair had been cut at some point between dropping her off in the morning and collecting her later that day.
Apparently the nursery have no explanation for the impromptu haircut, and the child and her peers have no access to scissors because they're in the nursery's baby room.
Awkward.
I think I'd be pretty livid to discover my daughter's hair had been cut whilst at nursery, and seriously worried if no explanation could be made. I'd almost rather learn that a scissor-happy toddler had got a bit carried away or even that a nursery staff member had trimmed it after a Blu-Tak incident, but the lack of any explanation would unnerve me the most.
Indeed, it seems hair cuts are a serious bone of contention. I've heard stories from friends of grandparents taking tots for anything from a trim to a short-back-and-sides without getting permission from the child's parents first, and I can understand the cringe-inducing conversations that must follow.
Incidentally, I once came home from a school trip to Germany with an accidental haircut. I seem to recall ending up with chewing gum stuck in my hair after high-jinks on the coach. A teacher ended up snipping the offending article out but given that I had waist-length locks and the gum was up above my ear, you can imagine my Mum's horror when I got home.
So tell us, how would you feel if somebody cut your child's hair without permission? Do you understand that parents' anger in this situation or do you think it's an over-reaction? Join the debate by leaving us a comment here or over on our Facebook page.
I would not expect anyone to cut a child's hair without permission. Years ago I was told of a young girl who cut her gran's hair. Apparently the elderly gran felt intimidated by the spoilt child, though did often agree to babysit in order to support the family she loved. Poor gran was left with a short uneven fringe, luckily that was the only part the child cut. Someone tidied hairstyle for gran, though then she had a short straight fringe till it grew in. Child's parents did question child, and advised her not to repeat such behaviour. I think gran felt a bit less intimidated thereafter. Knowing that the parents valued her, and did have some boundaries for their young daughter.