by Shaunic of Brown Girls Hair
Every little girl loves to play in Mommy’s clothes, shoes and jewelry. She loves to watch Mom put on her make up and comb her hair. She’s looking at you and dreaming of the day when she will be able to do it too!
We all know that our children learn best by watching what we do, not what we say. The first step to teaching your daughter how to care for her hair is to establish good hair habits with your hair first. She’s always watching you, even when you aren’t paying attention.
1. Start early teaching her what to do at bath and bed time.
I started teaching my daughter to wear a shower cap at bath time at the age of 4. This is a great age because you don’t have to worry too much about her putting it in her mouth and choking on it. You still have to keep an eye on her because it is plastic and she is in a tub of water. Parental supervision is always needed when plastic and water is involved.
Once she gets out of the tub, switch from a shower cap immediately to a satin bonnet. After she does it consistently for a while, it will become second-nature!
Just like you create a routine for your hair, create one for your daughter too. Not just the one that you do on her hair, but also take the time to create a simple one for her to do as well.
2. As early as 5 or 6, you can start teaching her to moisturize her hair depending on the thickness and/length of her hair.
A child with long and thick hair may have more of a challenge with this task. So you may need to wait until your child becomes a little older and more patient. Always start by keeping the process easy and fun! If she doesn’t think it’s a fun tasks to do, wait until she does!
You can start with a simple method like putting her hair in 4 sections, then show her how to put the moisturizer in the palm of her hand, rub it in her hands, then apply it to her hair from root to end one section at a time.
Give her one very small portion of a section to start with. As she grows more comfortable over time, add more to her section. Keep increasing her portion (as time goes). For example, this week she does one small section and next week add a little more to her section etc.
Mommies, how do you teach your children to care for their hair?