raising godzillas

How NOT to say no to your preteen daughter

A few weeks ago in the car, on the way home from Knit Night, Olivia asked me; "After the show, can I cut my hair really short and dye it bright pink?". This is a point where many parents would have just said no. I did not, for two reasons:
1) It's just hair. Unlike, say, my husband, I don't really care what they do with it if it's clean and combed.
2) Since my kids have inherited my personality, I know that saying know is the surest way to get my kids to want to do something more is to tell them no.

So instead I say, "A haircut costs about $20, and a strip and dye kit costs about $15. How are you going to pay for that?"

After a moment's silence she asks me , "If I grow my hair until Halloween, can I dye it black?".

That I can afford.

posted by gojirama @ 12:51 PM