"Mama, can I please go to Walgreens and get fake nails?" my ten-year-old daughter asked.
"Why?" I asked. "Those things ruin your nails."
"All my friends have them."
I looked at her. "Well, you shouldn't get them because all your friends have them."
"But they're so pretty. Can I please try them?"
I thought about that for a second. "Okay. We'll get you some fake nails so you can see what they're like."
We made a little trip to Walgreens. She picked a fancy sparkly set. Then we came home and she put them on.
"These things are awful!" she said. "They hurt, and I can't even pull up my pants!"
I nodded. "And you'll probably have a little trouble playing in the woods and petting your dog."
She sat down and watched TV for a little while. Fifteen minutes later she was in the bathroom taking off the nails.
"These are the worst things ever! I'm not wearing fake nails ever again!" she announced.
Seven dollars well-spent.
Smart mom!
ReplyDeleteOnce in a while I surprise myself!
DeleteSometimes that's all it takes! Good move.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! :)
ReplyDeleteLately, I've been getting really good at taking a deep breath and assessing the situation before I totally fly off the handle. It seems to be working.
DeleteSometimes that is the best way, let them learn for themselves.
ReplyDeleteYep. I don't feel bad letting them learn the hard way on things like this. It's the bigger things that worry me.
DeleteBravo for you! And for her, too!
ReplyDeleteI was rather pleased that she came to the same conclusion I did.
DeleteLOL Sometimes they have to learn the hard way.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed!
DeleteImagine the other scenario where you dug your heels in and she resented it ... good psychology!! And you can remind of that with other less temporary wants too!
ReplyDeleteI figured this wasn't a battle worth fighting. Hopefully this lesson will be carried over to other situations in life.
DeleteI remember my granddaughters all trying fake nails. They didn't keep them on either. It was nice of you to let her try them out. I hate fake nails too. I wore some to a wedding and couldn't wait to get them off. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand how people wear them either. I guess you get used to them.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Last Halloween Neil wanted to be a werewolf, so we were trying to figure out a way to make him gloves with claws. I had some brown knitted gloves that he could fit into. But claws? I remembered an old pair of press-on nails I had in my drawer, so I cut them into sharp claws and stuck them on the fingers. The effect worked, but if you looked real close, you'd see a werewolf with a French manicure.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great investment!
ReplyDeleteVery smart move on your part!
ReplyDelete