Mom Has to Step in and Stop Dad’s Punishment After Daughter Gets Highlights

Children everywhere get super excited when their birthdays come around. These celebrations only occur once each year, so the events are often spectacular. Sometimes, kids with divorced parents have two parties, which makes it even more special!

Kelsey Frederick had divorced parents, and they never seemed to have issues when planning her birthday celebrations. She generally got what she wanted, and there were few fights or problems. However, that changed one year, and Kelsey’s world crashed down around her.

After realizing the issue, she was upset and shocked that one minor thing could cause a blow-up. What could have happened?!

Two Birthday Parties

Kelsey Frederick was 12 years old and about to turn 13. Her parents decided to each throw a big party for the special occasion. While it was common, she was excited about what they had chosen to do for her.

Turning 13

Kelsey hoped that this year would be different from all the rest. This was a special time in her life because she was becoming a young lady. Therefore, her party should reflect that sentiment. What was the theme to be?

Getting Highlights

This year, her mom decided to let her daughter get highlights in her hair. She’d never been allowed to before, but at age 13, it seemed appropriate. Many girls in school were doing this, and Kelsey really wanted to try it herself.

After the Salon

Kelsey headed to the salon and felt amazing after her treatment. Then, she went to her dad’s, which was normal for her. Therefore, she didn’t expect anything strange, but no one would have anticipated what her dad did when he saw her hair!

A Regular Tradition

Many children have divorced parents, so Kelsey was definitely not in a unique situation. In her case, the divorce contract said that her parents shared equal time with their daughter. Therefore, she spent the weekends alternating between mom and dad.

Always Had Fun

Kelsey was with a different parent every weekend, which meant things weren’t boring for her. She especially loved to go to baseball games with her dad, and her younger brothers felt the same!

The Divorce

Kelsey’s parents, Schaffen and Christin, got divorced when Kelsey was young, so it was tough to understand. You may think it would have affected her a lot, but that never happened. Luckily, she had a good support system from her siblings and cousins.

The New Wife

Once the divorce was finalized, Kelsey’s dad got a new girlfriend and married her. That wasn’t an issue for anyone, though. Kelsey liked the woman, and the stepmother didn’t change how the parents raised the kids.

About Kelsey

It was always hard to select a present for Kelsey during birthdays and Christmases because she didn’t have hobbies like other young girls. In particular, she didn’t like pink and sparkly things. Therefore, Kelsey’s mom turned to her friends for help.

Taking a Lifetime

Kelsey believed it was taking too long to become a teenager, just like many other 12-year-olds. These girls are counting the days to their birthdays, just like her. Plus, they were in a rush to start the planning process immediately.

Birthday Highlights

Kelsey told her mother she wanted highlights. In fact, she wished to update her hair with some blonde. It seemed like a normal request, and many other girls in the school were getting them. What did her mom really think?

A Worried Mother

Kelsey’s mother wasn’t prepared to have her daughter change that much. Blonde highlights made her worried that Kelsey might not be confident with her appearance. The decision was a challenge, but she had to answer quickly.

Influenced

Christin had been back and forth about getting highlights in her own hair and had frequently talked about it. Therefore, she realized that her daughter may have chosen the same treatment because of her influence. How did that make her feel?

Mother-Daughter Bonding Session

After that realization, Christin decided her daughter could get highlights for her birthday. That actually gave her an idea for a present, which turned into the royal treatment for her special day. They went to the salon to have it done!

That’s Not All

Kelsey was in for a big surprise. Christin was a regular at their local salon, and the manager gave her a discount. That meant Kelsey could also get her nails done. She left the salon feeling so special and happy!

The Result

Finally, Kelsey saw herself in the mirror, and she was shocked at her transformation. The highlights changed her appearance, and she was happy with the new look. Even Christin admitted that her daughter looked gorgeous.

Wait for It

Christin had another surprise for her beautiful daughter’s birthday. She had already gotten her hair and nails done, but now they were going to Sephora to have a professional put on her makeup. This was a dream come true!

Posting the Final Product

Once the makeup was on, Kelsey snapped a photo of the work and posted it on Facebook so that her friends and family could see it. However, the mother-daughter duo didn’t expect one family member’s reaction to the special day.

Time to Show Dad

Kelsey was very excited to go to her dad’s house and show off her new look. She genuinely wanted her father’s opinion. Usually, he was supportive of her decisions, and she never thought that could change.

Something Isn’t Right

Normally, Kelsey didn’t contact her mother while she was at her dad’s on the weekend. However, Christin woke up with a bad feeling that Saturday. She pushed it aside, waiting for her daughter to come home the following evening.

Unrecognizable

Kelsey came back to her mother’s house and rang her doorbell. Christin actually didn’t recognize who it was outside the home. Though it was Kelsey, her face was swollen and puffed from crying, and she was now missing something.

What Happened

After taking a closer look, Christin realized that Kelsey’s highlights were gone, though that wasn’t all. Her gorgeous hair disappeared, too! Did Kelsey do this? Had she regretted the highlights, or did something else happen?

A Chop Off

Her hair was cut so much; there wasn’t much left. Later, her mother learned that this haircut was called the “chop off.” It was considered a boyish cut, but there was no styling to it at all. Though popular for some, her daughter clearly didn’t like it.

A Sudden Change

Kelsey had gone from being a comfortable and confident young woman to being embarrassed about her appearance in a few days. Anytime she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she started crying. Christin had to know what had happened!

An Angry Mother

Her daughter wouldn’t say a word, so Christin decided to head to her ex-husband’s house. She was so angry and couldn’t think clearly. Once she arrived, she demanded to find out what had happened to Kelsey!

A Punishment

Kelsey’s stepmother and father didn’t like her new hairstyle and decided to punish her for getting it. They believed that blonde highlights were too advanced for a girl of only 12 years old, and the action required a consequence.

Taste of Their Own Medicine

Christin took a moment to think and realized that the couple was right; actions should have consequences. Therefore, she went to the police. Clearly, Kelsey’s hair had been cut against her wishes, and something must be done to rectify the situation.

Taking to Facebook

Christin was extremely upset and felt helpless. Kelsey’s hair was gone, and she couldn’t bring it back. Therefore, she let out some of her frustrations on Facebook. She crafted a post that detailed what Schaffen and Sarah had done to her daughter.

A Viral Post

Though Christin didn’t expect the Facebook post to go viral, it definitely did. She really just wanted validation from her friends and family that Schaffen’s behavior was unreasonable. However, it got her a lot of attention!

Outrage

In fact, the Facebook post was shared over 24,000 times, with people rushing to share outrage about what that father had done. No one held back their opinions about the radical decision and were clearly upset about Kelsey’s condition.

Support from Strangers

The post received overwhelming support. This proved to Christin how wrong her ex-husband’s actions had been. Many users claimed the act was ridiculous and disgusting. Still, you’re probably wondering how Kelsey felt about that attention!

Too Much Attention

Understandably, she didn’t like the attention she got from her mom’s Facebook post. Now, she was dealing with a new haircut she hated and everyone pushing for statements and chats. That was a lot for one middle schooler to handle!

Like Everything Was Normal

Kelsey was left to feel hurt, but her father, stepmother, and younger brothers lived their lives like normal. It’s understandable for her to feel betrayed, angry, and humiliated by what they had done, though they thought they were right for the punishment.

Opinions

Kelsey’s mom’s Facebook post brought about many opinions. One came from Jennifer McVay, a Pear Tree Salon hairstylist. She said the girl was likely to be embarrassed because of her father’s actions and that feeling good comes from beautiful hair.

Mixed Feelings

Some people understood that her father was upset because he didn’t know the plan about the makeover. However, that’s no excuse for his behavior. He did something heartless, humiliating, and cruel. Why would he want his daughter to feel like that?!

Raising Awareness

Christin chose to use that Facebook attention to raise funds for her daughter so that she could have a new hair treatment. Therefore, she created a GoFundMe account to get readers’ contributions to make things right. Would it work?

Moving Away from Embarrassment

Christin enjoyed keeping people updated on her daughter’s progress. Kelsey continued to live life, even with a haircut she hated and didn’t ask to get. In fact, she knew she couldn’t stay in her bedroom and had to experience new things.

Administrative Leave

Schaffen and his wife, Sarah, quickly noticed the adverse effects of their punishment against their daughter. They were actually suspended from duty as firefighters. The fire department in Middletown Township didn’t want that sort of people on the team.

Consequences for Their Actions

There was also an investigation into the matter. Local authorities decided that it was in Kelsey’s best interest to give Christin full custody. Kelsey was relieved to live with her mother because she didn’t want to see her dad again.

GoFundMe Success

Their GoFundMe account was a huge success, too. Kelsey went back to the initial salon and was fitted for a wig until her hair grew back. She was grateful for the support she got from Facebook users and her mother!