Her costume was set out. Her makeup was laid on the counter, ready for application. Her routine had been practiced 70 times that morning.
And Mommy was in the shower.
What better time to try her hand at this:
Yep, that’s right. A mere hour before her first dance recital, my daughter had taken scissors to her hair while I cleaned myself up.
When I got out of the shower, she came bounding in my bathroom, a huge, proud smile on her face, and exclaimed “Mommy! I cut my hair!”
I have to admit, I didn’t make the best choice.
What I should have done: Perhaps acknowledge her pride and independence, not overreact but instead calmly explain that we don’t cut our own hair.
What I did: Stomped. Her. Buzz.
A total killjoy, I yelled “NOOOOO!” and scared the crap out of her. Then searched her hair like a mother howler monkey preening her young, trying to assess the damage.
And when I pulled away from her scalp to look her in the eyes, I was met with tears. She had come to me, all excited and proud, and I had made her feel horrible. What’s a mom to do?
Thankfully, she actually did a pretty decent job cutting her hair, creating a little fringe near her chin line in an updated “Rachel” for the preschool circuit. It was still long enough to put back for her recital, so all was fine. But I did have to have a conversation about how we don’t cut our own hair, because those snips are real. Speaking from experience, bad haircuts are hard to recover from.
Still, I think there’s some merit there to her sense of self and beauty. I wish that I could feel as confident in myself when there are markings on my face (in my case, zits and wrinkles instead of markers and Curious George stamps). That it might not be a bad idea to not put so much stock in to how my hair looks.
So, I’ve come up with a few preschooler beauty tips to try and follow. Because, seriously? That girl could do anything she wanted to herself and she’d still be the most beautiful thing on the planet to me.
Less is less. More is more.
If a little dab of lotion works wonders, a huge blob should provide enough moisture to turn back the hands of time, circa the Newborn Era.
Matching is for ninnies.
Want to wear two garments of uncomplimentary shades in contrasting patterns? If you’ve got enough sass, then coordinating isn’t an issue. You wear the clothes, they don’t wear you.
Jewelery is best worn in quantity.
See “Less is less” above.
Go au naturale.
Why bother wiping that peanut butter off your face? Its natural (and organic if you swing that way) properties will provide just the right balance of foundation and protective barrier you’ll need to face your date night with confidence.
That Bed Head look is totally in.
No need for brushing that mane! Knots and matted sections really emphasize that wild side of you. Not to mention that avoiding a comb shaves time off your morning ritual.
If you’ve got it, flaunt it.
You should feel comfortable in your own skin. So comfortable in fact that clothing is optional. It’s all beautiful. And clothing only gets in the way.
When in doubt, flash those pearly whites.
A preschooler’s precious grin goes a pretty long way, so why not try this fashion accessory out for yourself?
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