Mother-in-Law Cuts Nonverbal Child’s Hair Without Permission

A mother was left furious after discovering that her two-year-old son’s “beautiful curls” had been cut off while he was spending the day with his grandparents — without her consent.

Sharing her experience on Reddit, the woman explained that her son is nonverbal and has long hair that usually reaches past his shoulders. Because he dislikes having his head and neck touched, she has always chosen not to cut it.

However, when she picked him up from his grandparents’ home, she noticed that “his hair was clearly rough-chopped above his shoulders.” She added, “One little section was missed so there’s some clear evidence it was done.”

Now, the mother says she feels both heartbroken and angry. “Not only did no one ask or tell me this was done, but the feeling of not being able to defend him while he can’t even communicate clearly is devastating to me,” she wrote.

The situation is especially difficult because she and her in-laws already have a “strained but civil” relationship. “I want to say something, but I can’t even think of how to approach it because of past arguments always being twisted and flipped back on me as the bad guy,” she continued. “We’ve already limited visits before due to issues we raised and not being heard.”

Many Reddit users supported the mother, agreeing that her anger is justified. One commenter wrote, “Forget worrying about being the ‘bad guys.’ Grandparents violated your son and your trust. Time to protect your son from people who violate his boundaries, especially since he cannot express himself. If this was me, I would firmly discuss this with the grandparents and then tell them they can never — I repeat, never — be alone with your child again.”

Another added, “You’re not just justified — you’re underreacting. Someone crossed a hard boundary, violated your kid’s body, ignored his sensory needs, and did it without telling you.”