Moms handle a lot of hard tasks in day-to-day life. While many are prepared for what they know they'll be facing, life has a way of surprising you. Stephanie Plucknette learned that very lesson when her children appeared after being in another room for just a few minutes, and chunks of their hair were buzzed off.
Stephanie's oldest son, 5-year-old Teddy, decided to play barber after getting his hands on a pair of electric clippers. Since mom was in the shower getting ready for her night shift as a nurse, there was no stopping him. He didn't just treat himself to a very unique haircut, however. He also hooked up his 3-year-old sister, Eloise, and 2-year-old brother, Fred.
The moment was too good to pass up, so Stephanie grabbed her phone to document it all. While she was admittedly in tears when she first saw what happened, she quickly got it together and turned this into an A+ parenting moment.
Stephanie Plucknette is a hardworking mom of three. She's also a nurse, which is a tough job in itself.
Stephanie was getting ready for a night shift. She took a shower while 5-year-old Teddy, 3-year-old Eloise, and 2-year-old Fred played together in the next room.
It took only eight minutes for things to go crazy. Stephanie went into the kitchen to discover Teddy had found the electric clippers.
Stephanie grabbed her phone to document the moment. She was teary-eyed as she panned to her two older children's patchy heads.
Stephanie asked Eloise if she liked her haircut. The little girl had a bit of a smirk, but she said, "No."
She asked Teddy if he cut Fred's hair. He said he did, and she commended him on his honesty. She kept repeating that it was just hair, and it would grow back.
Stephanie's younger brother saw the videos on her Instagram story and asked if he could share them on Twitter. Neither of them thought the videos would go so viral.
Stephanie told BuzzFeed News that she did become a bit concerned as the video spread.
"These are my kids and you can't take this stuff back," she said. "I am private. This is fun, but I also want to be protective over my children."
Most people who saw the video applauded Stephanie for her good parenting. Nothing can prepare you for moments like that, but she handled it incredibly well.
As for the kids' hair, Stephanie and her husband did the best they could. Teddy was very proud of his "no hair" haircut.
Fred's hair was already pretty short, so his transformation was a little less drastic. He still looks pretty happy with it.
Eloise's hair was a little more complicated. They waited a bit, letting the back regrow some length.
Thankfully, with some help from a stylist, they were able to cut her hair into a style. Stephanie joked that it's the "speak to the manager" haircut.
Stephanie's ace mom moment is a lesson to us all. It's easy to blow up when your kids do something that they shouldn't. But remembering that it's usually something that will blow over will help you manage your emotions and respond in a more measured way.
