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LeVar Burton steps in to help a beloved California library reopening after devastating fires

The adage "never meet your heroes" is usually pretty sound advice, but not so for LeVar Burton.

LeVar Burton, event, library, altadena library, recovery, literacy
Images via Kathryn Ross

Two months after the Eaton Fire, Altadena Library hosts community event with legend LeVar Burton

As California continues to recover from devastating wildfires, a beloved library in Altadena hosted a grand reopening event coordinated by Altadena Library director Nikki Winslow. The event took place outdoors in the library's parking lot complete with food, crafts, face painting, free books, and a reading from none other than literacy advocate and legend LeVar Burton.

Best known as the beloved host of Reading Rainbow, for playing Kunta Kinte in the 1977 television adaptation of Alex Haley's groundbreaking 1976 novel Roots, and as Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Burton's career spans nearly five decades.

I got to sit down with Burton minutes before the event and chat about the importance of libraries in our communities and how we can support them, especially in times of tragedy.


- YouTubewww.youtube.com


The adage "never meet your heroes" is usually pretty sound advice, but not so for LeVar Burton. I had the privilege of growing up on Reading Rainbow, first watched Roots in school, and enjoyed an Earth Day marathon or two of Captain Planet over the years. In short, Burton has been a big part of my life, and having the opportunity to meet and talk with him was equal parts humbling and exhilarating.

"Hey!" Burton said as he walked in and offered a fist bump. "I just saw you outside!" A little earlier as I'd walked to the library, Burton drove past in a dark car with the window down and called out, 'Hello! Thanks for coming out!" Immediately my nervousness about interviewing such a tremendous figure disappeared, and it didn't return as we sat together on opposite sides of a table in an empty room near the library's entrance.

Altadena is a historically Black neighborhood and has been something of a haven to African American residents for generations. Rampant redlining in the 1960s and 70s blocked Black families and business owners from securing homes and property in other parts of California, but Altadena, nestled at the base of the San Gabriel mountains, is where many Black families achieved homeownership and were able to begin building generational wealth. These homes stayed in their families for generations, but many were lost as the Eaton Fire blazed. Severely damaged by the catastrophic fire, Altadena has been fighting for relief and recovery.

According to the Altadena Libraries website, the Altadena Library district began as a single bookshelf in 1908, but grew into an independent special district in late 1926. In 1967, the main library, designed by architect Boyd Georgi, opened on Mariposa Street—Altadena's historic Christmas Tree Lane—where it stands today.

The Altadena Libraries (including the Bob Lucas branch on Lincoln Avenue), closed in mid April 2024 to begin extensive renovations, with the website providing updates on its progress through September 2024. During the fire, the main library thankfully remained structurally in tact and operated as a hub for first responders to access supplies and shelter. On March 4, it officially reopened to the public.

We jumped right into my first question: "Why was it important for you to be a part of the library's grand reopening?" I asked. "How did this all come about?"

Burton sat thoughtfully for a moment. 'Well...when tragedies like this happen, I know I'm sitting on a resource that could be of value," he said.

He then relayed how his involvement began in internal talks at his company, LeVar Burton Entertainment, when he got a call from a friend, writer and Altadena resident Katherine Beattie, who wrote one of the NCIS: New Orleans episodes Burton directed in 2019. In 2014, Burton published his children's book, The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm, with fellow writer Susan Bernardo through Reading Rainbow. The book features a story within a story, where a young mouse named Mica is comforted by her Papa reading a story about a rhino who loses everything he loves in a storm and embarks on a journey toward healing. Beattie wanted to know if she could get a hold of some copies of Rhino to donate to families impacted by the Eaton fire.

That led to a conversation at Burton's company's weekly team meeting, which led to Burton's agent, William Morris Endeavor (WME) and their impact team getting involved.

"I'm getting emotional," Burton said as his voice broke. He continued, "Other people started stepping forward volunteering goods and services...and the initial impetus was just to, you know, donate books, to donate as many copies as we could...that was our original intention: 'get these copies to Los Angeles and get them to the Altadena Library.' And then...yeah...shit blew up."

Burton bursts into laughter while wiping his eyes. His emotional response made me wonder whether, beyond the tragedy, Burton has a personal connection to the city of Altadena given its history for Black Angelenos.

"I'm from Sacramento," he began, "where we don't have an 'Altadena.' However, I've lived in Southern California since 1974 and I recognize the value and the unique spirit of Altadena and places like it in these United States...well," he paused sadly, "these formerly United States." Taking a beat he exhaled and said, "This is important to me."

I told him I understood exactly what he meant, and after a moment, we moved on to my next question: "How can we best support local libraries and their communities especially after a disaster like this one?"

"By visiting them, right?" Burton replied. "The [Altadena] library has been open, but this is a sort of a public awareness celebration of the fact that this community resource is available...so, go to your public library! Engage the librarians who are national treasures and check out books and expand your reading horizons, indulge in your reading proclivities. Just...go to the library."

He sat back in his chair and smiled, his eyes still a little misty. I smiled and nodded, soaking it all in.

LeVar Burton, Reading Rainbow, Star Trek, Roots, Captain Planet, living legendCaptain Planet Stitcher GIF by LeVar BurtonGiphy


"So," I said. "Millions of people can attribute their love of reading to you and Reading Rainbow. Can you share a meaningful interaction you've had with a fan or viewer of the show?"

With a quick laugh, Burton launched into a story:

"So, pulling up here this morning," he said with a smile, "I got out of the car and I started walking and there was a little girl. Her name is Mariah and she's about that big—" he held his hand barely three feet above the ground, "and her mom said, 'Oh! Is that LeVar?' I turned around and I said, 'Hi!' and Mariah lit up. She said, 'Hi, LeVar!'" It turns out Mariah's mother has been showing her daughter Reading Rainbowepisodes for just three weeks. "She ran and jumped into my arms! Now," Burton said, his voice breaking with emotion again, 'that made my day. It made my day."

I then asked how it feels to know his work has spanned generations of people.

Burton said, "Well, it's wild...I am acutely aware that I have been blessed with what I consider the three tentpoles of my career—I call them the jewels in my crown: Roots, Star Trek and Reading Rainbow."

"Wow," I whispered.

"I know, right?" Burton said. We laughed. "And this work has enabled me to be able to touch multiple generations of human beings and that's not only rare...um, it continues to blow me away. I don't know that I have words, Kat," he said. "Really, honestly. I recognize that I have been continually, remarkably blessed in my life and I come from a family for whom service is critical—key—to being a human being. And I have found this life of mine to enable me to be of service."

This brought us to my penultimate question: "How can we better promote literacy in diverse and inclusive spaces?"

"Well, first of all, I think we need to promote literacy in all spaces. Especially in those spaces that are not diverse and inclusive," noted Burton. He continued, "Because reading promotes empathy. And in the current climate today, it is those who are trying to dismantle inclusion and diversity that need to read more."

Here Burton paused for a moment before adding, "That's all I'm gonna say about that," with a meaningful look.

I took his lead and zeroed in on my final question of the morning: "Considering what's happened here in Altadena, do you think promoting empathy through reading will help those who are very far away from this tragedy feel it themselves? We see these things happen in other parts of the world and, unfortunately, they don't hit as close as when they're right near you."

At this, Burton leaned forward:

"We're at ground zero as we sit here," he said. "Driving in this morning, it's the first time I've been in the neighborhood since the fires were put out. I don't actually know if this event today will have any far-reaching impact beyond Southern California. We are still very much acutely aware of and carry with us on a daily basis the impact of this tragedy... And I know that the world is busy...at the speed of which the world is moving we are, all of us, engaged in the business of living on a daily basis. There isn't always enough time or opportunity to step outside of ourselves and focus on these moments of tragedy beyond the immediacy of the events themselves, the incident itself, right?

"So, it was obvious we had the attention and the compassion of the world community because this is a global story. And so is Israel and Palestine," Burton added soberingly. "And I know that my attention isn't always on that. I know there's a place in my heart, but my focus isn't always there because...Monday through Friday? I got shit to do."

I nodded as we sat in that moment together, our thoughts suddenly far from the library and the fair going on outside.

"But I hope," Burton continued, "that if word of this event gets out that it's a reminder of, hey, you know, this community is recovering and recovery will take a long time and if you can spare a moment for a thought or a prayer...please do. I really do believe that, at least for me, my focus today is on this community. I'm a firm believer in doing what I can from where I stand today. And today, I stand in Altadena."

With that, our conversation was over. We stood up as I thanked him, took a picture together that I'll cherish forever, and he gave me a tight hug. In an hour's time, Burton read to a crowd of nearly 500, made up of kids, parents, adults, volunteers, and visiting public officials. At one point the crowd sang the Reading Rainbow theme song to Burton, and as he read from his book, listeners were delighted by his animated, silly voices and his impactful reading pace that brought the gravity of the story home.

LeVar Burton, Reading rainbow, interview, altadena library, literacy, library eventMeeting LeVar.Image from Kathryn Ross

So, do meet your heroes if you get the chance. Sometimes it can be the experience of a lifetime—but don't take my word for it.

Science

Innovative farm in Virginia can grow 4 million pounds of strawberries on less than one acre

This method uses 97 percent less land and up to 90 percent less water than conventional farming.

A new way to grow strawberries with less land, less water, and more berries.

Strawberry farm harvests aren't something most of us calculate on a regular basis (or ever at all), but the numbers from a strawberry farm in Richmond, Virginia, are staggering enough to make it worth an old-school word problem. If the average American eats 8 pounds of strawberries a year, and an average strawberry farm yields approximately 20,000 pounds of berries per acre, how many people could a 200-acre strawberry field feed?

I won't make you do the math. The answer is 500,000 people. But what if a crop that size, providing enough strawberries for half a million people, could be grown on just one acre instead of 200? It's possible. You just have to go—or rather grow—up, up, up.

Indoor vertical farm company Plenty Unlimited knows a lot about growing up. In fact, it's their entire business model. Instead of the sprawling fields that traditional farming methods require, vertical farms have a much smaller land footprint, utilizing proprietary towers for growing. Plenty has used vertical farming methods to grow greens such as lettuce, kale, spinach and more for years, but now it boasts a vertical berry farm that can yield a whopping 4 million pounds of strawberries on a little less than an acre.

Growing indoors means not being at the mercy of weather or climate inpredictability (barring a storm taking out your building), which is wise in the era of climate change. Unlike a traditional greenhouse which still uses the sun for light, Plenty's indoor vertical farms make use of the latest technology and research on light, pinpointing the wavelengths plants need from the sun to thrive and recreating them with LED lights. Plenty farms also don't use soil, as what plants really need is water and nutrients, which can be provided without soil (and with a lot less water than soil requires). Being able to carefully control water and nutrients means you can more easily control the size, taste and uniformity of the berries you’re growing.

If that sounds like a lot of control, it is. And that idea might freak people out. But when a highly controlled environment means not having to use pesticides and using up to 90% less water than traditional farming, it starts to sound like a solid, sustainable farming innovation.

Plenty even uses AI in its strawberry farm, according to its website:

“Every element of the Plenty Richmond Farm–including temperature, light and humidity–is precisely controlled through proprietary software to create the perfect environment for the strawberry plants to thrive. The farm uses AI to analyze more than 10 million data points each day across its 12 grow rooms, adapting each grow room’s environment to the evolving needs of the plants – creating the perfect environment for Driscoll’s proprietary plants to thrive and optimizing the strawberries’ flavor, texture and size.”

Plenty even has its own patent-pending method of pollinating the strawberry flowers that doesn’t require bees. Even just the fact that this enormous crop of strawberries will be coming from Virginia is notable, since the vast majority of strawberries in the U.S. are grown in California.

strawberry fieldTraditional strawberry farming takes up a lot of land.Photo credit: Canva

Plenty's Richmond farm is currently growing strawberries exclusively for Driscoll’s.

“Partnering with Plenty for the launch of the Richmond Farm allows us to bring our premium strawberries closer to consumers in the Northeast, the largest berry consumption region in the U.S.,” Driscoll’s CEO Soren Bjorn said in a press release. “By combining our 100 years of farming expertise and proprietary varieties along with Plenty’s cutting-edge technology, we can deliver the same consistent flavor and quality our customers love — now grown locally. This new innovative farm is a powerful step forward in continuing to drive category growth in new ways for our customers and consumers.”

Is Plenty’s model the farm of the future? Perhaps it’s one option, at least. The more we grapple with the impact of climate change and outdated, unsustainable farming practices, the more innovative ideas we’ll need to feed the masses. If they can get 4 million pounds of strawberries out of an acre of land, what else is possible?

This article originally appeared in February

Education

Mom is shocked when her daughter says state writing exams don’t involve writing anymore

“Are you saying that in the 1900s you had to hand write all of your exams?”

Mom shocked after daughter reveals there's no writing in state writing exam.

State standardized testing isn't something that most kids or parents look forward to. They're typically long, boring, and don't accurately measure how well every child understands the information they've been taught throughout the year. But it's currently the only way for states to get measurable data on the education happening in public schools.

Erin Monroe was driving her daughter to school when she learned her daughter had state testing in English Language Arts (ELA). To no one's surprise, Monroe's daughter was not thrilled about taking state testing, especially for a test that likely required a lot of reading and writing. This was Monroe's time to shine by pulling out her pep talking and comforting skills to ensure her 6th grader had positive words to remember during testing.

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The mom wasn't prepared for the emotional whiplash she was about to endure when her daughter dropped the truth of her ELA exam. There's no manual writing involved.

"I was like, I get it. It's a lot of work. It's a lot of reading and writing but we all had to do it. Just do your very best and get to it, I know your hand's going to really be hurting at the end of the day," Monroe recalls about the conversation with her confused daughter before reiterating to her child that it involves a lot of writing.

This bit of information not only confused but amused the middles schooler who came back with a bit of a reality check for the mom by giving her the amusing truth of today. "And she goes, 'wait, are you trying...are you saying that in the 1900s you had to handwrite all of your exams?'"

diane guerrero latina GIF by IdentityGiphy

She threw in the 1900s. THE. 1900s. As if to make it seem like this millennial mom was really riding in a buggy trying to survive dysentery. After the insult and revelation that there was no handwriting involved in the state ELA test, Monroe jokingly kicked her daughter out of her car.

"You're trying to tell me you're complaining about doing your exam and you get to type it? Um, absolutely not. First of all don't call it the early 1900s and it was good character development," Monroe says she told her daughter.

There's something about the reminder of growing up in the "1900s" that just takes the wind out of your metaphorical sailboat. Viewers of the video were equally amused and shocked by this seemingly new information with one person recalling, "The fear they instilled in us for not having #2 pencils."

"Do the blue books not exist anymore?!?!?!?!?" someone demanded to know.

"My kids literally said their state tests are on their laptops & I wholeheartedly got mad for a second, if you don’t give these kids a scantron!!!!!!!" another chimes in.

Dexters Laboratory Type GIFGiphy

"I still have the calluses on my index finger… 20 years later," someone else jokes.

"My 6th grader was also complaining about her writing exam and it never even occurred to me that she wasn't actually writing.. I'm going to go sit in the rocking chair and watch Wheel of Fortune," another commenter writes.

"I was showing kids the 'tools' they can use to take their test - ruler, highlighter, magnifier, etc. I'm the librarian and also teach some tech, but I used to teach 4th grade, so I was explaining that the last time I gave the test, it was on paper and the tools were cardstock. One of the kids said, 'What, in, like, 1965'?' I'm 49. Child."

Modern Families

Mom calls out unfair 'double standard' of boomer grandparents who don't help with childcare

"I love my mom dearly, but I'm surprised at how little effort she puts in."

A stressed mom and her happy, busy parents.

As far as generational stereotypes go, baby boomers (1946 to 1964) have often been accused of being a self-absorbed generation that has had no problem hoarding wealth, disregarding the environment, and prioritizing their own interests over their families. After all, they’re the generation that predominantly raised Gen X (1965 to 1980) and older millennials ('80s babies), also known as Gen Goonie, who were the least parented group of people in decades.

It’s unfair to paint an entire generation with the same brush. Still, the people who were once called the “Me Generation” are developing a reputation for being less involved in their grandchildren’s lives than their parents. The different grandparenting styles have been attributed to the fact that boomers worked longer and therefore want to enjoy their retirement. They also have more money than their parents to enjoy traveling and pursuing their hobbies. Those looking to take shots at boomers claim that they didn’t put a lot of effort into raising their kids, so why would they be any different with their grandkids?

boomers, grandparents, absentee grandparents, milennials, grandpa, grandmaBaby boomer grandparents.via Canva/Photos

A mother of one, who goes by TheCalmQuail on Mumsnet (a UK-based mothers' forum), made a controversial post, calling out a significant double standard when it comes to boomers. They had no problem having their parents help raise their kids, but they don’t want to extend the same courtesy to their children.

“It's come up in a few conversations with other parents recently about how little time their parents spend with their children, especially in comparison to when they were younger and at their grandparents' daily,” CalmQuail wrote. “Myself included, I avoided nursery completely when my mother went back to work because free daily childcare from a relative, and some of my happiest regular memories are spending regular one-on-one time with my Nana.”

“I realise grandparents are entitled to their own lives, but the lack of help does seem like double standards, when a large majority have seemingly had so much help themselves,” she continued.

stressed mom, young mom, stressed millennial, woman hands on her head, woman on couchA stressed mom with her head in her hands.via Canva/Photos

CalmQuail added that her mother lives up the road from her but still finds excuses not to help our child or even spend time with her kid. “It often feels like she's an extra toddler, as I have to suggest stuff to tempt her to do anything together; I manage the logistics, drive her there, etc. She will be there for emergency childcare requests when possible,” she continued. At the end of her post, she asked whether she was being unreasonable for thinking that her parents should put as much effort into raising their grandchildren as they had put into raising their parents.

The verdict: 68% thought she was NOT being unreasonable, and 32% felt that she was being unreasonable. Therefore, a majority of parents on the forum believe that Baby Boomers have the same responsibility to their grandchildren as the Silent Generation (1928 to 1945) did to theirs.

Many parents on the forum have experienced similar situations with their boomer parents and have given them a little grace by acknowledging that their grandparents didn’t have many resources or retirement expectations, so they dedicated their energy to their families.

stressed woman, tired mom, woman doing laundry, woman needs help, crying woman, folding laundryA stressed mom doing laundry.via Canva/Photos

“I know this will turn into a boomer bashing thread but my experience is my parents and their friends are early retirees with a fair bit of cash and feel they’ve earnt a nice easy long comfortable retirement (they have worked hard but only the same as us except we can’t afford a nanny, cleaner etc like they did…).so they’re busy on holidays, golfing, socialising,” a commenter wrote. “My grandparents were typical of their generation—very hard working, modest life, and incredibly family orientated, they had us every holiday.”

“I don’t think my grandparents had much in the way of expectations of retirement,” another commenter added. “They retired relatively early by today’s standards, and lived far longer than they expected. There wasn’t much of a sense of ‘enjoying your retirement’ by jetting off around the world or pursuing personal hobbies - they were always there and available.”

Ultimately, there’s nothing wrong with baby boomers enjoying their retirement, but their children have a right to feel a bit miffed by the shift in grandparenting priorities. As times change, so do expectations, but why does it feel like younger people are always getting the short end of the stick when it comes to life's necessities, such as childcare and the cost of living? Unfortunately, so many younger people feel like they have to go it alone. However, kudos to the boomer grandparents who do help out with childcare, just as their parents did. As they say, it takes a village to raise a child, and these days, our villages need to be growing instead of shrinking.

Joy

Rob Lowe's attempt to delight kids by dressing as the Easter Bunny goes hilariously wrong

Not even his celebrity status could spare him form this all-too-relatable parenting moment.

David Shankbone/Wikipedia, Oriental Trading

Rob Lowe (left) East Bunny costume (right)

When you’re a parent, sometimes those well-intentioned plans to add a little magic to your kid’s lives go off without a hitch, and other times…not so much. This goes especially for anything involving costumed characters. Santa, clowns, Disney mascots, you name it—they can either be a dream come true, or a living, screaming nightmare.

And that’s why a video showing actor Rob Lowe accidentally striking utter terror into the hearts of a few kids this past Easter Sunday feels like such a “stars, they're just like us” moment.

Lowe, who had apparently been celebrating the holiday with his Parks and Recreation co-star Chris Pratt, attempted to infuse some Easter joy by dressing up in an Easter Bunny costume. It even had a sky blue jacket and matching bowtie.

In an Instagram reel shared on April 21 by Pratt’s wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt, we first see Lowe getting into his ensemble.

“Rob, this looks incredible,” Schwarzenegger says.

Cut to a fully dressed Lowe Bunny making his grand entrance…to the sound of children screaming in horror. No amount of eggs scattered on the ground could quell their fears and pretty soon Lowe Bunny hops away in retreat.

Lowe later shows up, very sweaty and out of breath, to Easter lunch (sans Bunny costume) pretending like he has no idea what just happened.

"I just hopped on over when I heard he was here,” he quips, to which Pratt says "Oh, you missed him!"

Honestly the whole thing very much plays out like a classic Parks and Rec scene. Watch:

Down in the comments, people got a good chuckle at the relatable fiasco.

“The fact that this is real life and not a show is absolutely incredible.”

“The screaming children make it worth it 😂”

“Literally…the greatest Easter moment😂”

“Lmao he tried so hard 😂 poor bunny was falling apart 😂”

“It’s the cottontail and kid hysterics for me 😂”

One person even joked, “OMG John Stamos dressed as the Easter bunny at your brunch? 😋😂” referencing a funny moment that happened not three days prior, where a Hollywood tour guide accidentally mistook the West Wing actor for Stamos. Poor Lowe is having a week.

All jokes aside, it can be easy for adults to forget that young children's fear of costumes, also known as masklophobia, can stem from a few key factors. For one thing, they haven't yet developed the ability to differentiate between fantasy and reality, making it deeply unsettling for a character—whose life-sized version feels ginormous—to suddenly appear in real life.

Plus, masks present a slew of scaries. Kid's facial recognition skills are still developing, and they may find it unsettling to see a face hidden behind a mask or costume, especially if they're not used to it. Even for those youngsters who are adept at facial recognition, the static expression of a masked character can also seem intimidating because they are difficult to read and therefore hard to know what their intentions are.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Lastly, the whole thing might just be a little too much for kids who are sensitive to a lot of stimuli. That’s why it’s helpful for parents to be mindful of where a child’s limits are, and work around them. But hey, parenting mistakes happen. And once the screams are over, we can all have a good laugh about them.

Image via Canva

Mom removes young daughter's mustache after she is bullied.

Kids can find plenty of reasons to bully one another, and for many young girls, an easy target for bullies is making fun of dark hair or peach fuzz above the upper lip.

Rather than let her daughter's 'mustache' subject her to ridicule from her classmates, mom Aubrye (@eyrbua) shared on TikTok that she decided to remove it. It's a decision that's sparked debate among other parents.

"My daughter came home from school one day crying saying kids were making fun of her mustache and asked me to 'take it off," she shared in the video's caption.

@eyrbua

#girlmom #girlhood #momsoftiktok #parentsoftiktok #daughter #momanddaughter #fyp #girls #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #blowthisupforme

In the video, Aubrye can be seen removing her daughter's unwanted facial hair in the video while the song "Being a Girl" by Jonica plays in the background. In the caption, she explains her decision to take off the extra peach fuzz: "I reassured her that she was beautiful no matter what but if she wanted me to to take it off for her to feel better I'd do that," she writes.

She ends the caption with a closing statement to solidify the choice: "I always want my baby to feel beautiful and confident."

In the comment section, Aubrye added an update on how it made her daughter feel. "Since doing it, her confidence is through the roof, her grades have gotten better and she comes home from school happy all the time. Definitely worth seeing my little girl happy," she wrote.


mustache, girl, gif, tiktok, debateGirl Illustration GIF by Valérie BoivinGiphy

Many parents were supportive of Aubrye's decision.

"Thank you for helping her instead of just telling her to suck it up."

"I would never understand mothers who refuse to let their daughters shave."

"This is how you parent correctly. My daughter came home complaining about her eyebrows saying people were making fun of her. So I cleaned them up for her," one parent shared, to which Aubrye replied, "You’re a great mama 🩷 I always want to support my daughters and help their confidence any way I can."

applause, praise, gif, support, clapJennifer Lopez Applause GIF by NBC World Of DanceGiphy

Others were more conflicted about it:

"I also have a small daughter but I don't know how I feel about it because okay she took her little mustache off but what's next? If they don't like something else about her, she's gonna try to keep changing for these kids. She should just learn to be a little tougher. Or maybe just go to the school directly. I don't know I feel so conflicted."

"Personally, I’d be teaching my kid to verbally and if necessary physically stand up to bullies. Teaching them that conventional beauty is fake. It’s made up. My kid should not be shaving or changing her body in ANY way. Just to accommodate someone else’s opinions of them. To me, that just teaches them to do that their whole lives. I’d rather teach my kid to clock a bully than be a doormat."

"My daughter has been bullied for the same reason! But I have taught her to always say my mustache makes me special 🥰 and it has worked for her confidence to have a cute mustache🥸."

Whether people agreed or disagreed with her decision to remove her daughter's mustache, the post resonated with many women who grew up with the same experience:

"Ok so I’m 52 and this is me. Kids use to bully me for having a mustache and unibrow. This was back in the 80s. Kid were even meaner. Thank you for hearing her. And helping her. No one helped me," one wrote.

Another shared, "I got bullied for my mustache. Didn’t shave it until an adult and only to scrape the dead skin off. Teach your kids to love themselves. They’d say 'you’re a girl, why do you have a mustache?!'"

"My mom never let me and she doesn’t know how much it affected me that she didn’t," shared one more.