I’ve shared with you a time or two some of the many tricks I use to have my daughters sit still long enough to comb their hair. Popcorn for Pony Tails has to be the most popular method with my youngest daughter, Morgan. My two older daughters insist on a movie or any show on the Disney Channel while I comb their hair. Regardless of the method, there is a certain amount of negotiation that takes place in my home around hair. It is a give and take.
I don’t think I am alone on this one. I used to think I was the only mother in the world who bribes her children. My mother assures me this method of parenting has been around since the dawn of time so I don’t feel too guilty any more. I seem to always start the hair process with statements like this:
“Morgan, if you let Mommy comb your hair, you can watch Barney.”
“Morgan, if you sit back down in the chair, you can have some popcorn.”
“Morgan, if you let Mommy finish this side of your head, you can have a sucker.”
Don’t feel too bad about bribing your kids to sit still.
Of course, Morgan is only 2, and I realize younger children require more “coaxing” than older children. So I pray for the day when Morgan willingly allows me to comb her hair the way her older sisters do now. We don’t call her the Morganator for nothing!
I was recently reminded of the ways I negotiated hair time with Madison when she was younger. The deal I made with her was she could do my hair once I finished her hair. It worked like a charm every time! On a recent lazy Saturday morning, Maddie asked if she could do my hair since I hadn’t readied myself for the day yet. I said, “Sure!”
So I sat on the living room floor for close to an hour while 3 of the cutest miniature stylists performed acts of beauty on my head. They never seem to grow frustrated with the silky nature of my hair or how pony tail holders always fall out of my hair. They never seem to mind how straight my hair is. My children had so much fun making me “more beautiful” and I found myself incredibly relaxed as they loved my hair. I was so relaxed that I almost fell asleep sitting straight up! I promptly snapped to attention when McKenzie explained, “Look! It’s changing color!” I pay a lot of money to maintain this color! At least I didn’t hear, “Hand me the scissors!” Thank you for small mercies!
At last count, I was rocking 12 pony tails, 15 clips, and at least a dozen squirts of every liquid product I own. It was a great day and I felt incredibly loved. The art of negotiation over hair made way for a morning of bonding with my favorite girls. I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world! And just so you know, no one was hurt in the snapping of this photo of “Queen Crazy Hair.”
