[forevermom]

We are a CC couple, and have already adopted our 2yr old daughter who is AA. She was 9 mos old when we got her. Now we are adopting an AA sibling set who are 8 and 9yrs old.

I know how to do my daughters hair and skin care, but with older children I have so many questions. I was hoping some of you can help me out.

With my 2 yr old, she has very dry skin so depending on how dirty she gets I typically give her a bath every other day, but lotion up her skin on a daily basis. Do the older children need a bath daily, due to them being older and sweating etc...?? I wash my daughters hair weekly, the older children will most likely be swimming on a daily basis this summer, how often should I wash their hair due to chlorine?? Do I need to re oil their hair after swimming??

Do any of you know of some good hair books, that show pictures and good hair ideas for my older daughter she is 9, but will be 10 in a few weeks. On my 2yr old, I do alot of braids with bright barrets at the end of them. My older daughter seems to have out grown that look, so I need some ideas for her hair. My 8yr old son keeps his hair cut very short, almost shaved. What do I put on his hair, just like some pink hair lotion??

I am sorry for all the questions, but I like to keep my children looking good. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. We are in the transition phase, but they will be fully moved in with us by July 11th.

Thanks in advance!

[leannh]

i hope this works. there is a great yahoo group that i think might be able to help you.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Adopti...guid=152885059
if it doesnt work, you can pm me and we will figure it out.
good luck.

[missw005]

forevermom-

My boys are 3 and 6, and I do the same - bathe them once a week and shampoo/condition/put in leave-in conditioning lotion in their hair. For my youngest I use a hair lotion called Baby Love hairdress lotion and for my oldest I use Pink Oil hair lotion. (My youngest is biracial and the pink oil is too much for his hair.) They do swim a lot, but since their hair is so short - not shaved, but short - during the summer, I don't re-oil/condition it every day.

On the other hand, we're swimming in the lake, not a chlorine-filled pool - so I'm assuming, especially if you have a girl with long hair, that you'll have to re-wash and oil it after swimming or it will mat her hair like crazy.

As for the bathing and lotion - here's what I do. My boys do get awfully sweaty, especially during the summer. So I bathe them once a week, lotion, shampoo, hair lotion, etc. But every day I wipe them down quickly with a somewhat damp washcloth, then apply their lotion before they dry. I'm assuming at their age, they can wipe themselves down with a washcloth and lotion themselves. But if they know how to take a shower, I'd leave it up to them - either washcloth or shower each day. I know after a hard day of playing outside, my boys are filthy!

As for hair books, try "It's All Good Hair" by Michele N-K Collison. It's got step-by-step instructions with pictures and everything. Also you might find a beauty shop that does AA hair and bring her in - maybe get braids for the summer? And they can give you good advice for styles for her hair type.

I'm glad you're concerned for your kids to look good. It is one of the biggest complaints I hear from black friends about cauc. families with black kids - that they let their hair get all scruffy and don't learn how to take care of it properly. You might also look for TransRacial adoption groups in your area, or if you're in MN, try Harambee - it's a group specifically for cauc. families who've adopted AA kids. Their website is www.harambeevillage.org

Hope that helps!

Sandy

[Linny]

We are the proud parents of two AA toddler girls that we've had since babyhood. One of our daughters has very wiry, tightly curled hair.....quite long. The other daughter has much more relaxed hair....much thinner than her sister's hair.
When the older daughter was a baby......a hairdresser told me that at a conference, it was suggested to use Biosilk hair treatment oil (made by Farouk) on AA hair. It's gentle...a little pricey....but, I have to say that regardless of what I've tried........over the counter and professionally......I always come back to the Biosilk for their hair oil.
I water spritz their hair every day.......towel dry, then apply the Biosilk. I am finding that with the one daughter (who's hair is much curlier).....that during this dry summer, I sometimes have to apply more in some 'more exposed areas' of her scalp...because it looks a little drier.
As far as bathing.......one daughter is very, very dark; the other is lighter in complexion. Both have baths every night...and I've found that the 'more lotion-y' the soap, the better for their skin. When a lotion is needed (which is quite often too).....I use shea butter (not pure ((though I have used it too))....but a combination).......and sometimes suntan oil, as well as many others I've tried. Generally the heavier the lotion, the longer it keeps their skin moist.

I'm always up for more info........and I know the days of having to go to 'more professional hair styles' will come soon enough. But for now, we like them to look like 'little girls'...with uncomplicated hair styles. (I just had one AA lady tell me that I could go ahead and use a 'kiddy perm' on my one toddler....to which I just can't see using some chemical on her hair at this age!!!!)

Anyway...that's my two-cents. But I've found that the 'hairdressing of choice' seems to be just as varied as the individuals themselves...and you just have to keep working with each child's hair to find the best solution for them!

Best of luck.....

Sincerely,

Linny