It’s been a while since Joaquin got a haircut. Everyone in the family loved his long, unkempt hair, including himself. Everytime I would plan to bring him to the barber shop, he would always resist. But his hair was getting too difficult to manage, it almost always looked messy and tangly, so I decided to bring him anyway.

On the way, I prepared him for what was about to happen. As usual, he reasoned out that “my brothers and sister like my hair long,” and “I look cool with long hair” (for some reason, he is into being cool these days) and every excuse he could think of. I needed to act fast as we were nearing our destination because I didn’t want this to be an unpleasant experience for him and cause a scene at the barber’s.

And then a thought came and I told Joaquin, “I will tell the barber to give you the coolest haircut in the world!” To my surprise, he agreed without a fight. I guess the “coolest haircut” was the assurance he needed. I was so happy that he sat quietly and let the barber do his job. And for his good behavior, I let him have candy afterwards.

When we want something for our children and they resist, it doesn’t always have to lead to a big argument. Sometimes all we need is a little bit of creativity. Selling the idea to them in the right way is crucial. We have to know what tickles their fancy and present it in a way that’s appealing to them.