As a parent, it’s quite easy to say “no” to a child. Another cookie? Staying up late? Some new gadget that they’ve set their sights on? This little girl’s wish was to dye her hair pink, but her mom said “no” because she was scared of the reactions and comments of her environment.
Recently, the little girl’s mom Rachel Carpenter changed her mind after a tragic event. After saying that her daughter Nevaeh couldn’t dye her hair pink, she went to a camp for a couple of days.
Unfortunately, the ten-year-old girl was involved in an accident that caused her to go home with serious injuries.
“A few days later at a camp, they were doing a demonstration involving fire and something went wrong and it caught her on fire,” Rachel posted on Facebook.
The family spent hours in the hospital not knowing if Neveah would make it out alive, but the little girl kept fighting and made it through. However, she did suffer burn wounds on over 70 percent of her body.
“It was a long three months, she went through countless surgeries and a demanding recovery period,” Rachel said to the website Scary Mommy.
After the accident, Nevaeh asked again if she was allowed to dye her hair pink, then her mom didn’t hesitate for a second and wholeheartedly said “yes”.
“Life is way to(o) short to say NO all of the time,” she posted. “That experience taught me you never know how much time you have left, with anyone. So say yes more often.”
Rachel’s post has reminded many that sometimes you need a bit of perspective and it can’t hurt to say “yes” to your kids more often.
Nevaeh was thrilled to finally have the pink hair she’s wanted, and it likely helped with the recovery process as well.
“Nevaeh is an amazing child,” Nevaeh’s mom told Scary Mommy. “She has been through more than any adult I know, that’s saying a lot.” Carpenter admits Nevaeh still struggles mentally but is “still the most outgoing, silly, wild spirit that I know. I can say she has handled this way better than I would have.”
“Life is so unexpected, tomorrow is not promised,” she adds. “Pick your battles and enjoy your children and let them live a little. You don’t have to justify your parenting choices to anyone, as long as you have a happy healthy child.”
The message that Rachel wants to spread is that saying “no” might be easy, but sometimes saying “yes” is a lot more fun.
You can view Rachel’s full post below.
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