My wife had to head out of town today for a funeral (she’s on the pass right now where chains are required), so I took the day off work to watch over the kids. I’m a good dad, and can handle this without issue, but I am a man, and I’ll be the first to admit: I suck at doing a little girl’s hair.
I have no problem with every other motherly duty — making lunches, getting the kids ready, picking out clothes, cleaning up the house, playing with our little one, running errands, etc… . But I’m downright horrible at getting a little girl’s hair so it doesn’t look horrible. Luckily my seven-year-old will hold still long enough for me to get it right, and her little pony tails came out fine (eventually). My three-year-old, on the other hand, was a bit more of a handful. Mommy’s good at it. She can throw her down and get her hair styled, even braided, in a matter of seconds it seems. Me, I managed to get her hair out of her face by bribing her with watching Dora The Explorer where she would at least be in one place long enough for me to do it. I suck.
Ah the joys of parenthood …
Comments
i’ll never understand why so many parents insist that their little girls have long hair- long below the shoulders. I know people who NEVER cut their daughter’s hair, and the poor kid has to go through such long misery to deal with it every day, wash it, brush it all out, style it however. I remember getting gum, mud, and all manner of other sticky gunk in my hair when i was small, and was unbelievably happy to have my uncle butcher it all off one day in 3rd grade.
You can blame my wife for that one, pril 😉
Really, though, my oldest daughter’s hair is only to her shoulders, not past (used to be down to her butt). My youngest is past her shoulders, mostly because she wouldn’t sit still long enough for a haircut.
I think little girls who can keep their long hair are lucky. I was one. My daughter however, cut her own hair at least 3 different times when she was little. Once she looked like a 1980’s Joan Jett look-a-like with a very (did I say very – I meant extremely) fashionable mullet -the day of school photos. Actually, all three times were just before school photos. Ah, what lovely memories those school pics bring.
By the way- Your post was rather interesting, brough back memories, and wasn’t utterly boring.
Jake,
I can empathize with you. My daughter is four, and I’m also worthless when it comes to doing her hair. In fact, I get scolded when I don’t do it “like mommy does!” Kaylee has pretty long hair, and it’s very stratight and fine – which makes it doubly difficult.
I like doing my son’s hair. It’s short like mine, and all it needs is a little water, and quick comb-through.
I like Brenda’s idea of short hair for girls (but I do think my daughter’s long hair is beautiful).
shut up
I remember my dad trying to do my hair. Pathietic at best but he meant well. Also a good childhood memory.
Our daughter Hope has hair almost down to her waist. She loves it but it is high maintenance that must be handled delicately. She wants to grow it to her waist. I figure its her hair, she can have it at any length she’d like to.
I remember well the pain of my mother yanking the brush through my hair each morning, and making a ponytail so tight i looked as though i’d had a face lift at the age of 7. Now my hair is shoulder length, and I usually wear it in a braid, but I don’t hurt myself each day.
My parents always cut my hair short, and I hated them for it. Let her have her long hair!
We usually left it long, Connie, but had to cut it short after a gum/syrup/etc… mess in her hair. It was far easier to just cut it.
I know it sounds icky… but next time she gets gum/syrup/whatever stuck in her hair try massaging it out with Crisco. In an unfortunate treehouse incident my son got sap in his hair. Then it was allowed to harden for nearly a week (he was at a grandparent’s house and they didn’t even try to get it out). It was very close to his scalp and we thought we were going to have to shave him bald. We tried all kinds of things to try to get it out, and finally the Crisco worked like a dream. Since then we have used Crisco to get all kinds of gunk out of kids’ hair and the dog’s coat and paws.
Dads Don’t Know How to Match
It has been confirmed through completely independent and unrelated “experiments”. Dads somehow can’t get their daughters to match… or comb their hair… but our daughters love us anyway
…
My 9 year old daughter decided that she looked like some kid actor and that she must always wear her hair down and in her face. We got her to get it out of her face but after years of wearing it up in a pony tail she now has a pony tail cow lick on the back and makes her hair look tangled and ratty. Every time I try and help her with her hair she insists that i have no idea what I am doing and walks away with a rats nest. Her Mother always makes it look just right. Mom just tells the teachers at school that Dad had to get her ready only proving that Dad is no hair stylist!