Do you need permission to give your child a haircut?
If you have parenting time, you are allowed to make day-to-day decisions for your child unless a court order tells you otherwise. Day-to-day decisions are the basic parenting choices that you have to make for your child such as meal options, daily activities, hygiene, and bedtime routines. Most day-to-day parenting decisions are recurring and uneventful.
A haircut is considered a day-to-day parenting decision in most situations because haircuts are routine and uneventful occurrences for most children. Haircuts are not automatically a decision that must be discussed in advance or agreed upon by both parents. Either parent is allowed to provide their child with a haircut unless a court order states otherwise.
That being said, if you or your child wants a drastic change in the style, length or colour of your child’s hair, you should give your co-parent the courtesy of a heads up even if you are not legally required to do so without a court order that states otherwise. If your co-parent is a control freak, or usually the one to take your child for a haircut, you should be prepared for retaliation if your co-parent does not like your child’s new hairstyle.
A routine decision as trivial as a haircut can trigger a toxic reaction from a parent that wants full control over their child’s appearance. It is surprisingly common for one parent to decide what hairstyle their child should have without asking for their child’s opinion. These parents usually do not value their child’s opinion, and their children may lack the confidence to speak up about their preferences. If the other parent one day gives the child a choice regarding their haircut, style or colour, the controlling parent might retaliate and attempt to take away decision-making responsibilities or parenting time.
An act as simple as a haircut can turn into a whole thing in high-conflict parenting situations. Depending on the facts of the case, the Honourable Court might grant an order that only allows one parent to take the child for a haircut or create other restrictions based on what is considered to be in the best interest of the child based on the unique facts of the case.
If you want a court order that specifically addresses your child’s hairstyle or appearance, you should speak with a lawyer for legal advice as soon as possible. In the meantime, you should not make any significant changes to your child’s appearance (even if your co-parent did it first) or do anything drastic or impulsive if you do not agree with your co-parent’s decisions. Take steps to address the issue without your child being caught in the crossfire with guidance from an experienced family lawyer, paralegal or parenting expert.
The Edmonton Family Network was designed to be used as a resource for anyone dealing with a difficult family situation. The Edmonton Family Network is familiar with the current limitations of the legal system and the barriers many people face trying to access and afford legal services. The Edmonton Family Network aims to educate and connect people with affordable resources and service providers that can help.
