Reverse Psychology

I think Maren has lovely hair. 

I had it trimmed a little last January but otherwise I've left it alone.

I think Maren has lovely hair,

but Maren doesn't often cooperate when I want to take care of it.  I'm not a super hair-stylin' mama; I just want to brush it, maybe do a braid or a ponytail.  Nothing complicated.  It's still a battle 90% of the time I want to transform her hair from a rat's nest to a pleasant-looking 'do.

I have said in the past if she doesn't let me comb it, I'll have to cut it short like her cousin's hair.  (Her cousin has a nice bob, but Maren always protests at the thought of cutting it.)

The other night I was fed up with her not letting me comb her hair after her bath so I told her to bring me the scissors so I could cut it off because she wouldn't let me turn her 'scary hair' into 'princess hair'.  About 5 minutes later she walks in with the orange-handled Fiskars in one hand and these remnants in the other:

Instead of bringing me the scissors she took it up on herself to experiment with a short style.  Thank heavens she only trimmed a small chunk of hair near her ear instead of cutting it close to the scalp on the top of her head.  I couldn't get mad at her because she didn't know I wasn't serious about cutting it.  In her mind, what's the difference between Mom cutting it and trying to trim it herself?  For all I know she may have heard me tell her to cut her own hair; but knowing Maren that's a generous statement. 

Once when I was little I wouldn't brush my teeth when Dad asked me to.  He said, "Okay, I'll just go get the drill from the garage so I can drill your teeth and I won't have to pay the dentist to do it later." 

That reverse psychology worked.

Mine did not.