Dad goes viral for taking 3-year-old son to get nails painted after teacher says it’s just for girls

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.

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.”