[ocracoke]

What you need to do is find a little girl -- day care, school, store, etc -- who has a head full of beautiful braids and ask the mom to show you technique. Another adoptive mom showed me 14 months ago how to braid. Now I show other adoptive moms when they first get home with their kids. Once you have the basic technique then it is just a matter of being creative with style. there are 4 basic things you need to know: 1) cornrows 2) box braids (hanging braids) 3) hanging twists and 4) flat twists. I can NOT do a flat twist to save my life but the others I can. I braid my daughter's hair once every 2 weeks or so I do NOT comb her hair every day. And I never leave her hair down. I am so sorry you were talked into straightening her hair. My daughter loves beads and braids and takes such pride in having a cute hairstyle. I hope you find someone in your area who will show you some technique so you can experiment with some great designs.

Samantha