I love fixing hair. I actually know how to care for naturally curly hair (well I take pretty great care of my own…lol) and as life would have it, I am the mother of a sweet little girl, who does not like getting her hair done. If you’re like me, you couldn’t wait until she had enough hair to put in little puffs! I had rainbow colored rubber bands, little clips and huge bows! I was armed and ready to make her look like a walking gum ball machine. So, imagine my disappointment when at 2 years old she refuses to let me do her hair!
Sigh.
I’ve read all the blogs where people condemn mothers and say children don’t like getting their hair done because mothers aren’t gentle enough. That’s a bunch of hogwash. Some children just do not like getting their hair touched. So, here is what I’ve learned and hopefully it will help the rest of you who are dealing with toddlers that don’t/won’t let you fix their hair without a fight!
1. Ponytails– I know you want to make bunches of ponytails and do all kinds of cornrow styles but, don’t. Stick to simple ponytails that can be redone in under 15-30 minutes. I try to stick to styles that can be done while she is eating and distracted. Thankfully, I have a child who loves to eat!
2. Co-Wash– When her hair when it gets a bit dry, I take all the ponytails out (use rubber bands and you can just snap them out or cut them out). I pour water on her hair, then apply a heaping amount of conditioner, and rinse.
3. Oils– While her hair is wet from her co-wash, I apply a leave-in (sometimes) and a large amount of coconut or olive oil. I then grab 2 rubber bands a slap her hair in 2 puffs. I use a Denman brush to smooth down her edges. With a headband this is THE cutest style ever. Quick and simple. I find that the oils help keep her hair from shrinking up too bad and also help keep tangles at bay.
4. Detangling– I only detangle her whole head when I’m doing a complicated style. As I section off her hair for ponytails I detangle GENTLY with my Denman brush. For us, the Denman gets out the tangles without her feeling much of the pulling. With combs, she seems to feel every little snag. Co-washing helps keep her tangles to a minimum so I don’t have to detangle more than once every 2 weeks.
5. Keep It Simple– I cringe when I see parents making their toddlers sleep with scarves or caps. they’re toddlers, let them live! Save all those balls and cornrow styles for the big girls who can easily sit down for hours. Doing simple styles also puts less stress on their hair and helps prevent breakage.
6. Breathe– She won’t hate getting her hair done forever (let’s hope) and by being gentle and not forcing her, she’ll come around sooner. I know my daughter is just going trough the “No” phase and this too shall pass. Soon they’ll be begging us to fix their hair and do all kinds of styles.
Remember, toddlers are cute in their own right without anything extra. I’m not let your child look homeless but, don’t be too hard on them. Children sleep wild and mess up styles so just save yourself the stress and keep it simple.
Do you have a toddler? Do they like getting their hair done? What are your tips to getting your toddler out the door with decent hair?
