Would You Dye Your 2-Year-Old’s Hair?

instagram / @charity.grace

So, I just got done reading a Scary Mommy post about a mom who dyed her daughter’s hair hot pink. Sounds harmless enough. I mean, hair dye is pretty common these days. However, the little girl with the funky new hair color is only 2 years old.

“She has been asking for pink hair for a long time now,” said mom Charity Grace LeBlanc. “So I finally bit the bullet and we’re doing pink hair.”

LeBlanc found a semi-permanent dye that doesn’t require bleaching the hair, and that lasts three to four days. LeBlanc, who has beautiful teal hair, posted a video tutorial on YouTube and Instagram, showing how she colored her daughter Felicity’s hair.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BU92Fa3DOzQ/?taken-by=charity.grace

Reactions To This 2-Year-Old’s Hot Pink Hair

As you might imagine, comments came pouring in. Some people gave the mom a big thumbs up.

For example:

“Absolutely love this. Thanks to this my daughter asked me to color her hair.”

“You guys are SO cute! This is exactly how I want my relationships with my future children! For them to be who they want, dress however they want and look however they want as long as they are happy!”

“THIS IS SO CUTE I CAN’T EVEN”

While others couldn’t believe a mother would allow such a thing:

“You’re going to ruin the hair of your daughter.”

“This is so irresponsible of you. Of course she’s going to want it. She’s a kid! She doesn’t know what she wants! And you, the parent should know better! She’s going to be bald by the age of 20.”

Before I get into my take on the whole thing, let me just say this: Felicity is adorable! And I think the pink hair looks as precious on her as teal hair looks on her mama.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWNkpIaj2yz/?taken-by=charity.grace

Second, I applaud this mom for not only getting her 2-year-old to sit still for that long, but also for getting video proof. Brava mama!

That being said, if I had a 2-year-old, I wouldn’t do it.

It has nothing to do with how good or bad it looks. Like I said, I think the child is beautiful. And it’s clear the dye hasn’t hurt her scalp or hair. The girl won’t be bald by age 20 because of it. So that’s not my issue either.

But while I agree that kids should express themselves, I believe they need to be old enough to have something to express. I’m not convinced a 2-year-old child has this ability. Sure, children want things. But that doesn’t mean it’s an expression of who they are or want to be.

One of the comments I read on LeBlanc’s Instagram video shocked me a bit: “I’ve let my four year old do this and will again next week. Her body and it’s her choice.”

Um, what? Her body, her choice? How does this even apply to a preschooler? If this girl wanted to get a gauge in her ear or a tattoo, then this mom is down with that?  Yes, I know it’s an extreme example, but that’s the first thing that ran through my mind when I read it.

It’s one thing to let young kids dress themselves and let them go crazy. Skip the battles on mismatched socks, tops and shorts. Who cares if they want stripes, polka dots and paisley prints together? I had to learn to let that fight go if I wanted my kids to learn how to dress themselves.

But coloring hair feels different for me. It always has.

Hair Color As Self-Expression

When my now 19-year-old daughter started asking me to let her color her hair, I said no. At the time, I told her she wasn’t ready for it. It wasn’t that she was only 14 or 15. I asked her why she wanted to do it and she said, “I don’t know. Just ’cause.” Not exactly a great reason.

Looking back, I guess I sort of felt that she had to have the maturity to own it. It’s one thing to have a streak of color in her hair. But her entire head? It makes a statement, and you need to have the confidence to own it.

Over the next year, she got a job, traveled to Europe with a group of students and started coming into her own as an artist. She wasn’t a kid simply trying to be cool or find herself. The new hair was simply part of the young adult she was becoming. She wears it well.

These days, she changes her hair color quite a bit.

Instagram

She’s done purple dye, blue dye and I think she wants to do hot pink next. I like it. It’s her.

As for Charity Grace LeBlanc, allowing her daughter to have pink hair does not make her irresponsible. Nor does it mean she’s a bad mother. She made different choices than I have. And if I saw her on the street with Felicity, I’d probably tell her she’s brave to put herself out there.

RELATED: This Is Why Your Scalp Hurts When Your Hair Is Dirty

I may not agree with her choice, but I respect it.

That’s all any mom wants.

Family & Parenting, Fashion & Style, Parenting

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About the Author
Marie Rossiter
Marie is a freelance writer and content creator with more than 20 years of experience in journalism. She lives in southwest Ohio with her husband and is almost a full-fledged empty nest mom of two daughters. She loves music, reading, word games, and Walt Disney World.

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