Babysitter cuts neighbor's 6-year-old daughter's hair without her permission, gets upset when mom revokes babysitting privileges: 'Chopped off 8 inches of her beautiful curly hair'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Jul 10, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

Cutting one's hair is a big deal in my book. You don't just go doing it whenever and wherever you want to. Cutting your hair requires time, preparation, and skill. Because as the good book of Fleabag once said, "Hair is everything." Hair is essential to one's outlook on the world. If you're having a bad hair day, you're having a bad day. If you're having a good hair day, anything is possible. You could run for Congress. You could climb Mount Everest. You could attend the Oscars and nobody would blink an eye. 

This is why it's so upsetting when bad things happen to good hair. Especially when you're a parent. Because when you're a parent, your kid's hair is like your hair. You're in charge of it, so if anything nefarious happens to it it's on you. This is why we don't let children play with scissors unsupervised. They always go for the hair.

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  • 01

    AITA for ending free babysitting after neighbor cut my daughter's hair without permission?

    so I'm a single mom with a 6yo daughter. My neighbor offered to babysit for free while I work my evening shift at the hospital. Seemed like a godsend since daycare costs. are insane.
    via u/Responsible_Page_252
  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10527795200
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • One neighbor/babysitter didn't see the problem in that, though, and let her 6-year-old charge do whatever she wanted to her precious locks. But when her mother came back with steam coming out of her ears, she didn't want to own up. Read on to see what happened in the story. 

  • 03
    Everything was going great for around 2 weeks until yesterday. I came home and found my daughter had been given a full haircut. Like, chopped off 8 inches of her beautiful curly hair without asking me first. My neighbor said my daughter asked for it and she wanted to help.
    via u/Responsible_Page_252
  • 04
    I was honestly devastated. My daughter's hair grows super slowly and this was her first time ever getting it cut. I wanted to be there for that moment, you know? Plus it looks pretty rough, definitely not professional.
    via u/Responsible_Page_252
  • 05
    When I told my neighbor I was upset, she got defensive and said she was just trying to help. She said I should be grateful for free childcare instead of complaining. I told her I'd find other arrangements and she called me ungrateful. Now I'm scrambling to find new childcare I can actually afford.
    via u/Responsible_Page_252
  • 06
    My mom thinks I overreacted since it's just hair and the neighbor meant well. I am thankful and maybe overreacted a bit in that situation but I still feel like she should ask me before doing something like this. AITA?
    via u/Responsible_Page_252
  • 07

    Commenters agreed with the mother in this situation.

    SonOfSchrute • 3h ago These commenters are psychotic! No it's not ok to cut a kid's hair without the parents' permission. And what planet do you kooks live on where adults just follow the whims of 6 year olds? NTA
    via u/SonOfSchrute
  • 08
    Winter-Rest-1674 3h ago NTA, giving ice cream before bed is neighborly, cutting off hair without prior approval is not. You are not wrong for finding other options for baby sitting because she believes that just because she's doing you a favor she gets to do what she wants. If your daughter
    via u/Winter-Rest-1674
  • 09
    asked for a haircut, she should have said, I'll speak to your mom about itching, maybe y'all can make a mommy daughter day sometime later. You don't just cut off someone else's child hair.
    via u/Winter-Rest-1674
  • 10
    Snicker_Sorceress • 3h ago NTA. Babysitting for free doesn't mean she gets to make parenting decisions. Cutting your daughter's hair without asking is a big breach of trust. You can appreciate the help and still expect basic boundaries to be respected.
    via u/Snicker_Sorceress
  • 11
    Woofles_Fries505 · 3h ago NTA • Your neighbor crossed a line, there is no overreacting, that neighbor broke your trust. You no longer trust her and if mom thinks you're overreacting cut her hair and see how she likes it!
    via u/Woofles_Fries505
  • 12
    Your neighbor is feeling entitled because she does free babysitting and taking over a parent's decision. What other parenting decisions she will make on your behalf? No you nip this on bud and you're doing a good job.
    via u/Woofles_Fries505
  • 13
    Cheezburger Image 10527794944
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 14
    13ex_G 3h ago . Nta that's insane to cut a child's hair randomly. No normal adult would use the excuse, the kid asked for it.
    via u/13ex_G
  • 15
    MelG146 2h ago • NTA. Your neighbour had a few options here: 1. "Let's wait til Mom gets home and see what she says." 2. If your daughter was insistent (doubtful), she could have TRIMMED a little off the ends.
    via u/MelG146
  • 16
    3. DON'T CUT SOMEONE ELSE'S CHILD'S HAIR. Yes, it's hair. Yes, it will grow back. But you'll never experience your child's first haircut, and I feel for you.
    via u/MelG146
  • 17
    WhiteKnightPrimal • 1h ago NTA. She's a babysitter, not the parent, she doesn't get to cut a kids hair without parental permission. Something like that would get a paid babysitter/nanny fired, it's not different just because she's doing it for free. This isn't an overreaction on your part, she
    via u/WhiteKnightPrimal
  • 18
    way overstepped, cutting your daughter's hair was in no way her call. If it's true that your kid wanted it, and you can ask your kid about that, then she should have told you about the request so you could arrange to get the hair cut properly, not stolen a first from a parent.
    via u/WhiteKnightPrimal
  • 19
    Sweet_Stratigraphy · 3h ago NTA It is not okay to cut a child's hair without permission from their parent/guardian. Imagine what else she may try to do!
    via u/Sweet_Stratigraphy
  • 20
    Inspector_Jacket1999 • 2h ago The audacity of someone thinking it is okay.. also, it is a red flag to offer to nanny child at no cost... yeah, definitely NTA
    via u/Inspector_Jacket1999
  • 21
    Prior_Butterfly_7839 2h ago NTAH. What the heck? That crosses so many lines. Unfortunately you've learned your neighbor is the kind of person who offers unsolicited help and then gets upset when her "helpfulness" isn't appreciated.
    via u/Prior_Butterfly_7839
  • 22
    I'm seriously flabbergasted at the audacity of cutting that much hair just because your kid asked for it. If your kid was asking for ice cream all day would the neighbor feed her nothing else?
    via u/Prior_Butterfly_7839
  • 23
    GorditaPeaches · 3h ago • I used to run an in home daycare, cutting a kids hair has neverrrrr crossed my mind. To me the neighbors proven she cannot be trusted with your child and giiiirrrrIIIIII I know free daycares great but she's a random who knows what she's capable of. NTA
    via u/GorditaPeaches
  • 24
    GibsonGirl55 • 22m ago So, if it's true, she just went on ahead and did this at the direction of a child? Who wouldn't be upset? That she was babysitting free of charge didn't give her license to do this. I hope you can find alternative childcare in the wake of what happened. Your neighbor is an idiot. NTA.
    via u/GibsonGirl55
  • 25
    HolyCannoliBatmaam 2h ago the bigger concern here is that your neighbor doesn't have the judgement to think "hmm, this 6yo says she wants a haircut, but i should probably wait to ask her mother". It's not about the hair, it's about the fact that you are leaving your child alone with an adult that you want to know has good critical thinking skills and will think twice about just acting on the whims of a child.
    via u/HolyCannoliBatmaam
  • 26
    dell828 1h ago • That's definitely crazy. I would not want my child with that woman. What if she comes back with her ears pierced next time? Do whatever you can to make money to pay a babysitter.
    via u/dell828

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childcare hair Babies aita babysitter kids moms parenting cute kids unsupervised reddit thread parent Reddit raising kids cutting hair Parenting Fail parents children Parenting FAILS
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