On a Lighter Note...

We are not immune. During the last year, some of the Bubbs' and Simster's friends decided it would be fun to cut their hair. Or their sibling's hair. Or some of each. Up until yesterday, my kids had always followed my fantabulous rule - "Scissors are just for paper"

So... yesterday I came home after a Relief Society activity and helped DH finish putting the kids to bed. I came back downstairs and started to clean up the kitchen. And there were locks of hair on the ground by the table. There wasn't much. In fact, I almost thought DH had decided PJ needed another little bangs trim and trimmed her right there with the kids' safety scissors. He insisted he didn't, so I went upstairs to have a chat with the Bubbs.

Me: Bubbs, did someone cut their hair tonight? Did Simster cut your hair? Did you cut your hair? Did someone cut PJ's hair?
Bubbs: Ummm... no....
Me: Well, I know somebody used the scissors to cut hair tonight. There's hair on the floor. Do you know who did it? It wasn't Daddy.
Bubbs: Well, maybe it was Daddy...
Me: Umm... no. Did you do it? Simster? PJ?
Bubbs: No.
Me: You know that it's better to just tell me the truth, right? We'll both feel better and it's the right thing to do. Do you know what happened with the scissors?
(silence)
Me: Hmm... it sounds like all three kids will be in timeout tomorrow until we find out what happened and someone can tell me the truth.
Bubbs: Oh, no! (pause) If I tell you what happened, I won't have to go in timeout?
Me: If you can tell me the truth, that would be great. Did you cut your hair?
Bubbs: Yes.
(a short conversation ensues about the importance of telling the truth and the rule about scissors being for paper, etc)
Me: Okay, well, the consequence for not using the scissors appropriately is that I am taking all the scissors away for a few days.
Bubbs: What?! (starts to cry. She LOVES coloring, writing, cutting, it is her favorite activity. Taking away the scissors is like cutting off her arms or something)
Me: Well, there has to be a consequence for a wrong choice, right?
Bubbs: Yes...
Me: So we'll have to not have the scissors for a while.
Bubbs: But I told the truth!
Me: Yes, and that's good, and you won't be in timeout. But there still has to be a consequence for using the scissors to cut your hair. If you didn't tell the truth, the scissors would be gone AND you would be in timeout.
Bubbs: Oh. (pause) But I need my scissors! (crying and crying)
Me: So I guess you shouldn't cut your hair anymore, right?
Bubbs: Yeah.
(I tuck her back in and start to leave)
Bubbs: But mom?
Me: Yes.
Bubbs: It wasn't that much hair.
Me: That's good. But you're still not getting the scissors back yet.
Bubbs: (whimpering again) Okay...

Good news? Her hair isn't worse really; you can't even tell she did it. She did tell the truth. AND it was on her dad's watch, not mine :)
Bad news? There will be a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth until the scissors can be used again. AND I was already debating about a present we purchased for her, and now it really doesn't seem like a good gift...