A hairy experience

As I've documented many times before, Kate is a regular at the coffeeshop. She charms and befriends the usual-goers who are typically the elders who live in the estate, as well as the shop-keepers. We have provision shops, electrical shops, hairdressers, coffeeshop helpers, coffeeshop regulars, clothes shops… you get the idea.

Yesterday morning, Kate headed downstairs for her typical breakfast session with the in-laws. When she came up an hour later, her hair was cut.

Now.

Before I start raging, I want to share how sensitive I am about Kate’s hair. There’s a Chinese tradition where kids get their head shaven when they turn 1 month old. It’s said that their birth hair should be shaven off so that they can grow a new head of (better) hair. I was rather hesistant to following this tradition because 1/ I always worried that Kate would be rather bald because I was. So when she was born with a rather full-head of hair, I was delighted! So why will I want to shave it all off when it was my fear to begin with?! 2/ I don’t know the deal about this saying so I was not very keen to adhere to something that I’m clueless about (you know how these things can be…)

While I was not very keen to shave her head, the husband felt that it’d benefit her; so on no particular day, the husband decided to shave her head when we walked by a hairdresser for kids. I was teary and felt very reluctant to do so but I didn’t disagree nor fight the husband. I just sat aside and wept (yes, I did!). When the deed was done, Kate looked exceptionally vulnerable with her scalp fully exposed and all I can say is, I never felt so ‘sayang’ about anything in my life. *sigh

After a whole year, (yes it took that long!) Kate’s hair finally nearly looks normal and it was only last month that the husband trimmed her bangs. We’d long decided that we will not touch her hair again! To let it grow out, so it was only a tiny trim. On several occasions, the husband has even commented that Kate’s hair is very fine and we always wondered if perhaps, the shave was OTT.

Ok, back to yesterday morning. When Kate came up from her seemingly innocuous breakfast session only to have hair hair lopped off. By at least an inch!

I was furious.

The MIL recounted that the hairdresser had lamented that Kate’s hair needed a trim and “a trim will make it grow out faster” according to one of those old wives’ tale and (oh I am mad) she brought Kate into the salon and cut her hair.

I am furious! (just recapping this is making my blood boil)

I cannot believe the nerve of this lady. I’ve never met her before, and while I appreciate her doting on Kate (she’s helped Kate to tie and pin her hair up before) and her dishing out her ‘wisely wisdom on hair’ and while I believe that she probably truly believes in what she says (this BS about trimming for her hair to grow more/better/longer) since she is the professional hairdresser, I am not happy that she cut my daughter’s hair without my consent.

!!!

How will she like it if I cut her hair off simply because I think it is “good” for her? This is my daughter for goodness’ sake. How dare she!

While Kate looks cute with her neater hair, I still grudge that some people are just too busybody for anyone else’s good. GGRRR.

This is one of those things where I have no idea how to react; I could only express my displeasure to the MIL but it isn’t as if I could undo the haircut. And we’re just fortunate that Kate looks fine. Angry!!