My 3-year-old daughter is my whole entire world, and then some! My mother put relaxers on my hair starting at a young age, and I vowed that I would never do that to my daughter, even on those Sunday evenings when it feels as if everything about wash day is going wrong.
With that said my daughter has been natural her whole life, and I really enjoy trying out new natural styles on her, or just letting her natural curl pattern flow freely.
It never dawned on me that anyone would ever have an issue with the way I styled my baby’s hair, but I found out that I was in for a rude awakening. It all started when I started searching for a daycare to enroll my daughter in, since I was going to go back to work soon.
I finally narrowed my list down to a top 3 and then scheduled walk throughs for each one. I ended up falling in love with my top 2 choice, and the next step was to bring my daughter in to see how she felt, and to let the staff meet her.
On the day that I brought her in, it was one of those mornings where she was in one of her moods, so I didn’t even bother trying to give her a twist out, I just put her curls in a pulled back pony puff. As soon as the head of the daycare saw my daughter, it was undeniable that her whole demeanor changed.
She still introduced us to the rest of the staff and let my daughter play with the 3-year-old class while we went into her office to discuss the logistics. However, she wasted no time cutting to the chase.
She said that at that particular daycare there was a dress code, which included the way that children wore their hair. Really, we are going to just jump right into that? Nope! I have heard this story too many times. I ended up stopping her mid-sentence and got up and walked out.
In my opinion, if we have discuss hair on just the introductory day because my child is black that is discrimination at its finest, and I did not want my daughter to be at a facility that in any way shape or form has a problem with her natural hair.
It really is a shame, and I know that I won’t be able to protect my daughter from discrimination forever, but I certainly wasn’t going to pay to have her discriminated against.
Have you ever experience anything similar with your daycare, let’s discuss below!
Nicole Harris says
It’s a shame that we still have deal with this in 2016. I’m glad my daughter’s daycare is in love with their hair. They get so many compliments when it’s in puffs.
ShaSteve says
That’s not her daughter. That’s my friends daughter. She is stealing pics and making stories.
Roberta Williams says
Beautiful hair due
Cami White says
In which my daughter is once again given “Light Privilege”. I’m light-skinned and her father is White. She has Black features but very pale skin, and her hair, though more coarse than even her father’s curly hair, her afro puffs and afro are revered in her mostly White small-town school. I’m so sorry and try to battle negativity whenever I see it. Stay strong.
Rebecca McPhearson says
Sorry but I’d fight whoever brung up the issue.
Vassey Contour says
Im so thankful you stopped
her in mid sentence .How dare she . What nerve they have !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anita Wilson says
Why ? She looks adorable .. After all they should know” she is not her hair “. Her hair is her crown and glory.. Get over yourselves . Smh ! !!
Jamaican Ak says
Shame on the daycare
newsrants says
Walking our – excellent 1st step. 2nd step – sue.
MsLadyE says
It’s a good thing you walked out. I would have done the same thing. The woman who wanted to discuss the daycare’s hair policy (I bet she was a Black woman who wore her hair straight) needs to get over it. Your daughter’s Afro puff is adorable.
Lora Cobb Cobb says
Why it look like buckwheat on a girl?
Lora Cobb Cobb says
Adorable little girl hair do no
Antoinette Taylor says
This is a very nice story BUT this isn’t your daughter. Her mothers name is Tiffany Poole and she is a soldier. Wheres YOUR DAUGHTER MAAM?
Claudette UK says
I would have calmly told her off for ‘policing’ black hair and contacted the local papers and news stations. Bring the light of bad publicity to the daycare. Then sit back and watch them try to deny their racism and quickly change their policy.
ShaSteve says
Sweetheart this would be a great story if you had not stolen this picture from my best friend Tiffany Poole. Maybe I could attempt to sympathize with you if this were your child. Until that time maybe you should take this sham of a story down and either have you a natural beauty of your own tell the truth from here out.