Princess, my 8 year old girl, has had a big week of changes. She moved up to a new more challenging ballet class with the "scary, yapping"(her description) ballet director as her teacher, auditioned for The Nutcracker, and had 10 inches of her hair cut for donation to Locks of Love (her idea, not mine).
I'm proud of my baby for wanting to give to less fortunate children, but I liked her hair long. Sure, it is more trouble long, but she handles her hair grooming now except for ballet buns. I was afraid she would look older with short hair and I knew that producing that regulation, slicked bun for ballet would be more difficult with shoulder length hair. I didn't push her to keep it long, though. I only reminded her and her stylist of the ballet company's hair rules. Princess said, "Mom, I can just slick it and get some of that fake hair." I asked, "Why should you cut your hair and then run out to buy someone else's?" She said, "Those little girls need hair to feel pretty." Hair cut. L, the hair stylist, kept the front a little longer for me and suggested starting the bun with duel pony tails.
I was right, though. She does look older which is a little sad. Also, this morning's audition bun left much to be desired. Yet, there was a bun, and "scary, yapping" artistic director didn't mention hair failure. Turns out that the artistic director is not as scary and yappy as she thought based only on his pre-performance version of himself.
I will get used to it. Her hair grows fast.
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3 comments:
Well, I have to say I'm pretty impressed by any 8 year old who does such a generous thing!
I have three cousins who've danced the Toledo Nutcracker every year since they could walk, including the year the middle cousin had broken her back, and including the year that same cousin had shaved her head to "make a statement" of some kind. Middle cousin also danced with the Joffrey, which, while not the greatest accomplishment in the ballet world, isn't exactly something to sneeze at. So, I guess my message is, Princess had a great reason to get a haircut, and if she loves the dance, she'll go as far as her talent will take her, with or without the hic-cup of a not quite regulation bun.
Was that at all reassuring?
Mine have spent the summer outgrowing their training bras and begging for concert tickets -- 10 hour concert 3 hours way featuring many groups I hadn't taken the time to familiarize myself with except for the parental advisory stickers on their CDs (which isn't always automatically a bad thing, but can't they just be little kids a little bit longer?) On the bright side, I've learned they are both capable of producing well-written, well though-out, persuasive arguments. On the not so bright side, I've learned they still have some growing to do toward accepting "no" for an answer. No doors were slammed, but we had a few tears and one full day of pouting :-)
There are days I've wished I had it in me to be a "because I said so" parent from the get-go. On the other hand, I appreciate a child who thinks for herself. No child ever donated to Locks of Love because they've heard too much "because I said so."
:-)
Your Princess rocks!
What an amazing thing for an 8 year old to do.
"Those little girls need hair to feel pretty."
That's awesome.
My nieces donate to Locks of Love every time their hair gets long enough. It always grows back.
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