Mom’s Viral Post Reminds Us ‘Life Is Way Too Short To Say ‘No’ All The Time’

This little girl’s pink hair is perfect, just like her

It seems like we are always saying “No” to our kids about something — be it screen time, another sleepover, or the latest toy they just have to have. And since we have so many demands coming at us from our kids on a daily basis, it can get on any parent’s nerves. It’s natural (and easier) to lay down the law and deny them. But sometimes it takes a little perspective to realize that saying “Yes” to the little things can make all the difference.

Last summer, Rachel Carpenter’s ten-year-old daughter, Nevaeh, wanted pink hair. Carpenter wouldn’t allow it and off she went to camp. “A few days later at a camp they were doing a demonstration involving fire and something went wrong and it caught her on fire,” she explained on her Facebook page. Over 70 percent of Nevaeh’s body was burned and the family found themselves in the hospital unsure if their little girl would survive.

“It was a long three months, she went through countless surgeries and a demanding recovery period,” Carpenter tells Scary Mommy. So this year when Nevaeh asked if she could have pink hair again, her mom said yes. “Life is way to short to say NO all of the time,” Carpenter wrote. “That experience taught me you never know how much time you have left, with anyone. So say yes more often.”

“Nevaeh is an amazing child,” carpenter tells 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.”

We really never know what tomorrow will bring. Sometimes saying “yes” to our kids is exactly what they need. They need to be kids and experience life, go on adventures and have pink hair if they want. These are the moments we will look back on and smile. It’s easy to say ‘no’ to our kids but sometimes its way more fun to say “yes.”

Carpenter says even when our children are tugging at our patience and we are stressed out, we should hug them more, tell them we love them, and say yes more often. “Life is so unexpected, tomorrow is not promised,” Carpenter explains to Scary Mommy. “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.”