Long, shiny acrylic nails are all the rage today. We see all the superstars flashing those gleaming fingers. And forget celebrities, they have become so popular that we can spot a lot of people just around us who have them. The glossy effect looks so appealing that everyone wants them, including teens.

Even the teen in today’s story wanted acrylic nails as a Christmas present. But her mom, Sad-Budget-7955, thought that it was a waste of money and refused, upsetting her husband and the teen in the process. She was also bashed by the Redditors for her behavior.

More info: Reddit

40-year-old woman’s 14-year-old teen daughter wanted acrylic nails as a Christmas present from her parents as she had seen other girls with them

Image credits: Kenneth Surillo (not the actual photo)

But the mother thought that they were a waste of time and the press-ons looked just the same even if they didn’t last as long as the acrylic ones

Image credits: Sad-Budget-7955

Image credits: gpointstudio (not the actual photo)

She said that she would teach the teen how to use them and also take her out for a fancy hairdo, but she rejected this suggestion as she felt that press-ons didn’t look good

Image credits: Sad-Budget-7955

Image credits: Giorgio Trovato (not the actual photo)

Mom felt disrespected and refused to agree with the girl’s wish, saying that she could get what she wanted if she had her own money

Image credits: Sad-Budget-7955

She also dismissed her husband when he tried to intervene and now both the family members were unhappy with her behavior

The main character in today’s story is a 40-year-old mother who has a 14-year-old daughter. As a Christmas present, the girl wanted to go to a nail salon and get those long acrylic nails. And to be fair, what teen wouldn’t? But the mom outright refused as she thought they were a waste of money and expected her daughter to use press-ons as she does, saying that they look just as nice even if they don’t last as long. Mommy also said that she would teach her how to do it.

And to compensate for the acrylics, she even mentioned that she would take the teen for a hair appointment and get something fancy done. But that was not what the girl wanted, so it was only natural for her to say no to this suggestion. As per her, nobody gets press-ons as they don’t look good. Apparently, this statement hurt the mom as she felt she did a good job with her nails. 

She didn’t like being “disrespected” and replied that the girl could take her offer or leave it. The daughter protested and said, “I would be made fun of for having press-ons and not the real thing.” If you look at it from a 14-year-old’s perspective, conforming with peers matters a lot, so our heart reaches out to her when she says this, doesn’t it? But her mom angrily retorted that she was not wasting her money on it unless the teen had her own money, which she didn’t.

The woman’s husband also tried to intervene and reason with her. He felt that she was being rather harsh and also mentioned how acrylics were a status symbol among girls now. To this, she replied that a 14-year-old did not need to have a status symbol. However, he argued that they could easily afford a trip to the salon and get them done without any issue. Well, she was having none of it and just dismissed him. 

According to her, it was not about the money but the thing on which the money was being spent. And as she had mentioned before, acrylics were a total waste of dollars for her. But now, both of her family members were unhappy with her. So, she went online and asked Redditors whether her actions were wrong.

Image credits: Konstantin Mishchenko (not the actual photo)

The Redditors sided with the daughter, saying that she was just a 14-year-old kid who was asking for a Christmas present and her mom was denying her that. Even if the mother herself disliked acrylic nails, the daughter had a right to her own opinion and she could choose what she wanted.

From what the kid said, it looked like her peers and friends all had them and she just wanted to conform with the people around her, because fitting in feels good rather than being made fun of. Research also shows that belonging to a group confers a sense of identity, which can lift self-esteem and security. And that’s just what she was looking for.

The husband’s argument about the popularity of acrylic nails was also pretty sane, because when you look at the statistics, the global artificial nail market size was valued at $1.57 billion in 2023. Netizens also called out the woman for simply dismissing her husband and not giving him a say in the matter. They commented that both parents should get an equal opportunity to buy a gift for their child, which is true enough.

Folks also argued that since money was not the question for the woman, they could only sum up that she wanted to control her child. As per MedicineNet, “Controlling parents are not able to hold back when their children make decisions on their own. These parents believe they should make decisions for their children at all times. However, criticizing your child or constantly overriding their decisions can severely lower their self-esteem.” It looks like the mother is doing more damage to the girl than she realizes. 

Some online peeps stressed that having those popular nails isn’t healthy. Research has proven, “Acrylic products can cause damage to the nails themselves. They may cause a condition called ‘worn-down nail syndrome,’ which involves the thinning of the nail after exposure to acrylics and nail filing.” So what the netizens are saying is true. However, they also expressed that the daughter should do what she wants as she can learn from her own mistakes. But first, she needs to be exposed to these things and not be controlled by the mother.

Would you agree with the Redditors or do you side with the mom? Before we move ahead, let us know about your thoughts on the story. If you feel that the netizens’ verdict doesn’t match with your thinking, just scroll down and type away in the comments section.

She also faced backlash from netizens as they thought that since money was not an issue, she was just trying to control her daughter

Image credits: prostooleh (not the actual photo)

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