Hairstyles

My two monkeys are 2.5. I'm lucky to get them to hold still long enough to get a ponytail in, and not a neat one at that.

They both have long enough hair for french braids and stuff, I just can't get them to sit still.

What's the trick??

 

My one daughter loves to get her hair done the other one I was alway lucky to get her to sit still just to brush it. I think around 3/4 they started to sit a little better for me. One thing that I always did was put on something they loved to watch on tv so they were intranced in that and that gave me time to brush it real quickly and sometimes do a little something to their hair. Other than that there really wasn't anything I could do to get them to sit still so they didn't get their hair done to often except for special occasions.

 

Hate to say it but I took the mean approach and I did it early on. I would literally sit on the chair, wrap my legs around them so they couldn't move and do it. If they took it right out, I grabbed them, sat back down and repeated until they got tired of the routine and left it alone. After a few days of that, they let it be and realized that they had no choice. What can I say? Mommy is stronger and always wins

Now they are excellent and both let me do their hair. I also make it a big deal and tell them how beautiful they look and let them gawk at themselves in the mirror. It's pretty cute to watch them stare at themselves and say "Wow Mommy! I look so beautiful."

 

I just used to chase them around until it was done. I think at some point they figured they might as well stand still and let me get it over with. :lol:
When they were younger (like 18 months) I'd wait for them to start playing with something, then sit behind them and brush while they were occupied. If they went to leave I'd either follow them to the next thing, or, if I was in the middle of putting in a hairband/braid, tell them to sit still. It didn't take them very long to work out that if they wiggled or ran away I'd start all over again. Once they got older I could call them over to me to have their hair brushed. I also made it part of the morning routine-breakfast, brush teeth, get dressed, brush hair-so that it just became what we did.

 

I just don't give my DD the option. She has to have her hair up somehow. ardon: I do let her decide whether she would like a braid or a big or little ponytail, so she does feel like she has some say in it.

 

Maybe Anna is just vain, but sitting her in front of the mirror did the trick! We have a full length mirror on the back of our bathroom door and I sit her on a stool in front of it. She loves to watch herself! Now I can do it in the living room in front of the TV, but she runs to the mirror to admire herself for several minutes as soon as I finish.

 

Whew, I'm glad I'm not the only one!! :laughing: Having their favorite show on TV helps too. They get focused on that and not on what I'm doing.

 

I just try to make sure whatever I'm doing is quick. She will sit for a minute or two but much longer than that & she starts getting impatient!

 

I have the tv on cartoons when we are getting ready. they are pretty good about sitting for it.

 

Wow. My two must just be hyper or something. Every morning for over a year now (so since about 18 months) they've gotten their hair done as part of the morning routine. But it's still a struggle to get them in the bathroom! I'll get it done, but a lot of mornings it comes undone again by the time we make it to daycare, if someone throws a fit or something.

I've tried putting cartoons on, but they won't even sit still for that. I've tried the mirror trick, that works for about 2 minutes longer than usual, but still not long enough for a braid. My one girl will sit for a minute, but never fails halfway through she wants to get up and move.

Some people have told me they bribe with Candy, I REFUSE! LOL Will not get them addicted to that. I guess I'll just have to wait it out till their a little older... I just wonder how some parents get braids and cornrolls into ethnic babies' hair! That stuff takes FOREVER....

 

I know people who do it while the child's asleep. Also when the hair is shorter (when they're babies) it's quicker/easier to put in and by the time their hair gets longer the child is older and used to sitting. Then you have the trade-off that once the braids/cornrows are in they will last upwards of a week (maybe with a little maintainence) so you don't have to worry about hairstyles all those days. Finally you have the motivation of knowing how bad the hair would get if nothing was done with it, leave afro hair long enough and it will become dreadlocks.
In short, it's worth the battle even if you have to literally pin the child down to get them in.

 

I have had to sit my DD in front of me and cross my legs indian style over her lap, so she wouldnt get up. It doesnt hurt her, and I HAVE to brush/comb/do-something-to-her-hair or it will be MATTED in ONE DAY! My children are biracial (black and white) and my almost-3 yr olds hair is Kinky beautiful curls, but left undone they get really tangled, and she would SCREAM if I tried to get a wide-tooth comb through it. So most days for her, her hair is AT MINIMUM in a pony tail.
My 4-yr olds hair is much less curly, but tangles easily and she plays with it to go to sleep so that doesn't help matters much. So, I have found that letting her play with the hair supplies distracts her well, and also the tv. She still whines if I am taking too long trying to do something really cute (like the hairstyle I did for 4th of July) but I just tell her how beautiful she is going to be; and if she says her head/neck hurts b/c of how I have it tilted to do something, I just try to see if I can move myself instead of making her move her head in an uncomfortable position. Its taken a lot of work to get them used to getting it done.

 

At that age I always did their hair in the morning with the TV on. Sit them on a little chair infront of the couch facing the TV, you sit behind them and do their hair.

Now, I do it while they are eating breakfast. I stand behind them at the table and do their hair while they eat.

 

Amy will sit still long enough for a ponytail, but that's it. Sarah can't tolerate having her hair touched at all. I always thought that kids who would sit still to have their hair done were more the exception than the rule.

 

i actually do ally's (very short and fine) hair on the changing table and give her assorted regularly forbidden items to hold and play with while i get her ponies in--like diaper cream, or a hair comb or the bag of pony holders, etc...

if i need to do something slightly more complicated then i'll sit her on the ottoman in front of the tv as well.