A MUM who dyes her toddler’s hair pink and allows her to sport temporary tattoos has been all over the news this week.
Twenty-five-year-old Californian mother and trainee tattoo artist Amy Lyn dyed her two-year-old daughter BellaMae’s hair pink to match her own at Halloween. The heavily tattooed mother says her young daughter loves applying temporary tattoos on her arms and says she feels the alternative style of parenting will help her child become a better decision maker.
Amy Lyn, who sports brightly coloured hair, tattoos on her arms and stretched ears, says that she didn’t want to alter her appearance when she became a mum and that her daughter has grown up accustomed to her unusual appearance.
Speaking to mediadrumworld.com, the Californian mother said that she wants her daughter to know freedom.
“I waited until my daughter started to take interest on her own to introduce temporary tattoos, colourful play make-up, and dyed hair,” she said. “From there I let her have the lead. I feel extremely strong about being myself no matter what.
“I feel like the usual parenting style is built on the parents being dictators of the family until the children reach a comfortable age to let them start choosing small things for themselves.
“I think waiting until they are in middle school or high school or even 18 years of age, is too long to wait to teach them about choices and cause and effect. I chose to let my daughter start exploring options to express herself as soon as she is capable, so that down the line she’s less likely to waste time trying to find who she is.”
Amy says that the little girl has always loved tattoos and used to put stickers all over herself until Amy Lyn bought her temporary transfers.
Her hair was dyed for the first time at Halloween after she was given the choice. Amy added: “If I have any kind of message, it’s that I want her to know freedom of expression.
“Adulthood often lacks so much creativity, and the world needs it to combat the constant bills, and 40-plus hour work week. Most people would say that my daughter is too young to be changing her hair colour, but I say let her start choosing now.”
I’m all for giving your children a little freedom and independence to make their own decisions. But dying their hair pink, using strong chemicals on such delicate skin and scalp, is a step too far and could pose a health risk.
It’s the job of a parent to teach your children right from wrong. If your child saw you smoking and wanted to take up the habit would you permit it, so as to give them freedom of choice from an early age? What if they saw you driving your car and wanted to give that a whirl? Or drinking alcohol? Never was there a more apt need for the words ‘do as I say, not as I do’.
When my girl was two she wanted to buy everything in any shop we went to, she wanted to eat sweets for breakfast lunch and dinner and she’d frequently throw a strop of epic proportions if her many demands were not met. But it doesn’t mean I met them. I exercised the word ‘no’ quite a bit. Perhaps Amy Lyn should give that a go.
Ninety-five per cent of parenting is being the adult in the situation, saying no when things are not suitable, keeping them from harm’s way, moulding them into good, well-rounded human beings, not reflecting your own opinions and interests upon them.
I, for one, will not be rushing out to buy my girl a pink rinse. She can make up her own mind when she’s older. I will give her space to become her own individual, whoever that may be. I do not want a mirror image of me.
