How Can You Get What You Want? Follow these three steps, and you just might get it! 1. Ask. Kourtney thought she knew what her mom's reaction would be. But she was totally wrong. If you want to do something, ask your parents for permission first. They just might surprise you! 2. Work it out. Kourtney's mom wanted them both to like the color—after all, she was dying her hair, too. By talking it out and looking at different choices, Kourtney actually got a purplish hair color—just as she wanted. 3. Take it a step at a time. If you don't get what you want the first time you ask your parents, don't get discouraged. When you show them that you've made a plan and listened to their concerns, they may agree with you.

Mom, Can I Dye My Hair Purple?

By Jennifer Goddard

Kourtney didn't want to look like the other girls in her fifth-grade classroom.

One day while her mom was driving her home from soccer practice, Kourtney asked her if she could do something different with her straight, brown, "boring" hair.

"Well, what do you want to try?" her mom asked.

"I'd like to dye it. But something cool, like bright purple," Kourtney answered, sure her mom would say no.

"Hmmmm," her mom said. "Purple is a pretty big change. And what if you hate it?"

"I know I'll love it. Purple is my favorite color."

Kourtney thought a moment. "Mom, what if I used color we could wash out?"

To her surprise, her mom said yes.

Kourtney couldn't believe it! But there was one catch: Her mom would dye her hair the same color as Kourtney's, so it had to be a color they both liked.

The Perfect Color

The two spent a lot of time in the drugstore. Kourtney would choose a really bright red, and her mom would pick a darker shade of brownish red. Kourtney would choose a bleached-blond color, but her mom would pick sandy blond instead.

Finally, both agreed on a color called burgundy. It looked like red and purple mixed together. They went home with the boxes of hair dye. Kourtney's dad and little brother were curious about what she and her mom were whispering about. But Kourtney's mom said, "You'll just have to wait and see!"

An hour later, Kourtney and her mom came downstairs with their new burgundy-colored hair. As they modeled their new hairstyles together, Kourtney's dad and little brother shouted, "Wow!"

The next day at school, Kourtney's friends were totally shocked when they saw the new Kourtney walk into class. "That's so cool!" they all agreed.