She's 14 and wants her hair cut to her chin before school reopens. Her grandmother oiled and plaited that hair every Sunday for years. It's her hair and I'm inclined to let her. My mother-in-law has called me about it three times this week, and my daughter feels guilty but hasn't changed her mind. How did you handle it when a teenager's choice upset a grandparent far more than it upset you?
Let her. It grows back. The grandmother will have a new topic by July.
Could the grandmother be part of it somehow? I'm guessing here, I haven't been through this with a daughter. But if it were me, being asked along to the salon would hurt less than hearing about it afterwards.
My son grew his hair to his shoulders last year and my father-in-law greeted him with 'hello, madam' for months. He cut it when he was ready, not when anyone asked. At that age hair seems to be the one thing they really are in charge of.
Did she say why now? With ours it turned out to be about swimming and how long it took to dry. Once we knew the reason, explaining it to the grandparents was easier, because it wasn't just 'she wants to look different'.
Ask the salon to keep the cut hair in case her grandmother wants it. Some families donate it. Small thing, but it gave my mother something to do with her feelings when my son shaved his head for a cricket bet.
Practical bit first: waist to chin is a big jump, and some kids regret the in-between. If she's at all unsure, shoulder length first. But it sounds like she has thought about it, and feeling guilty means she cares about her grandmother. That's a good sign ❤
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