Daughter's hair...

[Anonymous]

DD has long, wavy/curly hair that goes down to the middle of her back. We use that Wen shampoo and it takes a long time to rinse out so I have to help her and I have to style her hair for her (ponytails, braids, half and half) every day.

I don't see a way out of this - she really can't do it on her own and have it look decent. When it is shorter it is even harder to handle as it gets big and curly.

So, is 10 (on Saturday) too old to be doing her hair for her?

[Anonymous]

I don't know how any 10 year old can do braids on their own hair! Backwards, upside down and without seeing my hair? Yeah, no! I can barely do it on my own hair and I'm an adult. So I wouldn't worry about it.

Having to help her rinse out the shampoo or conditioner is a pain, but if it's the same if her hair is short then it doesn't matter. But I would surely have her help do it, not just stand there whining "I can't Dooooo it" with her hands by her sides. I'd have her do it herself, then you do the "once over" - even if your once over does more of the real work now, it will eventually be just that, a quick once over to make sure all is well. And if I saw piles of shampoo in her hair after she "did it" and therefore I could tell she didn't really do it, I'd stand there and make sure she does it again before I did the once over.

Otherwise, I wouldn't try to figure out if she is delayed or advanced in the rinsing department - all kids develop and do things at different times and rates, and all kids don't have thick, curly, wavy hair! (which I would have loved to have....)

[Anonymous]

I am going to get flamed for this confession, but I blow out DD's hair (also 10) twice a week. And I do her hair every morning as well.

[Anonymous]

Wen is an amazing shampoo but it really does take a long time to rinse out.

[Anonymous]

I think around 10.5 I started just standing in the bathroom and kind of narrating to DD how to wash out her hair and condition it. I spent a lot of time quickly yelling "Too much!"

I happen to have awful fine motor skills, while my DD has great ones. So again, it was easy to stand there behind her as she stood in front of the mirror and I narrated how to do a ponytail or half-ponytail as she did it.

She's 12 now, and I offer to brush her hair out or do hairdos for her sometimes.

[Anonymous]

DD has fine hair and a cute little bob haircut. She has been washing and combing out her own hair for about a year - she is seven. I, on the other hand, have very curly hair and my mother helped me tame it until I was in high school, I think!

[Anonymous]

I think it's fine to help her with her hair. My dd is 9, and for the longest time would not let me touch her hair. Now she has terrible matts in the back. She has finally let me help, and I have spent hours on it, and I'm still not done getting all the knots out. If your dd "let's" you help, I am all for it. I wish my dd had not been so stubborn for so long.

[Anonymous]

My daughter has been extremely curly hair and I have to help her. It's a curly thing

[Anonymous]

Devacurl might be a better option for her hair type.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's fine to help her with her hair. My dd is 9, and for the longest time would not let me touch her hair. Now she has terrible matts in the back. She has finally let me help, and I have spent hours on it, and I'm still not done getting all the knots out. If your dd "let's" you help, I am all for it. I wish my dd had not been so stubborn for so long.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Devacurl might be a better option for her hair type.

Really? Not OP but I have a five year old with curly hair that she got from DH. I have bone-straight hair and have never known quite how to best handle curly hair.

[Anonymous]

Why not switch to an easier to handle shampoo and conditioner?

[Anonymous]

It's not really a question of delayed or advanced certain types of hair require more effort and skill to manage, but I think now is a good time to start teaching her while you are doing it. Narrate the steps , give her a real chance to try and follow up.
I say this as a mother of a daughter with long thick, tightly coiled hair that is difficult to wash and style.
I view it as a chance to build her pride and confidence in herself. For us it's a bonding thing. I have hair similar to her so we often have hair & beauty days.

[Anonymous]

OP, go ahead and do it - for as long as you're willing, and as long as she'll let you.

Sounds like she'll have sweet memories of this.

[Anonymous]

We use the Mineral Fusion brand of shampoo, conditioner, and curl "beauty balm". The shampoo and conditioner are really easy to manage and rinse. I comb out the tangles after showers using Honest Co's detangling conditioner spray, followed by Mineral Fusion curl balm. On off days, I spray and comb with the Honest spray and add a smidge of balm to reshape curls. It's been a great solution for our family's curly hair!