My 21 month old daughter still has short baby-fine hair. It is finally starting to thicken and grow out but it is at this awkward stage where is looks awful. Too short for pig tails but looks like a rat-tail in the back and "wings" in the front. Eek!. I usually clip her front using a hair bow to keep it out of her eyes. To exacerbate the situation, she refuses to let me comb it. If I don't comb it, she looks like she is being raised by wolves-- so every day, multiple times a day (before we get ready to go anywhere), I engage in a hair combing power struggle. It's terrible- I have to chase her around, catch her, try to hold her arms down while combing her hair and keeping her from throwing herself on the floor 2 year old tantrum style. I feel like I would need to be an octopus to be successful! I've tried to distract her with a toy, but she just gets angry and throws it. I do use a detangler and it usually doesn't appear to be knotted so I don't think it is hurting her. I just think she doesn't want to be bothered. I can't keep this up... it is exhausting! Anyone have any tips or suggestions? HELP!
you may just want to keep in trimmed short until it fills in, maybe a little modified bob. My friends daughter had that till hers filled in and it was really cute! My son loves to brush his own, and my hair. Maybe that is a way to start. Have a hair brushing session when you aren't trying to get her out of the house. You can even sit in front of the mirror and show you how it looks before and after.
You just have to be consistant. Also, give her a hand mirror to hold so she can watch what you're doing. Tell her you're making her a pretty baby and show her what you're doing. Let her pick out the barettes you put in--that always worked wonders with our kids. So what if they don't match, atleast she's wearing something she wants :)
Try letting her watch in the mirror. Sometimes it't fear of the unseen that freaks them out. Headbands worked well for our daughter during the awkward stage!
You have to make a routine of it. Make sure you are not running late when you try to do her hair. Maybe it becomes the thing you do after she has breakfast or something. Just try to make it about the same time every day. Have her sit down on something in front of you and use a wide tooth comb. It will get easier once she gets used to the routine. Just be firm.... My daughter uses my iphone while I do her hair. So maybe there is something she loves to play with that she only gets when you are doing this.
As for the care of your daughter's hair, I highly suggest you only use conditioner to clean it. I use Organix on my daughter. You can buy this at any store. It does get the hair clean and doesn't tend to dry it out. Dry hair cause more tangles. When you want to comb her hair, spritz it with water and rub some conditioner in your hands like lotion and rub it into her hair from ends to roots... very little!!! This is better for her hair and will reduce the tangles. Never blow dry or rough up her hair with a towel. When using a towel go from top to bottom.
GL!
Have you tried having her help brush it? Have a baby comb or something for her and then you comb where she just "brushed". I know that the other mom's just say let it go, but I like my son looking good too. I usually spike or part his hair and he's only 9 months.
I agree that you "can't keep this up". Let it go! She's not even two - who cares what her hair looks like. If you keep making hair a power struggle, you've got many years for it to get much worse. Maybe she'd wear a cute hat, or cut it even shorter.
Wow at the responses! Hair combing is not an 'option' at our house, we do it EVERY day and theres never a problem. I started styling my daughters hair at 1.5, and she was squirmy back then only for about a week and she was over it. Remember who is in control, be consistent and you will never have a problem after a week or so. If she thinks she has a hand in changing things by acting wild, she will try it with lots of things all the time. You need to not let it be an option, she will come around.
Have you tried to let her do it? Of course, it won't be right, and you'll have to "touch" it up for her..........but let her try........and if you aren't going anywhere, tell her she did a great job! And how pretty she looks........
She might be one of those who just likes to have her hair a mess!
Hang in there......take care....
Stop tyring! She's not even 2! LOL!
This isn't a battle that you're going to win, so why fight it?
I would just try to keep her hair short and out of her eyes. When it starts to grow more evenly, you can see what options you have and how she's receiving it then. But for now, why worry about it? I'm sure by now that people can tell that she's a girl, if that's your concern.
Give the both of you a break!
