In the past few weeks I’ve been delighted to see several
young girls in our church choose to express their individuality by coloring
their hair a bright color. It took me right back to memories with my own daughter
at that age. Tween years and middle school years can be so rough for a variety of reasons, but I
think the push to define which group you belong to, what “style” you categorize
yourself into, and how you can stand out from others is one of the biggest
challenges.
For my daughter, part of that exploration came by coloring
her hair pink. I was a little hesitant with her coloring all of her hair, so we
compromised on a bright pink under layer. For some moms it’s a struggle to
decide to let their kids do something so bold, but for me I remember thinking
that coloring her hair was the least of the “challenges and concerns” I would have
through her teen years. Looking back, it was also a fun way for us to bond and
spend time together. I did most of the coloring myself, so we spent time
shopping for product, discussing new colors, and spent A LOT of time doing
constant touch ups to keep it the vibrant pink she wanted.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this simple topic
the last few days and then wondering why I was doing so. Ultimately I think I’m
proud of these two moms and the many others that allow their girls to express
themselves in a non-harmful way. I’m proud of the moms for not worrying about
what anyone else has to say about the situation or the judgement that may come
from doing so. I’m proud of the moms for taking the time to have this
discussion with their daughters and making a decision together. I’m proud of these moms for making their
daughters a priority in the moment and giving in to something that makes their
daughters happy at an age when life can be so tough.
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