This morning, Bella was in the bathroom as usual. When the alarm went off, since she hadn't called me yet, I got up and checked my email (I'm a compulsive email checker, and it helps me wake up). While I was still at the computer, Bella came into the guest room (where we have the computer) and uttered those 4 little words that no parent ever wants to hear. "I cut my hair."
This has been a bone of contention lately. Bella has repeatedly asked for a haircut, but Cristina and I have refused because we love her long beautiful curls. She's never had a haircut in her life and we were in no rush to schedule one. And now here she was, standing in the semi-darkness, with ragged, self-inflicted bangs. I gasped and asked why she did it. "I wanted to," was her response, I think. My brief assessment revealed that in addition to the ragged bangs she also had cut the parts to the side of her face to about neck level. It was perplexing, because just a few days ago, she excitedly told me that she wanted to grow her hair down to her feet and Mommy had said okay.
I told her she was going to make Mommy cry (a guilt trip, I know, but also a preparation for the emotional reaction she might not be expecting). And Bella's response was "Don't tell Mommy." I went in the bedroom and woke Cristina up. "Bella cut her hair." "What?!" she cried out. "How bad?" she asked. "Pretty bad," I said. She threw the covers off and jumped out of bed. Bella was back in the bathroom by now and Cristina surveyed the damage. She didn't cry (although she said she felt like it). She gave Bella a good stern talking to, though, and I hid the scissors up high out of reach. Giving in to the inevitable, Cristina took the scissors and trimmed the bangs to make them more even. It's not horrible, and some might even think it looks good. I'll admit that it could have been worse. And hair is , after all, just hair. It will grow back. But still...if only the scissors had not been reachable...
See for yourself.
6 comments:
Hummmmmmm, I wonder where that independent streak came from? Betcha I know. Thank God it is not so bad and it will surely grow back quickly. She does(er, did) have beautiful hair. Just kidding, she still looks quite beautiful. give her a kiss from me please!
Certainly not the ideal way to a haircut, but she does look adorable! It kind of suits her in a way, I think. :) I can sympathise with your morning 'rude awakening' though! To get your laugh out of this, just imagine me giving myself bangs as a kid, which I did - I don't even want to remember!!
Here bangs are called 'a fringe' - that's pretty funny to me, too. Anyway, rest assured, her cuteness cannot be dimmed by a 5am self-inflicted haircut! Now keep hiding those scissors! :)
Hey, It could be worse. It could have been with electric shears. Remember when Andy and Josh shaved Davids head? It really does look cute. Maybe next time she is pestering you for a haircut, you will give her a little trim to make her happy. Love you.
I think it is interesting that we think our own viewpoints are more important than our children's. When she said she wanted her hair cut she was being an individual. It is interesting that we will pierce our children's ears without their consent and then be angry at them for a minor, impermanent thing like cutting their own hair. The worst part of all that was she could have hurt herself with the scissors, more than that she has shorter and, to her parents, less desirable hair. I hope her spirit wasn't too broken by the stern talking to she got. I know how it feels to want to be yourself and then get told you can't be.I think her new hairstyle is very cute, practical and desirable, but even if I didn't think so, she was just trying to be herself. To each his own! Even when you are only 4 years old. YAY Isabella!
For the record, we didn't pierce our children's ears without their consent. We waited until they requested it. I was adamant about that. For Sofia, that took four years. Bella was much earlier (I think she was 2) no doubt influenced by her older sister having earrings.
Just take lots of pictures and she will learn or..... have her hair cut as short as mine was when I was 8! LOL she will never have her hair cut again. :) I feel ya'll pain!
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