Cutting a child’s hair without permission is okay as long as you are their parent. If it is another child, you will need to have consent from their parent or legal guardian.
This whole topic of it being okay to cut children’s hair has not been discussed which is why many seem to wonder if they can or not.
You have legal control over your child
If you are the parent of the child, you have legal control over them. This means you decide what they do what type of activities they will partake in.
This means you can dictate things like haircuts, how many times they shower, the food that they eat, and much more.
Many children growing up think that their parents can’t control what they do but that is not the case.
If it is time for them to get their haircut but they refuse, try to understand why. There can be many reasons why they don’t want their hair cut.
Reasons why they don’t want their hair cut
1. They are embarrassed
The first reason why the child might not want to cut their hair is due to the embarrassment they will get when they go back to school or are with people they know.
Many times, hair cuts can cause embarrassment because of how much of an appearance change the child will go through.
They do not want to experience looking different in front of their peers and will hesitate on getting a haircut altogether.
2. They love their current hair style
Another reason why they might not a haircut would be because they love their current hairstyle and don’t want to change it.
This can be a good reason why they are resisting a haircut. If they prefer their current hairstyle and you see that it is not causing any problems, letting them keep it might be a good idea instead of getting into unnecessary conflict.
3. They want to grow their hair longer
The third reason why they don’t want their hair cut is that they want to grow it out more. Many children love long hair and want to see how long it can get.
While this can be a fun experiment for them, long hair tends to get complicated. It requires way more maintenance than short hair.
For example, drying it after the shower takes longer. It also requires a person to use specific products for long hair to make sure it stays healthy.
If your child is in sports, it might also cause some type of negative effect.
Long hair (for males) can also be looked at in the wrong way by certain religious groups. Depending on how religious you are, this can also be the reason they need to get their hair cut.
You need to be the legal parent/Gurdian
When it comes to someone’s hair, you need to understand that cutting or damaging it is considered assault under the court of law.
There are many instances where schools or daycares have cut children’s hair without the parent’s consent and that has resulted in problems such as lawsuits and bad press.
This is why it is important to remember that cutting a child’s hair without permission is only applicable if you are the legal guardian of that child or have permission (signed permission is the best thing to have).
You don’t need to cut it if…
As many parents are busy making decisions for their children… including when they should get a haircut, remember that sometimes the children should have a say in what happens also.
If there is no sign of danger or religious problems, cutting their hair should not be enforced if they don’t want to have it cut.
This does not only save you the headache you will receive, but will also build independence and decision-making skills in your young one.
If you are going around dictating their life, they will not only remember how you treated them but will also cause a lack of confidence in them which can affect them later down in life when they are older.
Related: Should I let my daughter cut her own hair
Final Thoughts – Cutting a child’s hair without permission
Cutting a child’s hair without permission is only applicable if you are the parent, legal guardian, or someone that has been given permission to do so by them (parent or Legal guardian).
Many children love their hairstyles and don’t feel like changing them but there will come a time where it has to be done.
If the child is old enough to understand and comprehend the situation, they should also be asked if they want their hair cut. If they need their hair cut, make sure you explain why.
Like it was stated above, this will save you the potential backlash you will receive from them.
At the end of the day, remember that these children also have feelings and opinions so even though you are the parent, they should also be consulted about the decision.