Preschooler has the perfect response to a little boy who didn’t like her hair

4-year-old Leila Danai already knows exactly how to respond when someone gives her feedback she doesn’t need to hear. As one of the only Black children at her preschool Leilia’s mom, Mildred Munjanganja, has coached her on what to say if she gets disrespectful comments about her hair.

And in a TikTok video, Mildred captured Leila’s proud, after-school report about what she told a boy in her class who didn’t like her hairstyle.

“Owen didn’t like my hair, but I said, ‘I like it,'” a beaming Leila says in the video. He said, ‘I don’t like that hair — it’s crazy. And I said, ‘My mommy made it. And if you don’t like it, I’ll keep it for myself.'”

Proud mama Mildred replies, “Oh, baby! I’m so proud of you. You stood up for yourself. That’s what matters. What matters is that you like it — it’s your hair.”

“Mmmhmmm,” Leila replies, still smiling her 1000-watt smile and nodding her head in agreement.

Mildred told Today that self-confidence is something she’s worked on instilling in Leila since a very young age.

“Sometimes she’ll say that she doesn’t like the color, and then I’ll back with, ‘Well, I love it, and I think it looks great on me,'” she explained. “I’m trying to teach her that you don’t have to internalize the opinions of others. And I’m ecstatic that our conversations are really sinking in.”

Mildred added, “She’s always been very emotionally mature and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I don’t modify my language for Leila. I talk to her as if I would an adult — we just talk about age appropriate things. My goal is to prepare her to navigate the world around her because I can’t always be there to protect her.”