A parenting dilemma

As parents, we sometimes have to pick our battles and let go of the less important stuff.  However, we still have to assert our authority without "giving in" to our children all the time.  There is a very fine line that separates those two approaches.

Here is the dilemma I am currently facing and trying to decide which path to take.

  This is my oldest Rachel.  She's beautiful isn't she??  I love her freckles and her green eyes.  She is not smiling in this picture because she is hiding her braces.  The other thing you might notice is her hair.  It has gotten super long (keep in mind this picture was taken 3 months ago!) and, since it is fairly curly, this makes it extremely difficult to take care of.  Every morning I comb out the tangles (ohhhh the tangles) while she pouts and squirms, thinking all the while, "She is going on ten years old.  Shouldn't she be combing her hair herself?!?!"

So here's the dilemma.  She needs a haircut.  Desperately.  However, my oh-so-headstrong daughter who is teetering on the verge of being a full-fledged, tree-hugging hippie refuses to get a haircut.  She attempted to propose a compromise a couple of weeks ago - she will get two inches cut if she can get a feather put in.  I think that anything less than three inches is pointless because it won't make any difference or get rid of the scraggly ends, so I'm not taking the deal.  At this point, I am honestly thinking it is just not worth the battle.  (And I do mean BATTLE.  Picture me literally sitting on this child while she cries and thrashes in the stylist's chair and the stylist carefully tries to avoid cutting ginormous chunks out of her head or mine.  Oh and the poor stylist!!  Perish the thought that my beloved stylist would be so stressed and terrified by this child that she runs away in terror anytime she sees either of us in the future!  I am not exaggerating here, folks.  Seriously. It has the potential to be that bad.)  DW, on the other hand, is ready to lay down the hammer and force it upon her.  I told him that he could take her then, to which he replied "Fine!"  (However, the previously described scene becomes even more horrific when you factor in an irate father who doesn't have any patience for this kind of girl-drama along with the afore mentioned child & stylist.)

So, what is the answer??  Force her to get her hair cut at least 3-4 inches??  Forget about it and let it grow and grow indefinitely until she is "ready?"  I need some help here folks.  Please - I'm begging - leave a comment and give me your opinion.  Even if it is a harsh criticism of my apparent lack of parenting skills - I need to hear it!  If you were in my shoes, what would you do???

   

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