Even though a lot of us were taught in life that appearance doesn’t actually matter that much, it’s hard to ignore the fact that very often, this is the thing we are mostly judged for. Because of this reason, a lot of people suffer from bullying. It’s known that bullying starts from an early age, so parents often try to do everything possible to prevent this from happening to their children. But what if by doing that, you become a target yourself? TikTok user @leah_txrealtor decided to share a video where she’s shown waxing her 3-year-old daughter’s unibrow, stating that if there is a way to protect her daughter from appearance-related bullying, she will do it. The original video that now has almost 24.5M views shows how the mom quickly removed extra hair in between her daughter’s brows. The video soon sparked a heated debate online and was followed by many opinions and reactions.
More Info: TikTok
TikTok user shared how she waxes her 3-year-old daughter's unibrow to avoid her being bullied
Image credits: leah_txrealtor
In the video, the woman added that she doesn't mind being called “a bad mom” for waxing her daughter’s unibrow, revealing that her own parents would just let her walk around like that. Many TikTok users supported the woman, understanding where her intentions were coming from as they themselves went through the same thing or wanted their kids protected from possible bullying too.
However, there were users online who thought that what the mom is doing is inappropriate and that this way, she was projecting her insecurities on her daughter. Besides those who saw this as an unnecessary thing to do, there were people who shared that there were other, less painful methods to remove the hair, as they saw the girl being unhappy with the process. The woman took some time explaining why she chose to wax the hair and how her daughter actually saw this process.
The video soon went viral, starting a heated discussion among other users
Image credits: leah_txrealtor
Leah Garcia, who raises an 11-year-old and 3-year-old together with her husband, likes to share her and her family’s life moments on TikTok. So once she saw the original video gaining so much attention, the woman did a few follow-up videos, sharing some insights on the situation. She was happy about the positive comments, however, she couldn’t simply ignore those who bashed her for being a bad mom. The woman made it clear that the only two opinions that she truly cares about are those of her daughters.
But Leah also touched upon a very serious problem: bullying. The woman shared that she received messages on various social media channels and even emails not only saying that she’s a bad mom and she should be resented by her kids, but also that she should be reported to Child Protective Services (CPS). This made the woman realize the absurdity of the situation: how a mom who is actually taking good care of her kids and protecting them at all costs is being bashed and threatened with CPS while there are families that actually need their intervention.
Some people online were praising the mom for doing what's possible to make sure that kids won't make fun of her daughter
Image credits: leah_txrealtorleah_txrealtor
Bored Panda contacted Leah to get some more insights into the situation. The woman revealed that she was surprised to see the video go viral online. “I originally posted it just thinking I was going to reach the moms that either wax their children in secret to avoid being mom-shamed, or to the moms that maybe don’t understand their child's insecurity about their hairiness, and hopefully make this a 'OK' thing for moms to do for their children,” shared the woman. She also mentioned that while she received a lot of support from other users, there was a lot of backlash that she also addressed in her following videos. The mom of two added: “I still would not go back and change a thing! I am unapologetically myself and unapologetically parenting my children the way I best see fit.”
Image credits: leah_txrealtor
Some users were blaming the mom for projecting self-esteem issues onto the 3-year-old girl
Image credits: leah_txrealtor
Why do people become so invested in how other people decide to take care of their kids? According to Leah, the reasons for this are that they can either relate to what she’s going through with her kids or because they don’t approve of how she takes care of them and handles certain problems, such as bullying. “I’m fine with either outlook on the topic,” revealed the woman, “but what I am not OK with is the hatefulness that people feel entitled to over the video. There are so many videos I come across daily online that I absolutely do not agree with! However, I have the basic morals and respect to never comment hateful things on a complete stranger’s videos. There’s this awesome thing that you can do on social media, it’s called KEEP SCROLLING!”
The woman continued releasing follow-up videos on the matter, revealing how people online seem to be sending her hateful and threatening messages
Image credits: leah_txrealtor
Those who follow Leah and watched this situation unfold probably already noticed the mom stressing that the most important thing in this situation is the well-being of her girls. It was interesting to know if this situation had any impact on them. The woman revealed that while her younger daughter doesn’t yet comprehend the situation, her older daughter does. “She goes to school and has friends who have parents that have obviously seen all of this unfold so when it is brought up to her, she is both excited about the video going viral, but is also very protective of her mother and hates to hear about such ugly things being said since she knows firsthand what type of mom I am and knows that none of the hateful comments are true. It’s a frustrating thing to have complete strangers saying such hurtful things to and about your family. It would take a toll on anyone,” answered Leah, sharing more about her daughter’s experience.
The woman reacted to a video where another TikTok user was sharing her own experience of becoming insecure because of her mom's parenting choices
Image credits: leah_txrealtor
In her TikTok, the mom was quite open about how her daughters felt about waxing, especially the 3-year-old Bliss. The woman showed her daughter and explained that everything is done with her permission, stressing the part where the girls have total freedom to choose when it comes to waxing. “I have both of my daughters to love every part of themselves! So waxing a unibrow does not mean that they are insecure, it is simply a preference on waxing days, if my daughters do not want to get waxed that day, I do not wax them! This is not a standard that is enforced in my home,” explained Leah.
Image credits: leah_txrealtor
It’s important to talk to kids about bullying, especially knowing how common appearance-related bullying is. We were curious to know if and how Leah talks about this matter with her daughters. “I have raised two very confident little girls, and I assure them every day of their outer and inner beauty. But unfortunately, we live in a world that has the ability to hurt the most confident person’s self-esteem at one point or another so if I can save them from any of it with something as small as waxing a quarter-inch piece of hair, I will do that! Regardless of any hate or opposition I make it from it! My job as a mother is to raise the best children I can, prepare them for the real world, and make sure they are healthy and happy! Other people's opinions of that hold absolutely no weight in my decisions as a mom,” concluded the mom.
What is your opinion on the matter? Don’t forget to leave your thoughts and experiences in the comments down below!
Watch the full video down below!
The video was received with a mix of different opinions, experiences and advice from other TikTok users
