Moment Mom Realizes What 11-Year-Old Daughter Had Been Doing With Scissors

A mom was shocked to discover that her 11-year-old daughter had made some noticeable modifications to her school uniform.

Becky Measures, a BBC Radio presenter based in the U.K., took to her TikTok account to ask followers whether the changes her daughter had made were “genius” or “ridiculous.” The response was a resounding one.

“She has been talking about doing it for ages as she gets too hot; my argument was, ‘Well, just take your jumper off,'” Measures told Newsweek. “Apparently, they are not allowed, and she prefers wearing her jumper to the shirt.”

The debate over whether children should wear school uniforms is an ongoing one. In 2016, a study published in the International Journal of Educational Management found that school uniforms encourage better listening and discipline in the classroom.

The approach is not without its downsides, though. In 2024, a University of Cambridge study, based on an analysis of 1 million students aged from 5 through to 17, concluded that, in countries where the majority of schools require students to wear uniforms, fewer young people met the average of 60 minutes of physical activity per day recommended by the World Health Organization.

For Measures’ daughter, the issue she had with her school uniform was one of comfort. She found it too hot wearing the required shirt and sweater.

So she decided to do something about it, by trimming the shirt in half with a pair of scissors, just below the arms, and continuing to wear her sweater over the top to conceal the change.

Measures said she is “pretty sure” no one at school has noticed what her daughter has done. The mom might not have seen it either, were it not for the fact she stumbled upon it while doing the laundry.

“I went to get her washing [from her daughter’s room] when I found the ‘contraption’ and realized,” Measures said. “I hadn’t noticed that’s what she had been doing, so I’m quite sure no one else had.”

Eager to see what others thought of her daughter’s invention, Measures turned to social media with the video posted to her TikTok, @becky.measures. The response was a resounding thumbs-up to what her daughter had come up with.

At the time of writing, the clip has been watched nearly 390,000 times, with viewers applauding her efforts.

“GENIUS! AND no teachers constantly saying tuck your shirt in,” one wrote.

“You know what this is smart,” another said, while a third added: “Get that girl a sewing machine, she has potential!”

Measures said her daughter has seen the responses to the video and is “feeling very smug right now.”

“She had been talking about doing it for ages, and I have always said no; now, she has the backing of most of the internet,” Measures added.

The reaction has also helped her mother to decide whether her daughter’s efforts are “ridiculous” or “genius.” Measures said: “I suppose I have to be proud of how innovative she is.”

Though it is all intended as a bit of fun, Measures added that she thinks there is a good message behind what happened. “Never underestimate your child’s initiative,” she said. “It could just be the multi-million-pound idea you have been looking for.”