A mother has revealed she has been called names and accused of child neglect after letting her 3-year-old daughter have dreadlocks.
As 34-year-old Kristin Miller from Hawaii explained, her passion for the hairstyle started years ago when she figured out dreadlocks helped her deal with her thinning hair look.
Her passion was also passed onto her three-year-old daughter, Loretta, who was allegedly blown away by her mum’s hairstyle.
Rather than saying no to her daughter, Kristin decided to let Loretta follow her example and have dreadlocks of her own.
While the young girl’s new hairstyle gained her thousands of followers on Instagram, the girl’s mother has also started receiving messages of people accusing her of “child neglect” and “cultural appropriation.”
“I had seen many journeys shared [online]. Loretta’s was special. I knew there was some stigma attached and wanted to help normalize ‘kids with dreads.’ I wanted to show it was just a part of her life and how she lived it,” Kristin explained.
“Some people have accused me of neglect, abuse, and cultural appropriation … Everyone is entitled to their opinion I suppose and not everyone will be convinced one way or the other. It’s not about them. It’s about what Loretta wants.
“I also let her dress herself in what she chooses. Children should be forming and discovering their own identities as early as they desire.”
As the mum added, Loretta loves her new hairstyle much more than she did her straight hair which she hated brushing.
“I always thought dreads were beautiful and my hair was very thin, hard to style and always worn up, so dreads seemed like a good idea,” she said.
“I was not surprised at Loretta’s interest in dreads. She would cry when I would suggest it was time to brush.
“Loretta loves her carefree hair. She was never into me styling her hair or wearing little headbands. She lives on a mountain and spends weekends at the beach. She is always on the go. Dreads work for her.”
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