A California dad’s TikTok video has gone viral. Posted over the weekend, dad Christian Shearhod said his 3-year-old son, Ashton, had come home from school very upset. One of his teachers told him that manicures were only for girls.
Christian strongly disagreed with this idea. So, Christian and his girlfriend took his son for a manicure and pedicure. He allowed his son to choose what nail polish to wear, and he went for a bright shade of pink.
Watch below:
@mr.shearhod♬ Pretty Girls Walk – Big Boss Vette
Christian took little Ashton to a nail salon in West Hollywood.
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Christian is also a teacher. He told NBC that Ashton began to show interest in nail polish when he was two years old. “Since then, we started painting our nails together.”
Related: Video of boy receiving a sewing machine for his ninth birthday goes viral on TikTok
On his decision to take Ashton to the salon, Christian said, “I really just wanted to make sure that he didn’t have guilt or shame, because it is something that he enjoyed, and we had done together multiple times.” He added he wants Ashton to enjoy life to the fullest at his age, without “strict gender norms.”
Online, many praised Christian’s parenting skills. Many said that he should also have a word with Ashton’s teacher.
In a follow-up video, Christian filmed himself having a polite chat with someone at the school. However, he said he didn’t want people to condemn the school.
“So before anyone tries to cancel his school; we have to remember that different cultures have different gender norms. And his teachers love him and are really so good to him! As a teacher myself I know his teacher probably thought she was helping him and I highly doubt there was any malicious intent. We’re all on the same page now, thank y’all for all the supportive comments.”
@mr.shearhod Replying to @elainamae ♬ original sound – Christian Shearhod
In another video, he addressed some comments asking him if his son is gay. He pointed out that Ashton is only three years old.
@mr.shearhod Replying to @nachomanzz_ ♬ original sound – Christian Shearhod
News of Ashton’s manicure and pedicure has also gone viral on Reddit. Many men said they’d been hesitant to have a pedicure, but once they tried it, they became converts.
“I’m a woman who gets pedicures regularly and I had a guy friend who always wanted one but was embarrassed about his feet and would always talk himself out of it,” said one woman. “It took years but I finally got him to go with me and get a pedicure. It was life-changing for him and he was a guy who worked on his feet most of the time. He needed it.”
A welder commented, “Can confirm. Manufacturing welder and go with my wife to get a pedi every now and then. My feet thank me.”
Related: Nail polish for men? We love to see it!
Another man said, “Burly construction guy here. When my daughter was young she would paint my toes and fingers. Often times with all kinds of colors. I’d wear the colors until they wore off or she painted over them. Never worried about what others said or thought. I’m comfortable in my own skin and it made her happy. 70 yo now and now my granddaughter paint my nails.
“The point is life is too short to have others try to impose their perception of a cultural norm on you.”
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Invader7
Awesome. Told that Cranky Pants teacher off without actually confronting her. Teach needs to get with the program. It’s the 21st century. And that’s Dad in the TT vids..? He’s a hottie ..
ZzBomb
Whatever happened to let kids be kids and be as imaginative as they want to be?
abfab
RIP Maurice Sendak
bachy
Oh damn. And here I was hoping this article would be a clarion call to start pummeling that teacher and the school with thousands of endless, threatening Twitter condemnations!
We need to JKRowling those old bishes!
/s
Matthewnow
My Dad would probably have killed me (literally) if I asked for something like that back then. This Dad is SPECTACULAR!
Cam
Manicures are only for women? Tell that to all of the musicians, Professional Athletes, Actors, Stock brokers, etc… who regularly get them.
Musk
All those right-wing heads exploding. I love it!
JED08
A lesson in how dads should be.
LumpyPillows
The kid seems older than 3. As far as a child getting their nails done, who cares. Have fun. Means absolutely nothing.
abfab
It means everything. How dare you say such a thing about this young family. I feel like vomiting after reading your comment. God damn.
gothvixen
I know very well that children who are gay can be aware of that long before they understand sexuality. Children are sexualised every time adults insist m-f children are bf & gf; that’s a definition of a romantic and possibly sexual relationship. If any other pairing is mentioned the bigots call it grooming. That means they groom children from the earliest age, as soon as a toddler wobbles over to another and hugs or kisses them. They define showing affection as a ‘joke’ relationship, yet letting children know that it’s ok to hug anyone they care about is supposed to be grooming. They are the ones who won’t let innocent children show natural affection. They are obsessed with sexuality intead of focusing on being kind and loving to all.
abfab
I hear you goth. We went to Benjamin’s third birthday party today, just dwon the street. We are IN LOVE with him and he with us. It was so much fun. We brought cupcakes with day glo sprinkles and candy rainbows.
mz.sam
The kid has great taste in colors. At least it wasn’t black…so rocker-goth yesterday.
Ken A.
As a cosmetologist who does nails, no sourcing my clients to others, sorry not sorry nail techs, I can attest that men of all ages have manicures and, not my favorite, pedicures and have done so for decades. Maybe not the polish except clear polish.
Georgeiv2
Sorry to be a wet blanket but 3 years old ? I dont care if its a boy or a girl they have plenty of time for this late but 3 years old Its the parents choice maybe its American thing treating children as adults but I dont think its healthy !
trojanboy
Sad when this super dad has to bring a school into the modern age. But maybe progress on the horizon. ?