To Shave or Not to Shave: Have I Become the New Tiger Mother?

So...recently I have garnered a lot of "flack" for my parenting and I would like to share my side of the story.

It all began on a quiet and peaceful night at our house. The dogs were sleeping on the couch, Bryan was happily playing Call of Duty on the PS3, and I was huddled somewhere in the back bedroom, working on my Master's Thesis, listening to the drone of 48 Hours Mystery on ID.

Brendan emerged from his hour-long ritualistic bath to settle in with me for another rendition of Scary Stories in the Dark. ( I usually read one chapter each night before sending him off to sleep - fear is healthy :) While I was reading, I noticed a not-bad-but-not-good-dirty-gym-sock-smell-wet dog aroma and looked around to find out what it was.

Unbeknowst to me, it was Brendan's hair. How could you do this? Didn't you just get out of the bathtub? Did you run out of shampoo? How DID THIS HAPPEN???

His only answer was that in order to get his hair like Justin Beiber's (his current idol), he couldn't wash it.
WHAT??? I can guarantee you that Justin Beiber washes his hair, and girls like nice-smelling boys. He informed me that he doesn't like girls...

 (and quickly added that he doesn't like boys either though so don't worry I am not gay, to which I responded I don't care if you are gay, I love gay people, to which he asked why do you love gay people? and this all started a whole other diatribe I will save you from...)

Anyways, I went the entire next week waiting and watching. Every night, like a coon, he would scrub his body, get his hair wet, look out the bathroom door to make sure no one was watching, and then pull the plug on his bathtub.I secretly was looking on in the other room. Then in the morning, he would brush his hair before school, to later muse it up after he left my room at school to head to the 2nd grade hall.

Of course, being the good wife and mother that I am, I discussed this series of events, with my husband, Bryan. The next day, in the car, he advised Brendan that if this went on for the next two weeks, he would shave his head. "By God, if you won't take care of your hair, I will! My mother never gave me a choice on my haircut, she put me on the back deck every weekend and I got a burr cut whether I like it or not!" <--- My husband Bryan lecturing while simultaneously sounding like Foghorn Leghorn (I say, I say, I say Boy)

We tried the experiment for two weeks, and as predicted, Brendan's behavior remained the same. Needless to say, it was time to release the penance.

If you know anything about Brendan at all, he loves three things, 1. Electronics 2. His hair and 3. His clothes.
in equal amount. So, the threat of having his head shaved loomed with big tears and fears that it would never return. After school on the 10th day, I proceeded to put him on the back porch and dole out the consequence. If he was not going to take care of his hair, he would not have any. I teach him that with an array of other items at his disposal. If he cannot take care of his stuff, it gets taken away.

Through the sound of constant buzzing and dramatic sobs, the haircut was completed. I shaved it. With a Level 2. He looked like a member of the Aryan brotherhood.

Cut to the next weekend. It is time to hang out with my family. "OH NO!" They all cried. "WHAT did you DO" "HIS HAIR???!!!!"

So, I told them the story. Naturally, I was the worst mother ever. That is close to child abuse/you will be on the news/how can you be so strict...blah blah blah. Even my husband returned home that same day to act surprised and look at me with a mix of shock and horror. "Wow babe, I didn't think you would actually do it!"

Wasn't this what was agreed upon??? Have I gone too far??? Now the mere sight of his shaved little peanut head sent guilty pangs into my belly. Am I crazy???

Needless to say, no matter how much guilt and shame others have placed upon me, guess who washes his hair every night with no reminders????

Didn't my tiger-mother parenting achieve it's goal? All means to an end.

Welcome to the World Of Blogging!

So.....I always read fabulous blogs put on the web by perfect wives and mothers who have nothing to do all day long but talk about how many diaper changes they went though and the perfect way to make a harvest wreath by pinterest using only organic materials! Yay!

 This is not one of those blogs.....this is a true, honest, relevant blog concerning everyday questions and concerns that bounce around in our family.

I am not going to brag about my life, how fabulous it is, and how you wish you were me. I am sick of reading those blogs! I want an honest and realistic way to blog (complain) about family life, along with a healthy outlet to put my feelings and those of my family out into the void. Yes, there will be great things that happen and I will share those as well!

Enjoy and step to the dark side......