As the mother of a teen and a tween and a part-time preschool teacher I have a lot of real life experience with the trendy behavioral catch-phrase, impulse control.
With teens it’s a matter of stopping and thinking long enough to not follow the crowd down the wrong path - long enough not to smash those Halloween pumpkins in the middle of the street, for example.
Teens do a lot of things, and when asked why, the answer is usually a trademark shoulder shrug. For tweens it’s a little fuzzier, not so much following of the crowd as it is rolling of the eyes, which I’m convinced is just going to happen no matter what. Tweens have a way with words though, and questioned about an action can simulaneously roll their eyes and say “I don’t know.”
With the pre-school set it comes down to hitting and punching and kicking and biting. In that age-group we always know there is a problem needing intervention when a little boy or girl just “can’t control themselves.” Most of the time with the little tikes, we can get them to say “I’m sorry,” although I’m not convinced they know what it means.
But what is the deal when it happens with an almost-44 year old suburban mom?
Let’s say, for example, that said mom gets a much needed haircut one day, comes home and thinks that the brand new do is a big fat no. What possesses an otherwise level-headed overthinker to take kitchen shears and cut her own bangs?
I don’t know. I couldn’t control myself. And I’m really sorry.
February 14th, 2008Do I have to take the scissors away from you, too?
February 14th, 2008You don’t also run with those scissors, do you??
February 15th, 2008Everyone does that at least once in their life.
At least it is something that can grow in…
February 15th, 2008Oooh, I wanna see pictures! I’m sure it looks cute.
I don’t if you read about how I slipped off my kid’s bed recently and slashed my forehead — the night before teaching a new class. I came so close to getting bangs, for the first time in 20+ years. But when I told my daughter my plan, she burst into tears. “No, Mommy! No bangs! It won’t look like you–”
It stopped me. I wore a hat/headband all week. But I SO get that impulse! I really do.
February 15th, 2008Whenever I get that impulse, my (almost) four-year-old daughter is usually the recipient of a (do-it-yourselfer) new do. I should know by now Prince Valiant is NOT a good look on her. I gotta stop.
February 17th, 2008The most embarrassing part of self-cuts is the aftermath. My stylist was a mom of one of my preschool students when I tried it myself. She just looked at me and shook her head. Tsk, tsk, tsk. She was kind enough not to display my ignorance next time I was in the salon, and I will never play with scissors again.
February 18th, 2008Been there, done that. Usually in my case a glass or two of wine is involved.
February 18th, 2008Uh…I did the same thing two days ago.
I’m 41, so it’s good to know that I’m also not yet old enough to know better.