Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, filled with great food, drink and adventure. But for actor and producerJessica Biel, her recent European trip also included a generous dose of mom-shaming.
Did she forget to lather her son, Silas, up with sunscreen before sailing the Swedish coast? Did she get a little too rowdy and post an expletive-laced rant on Instagram? No. Her crime was so much more innocuous: She let her 3-year-old son grow out his hair.
More:Jessica Biel & Justin Timberlake Open Up About Her Emergency C-Section
“Please explain to me why a Mother like yourself won’t cut your little boys hair ??” one person commented on one of Biel’s vacation photos.
Another wrote, “Why it’s that little boy with such a long hair??? Pleaseee cut them off he look like a girl.!”
View this post on Instagram
Grammatical errors aside, these arguments are just so tired and overdone. Let’s lay out some facts: Gender is a social construct, and there are more ways to identify than just “boy” or “girl”; your hair length doesn’t define your identity or sexuality; you don’t have to — and won’t — always agree with someone else’s parenting choices.
Biel, however, doesn’t seem to mind the peanut gallery who come after celebrity parents for every little thing. She and husband Justin Timberlake seem totally content doing things their way, like teaching Silas basic sex-education facts early.
More:How Jessica Biel Stays Sane Even Amid the Chaos
“We’re using technical terms… we shower together and [we say]. ‘This is what I’ve got. This is what you’ve got.’ We just talk about it,” Biel said at the 2018 Makers Conference in Los Angeles in February. “I know it’s really young, but I really believe that if you start this early, there’s no shame.”
If she can be that chill about sex-ed, we can all be a little more relaxed when it comes to other people’s kids’ hairstyles. Trust us; it’ll benefit mankind and your blood pressure.
Leave a Comment