[MMC66]

You all must have some secret to getting your kids to sit still while you do your kids hair. Aside from duct tape or something horribly illegal, I am at a loss. I can have Addy's hair almost perfect then she spots the cat and it's all over

One time I gave her a lollipop which made her sit still but the sticky mess wasn't worth it. She isn't interested in TV. Do you just chase your kids around the house and do a little at a time or do you do it all at once.

There has got to be some trick to it.

Oh AND add to it I am quite slow which definitely doesn't help.

Please HELP ME!!

Martha

[AdrienneG]

Have you tried doing her hair while she's asleep? Thats useful for babies and toddlers.

[sneezyone]

From the time DD was really little - oh, 8-9 mos or so), I'd make her sit still with me (as long as she could) so I could just brush it. We went from just brushing to adding one or two ponies up front. Now, DD can sit still for four or five parts plus ponies and clips. It's a process.

Sometimes, I do dd's hair while she's asleep (but not usually). Sometimes I do it while she's sitting in her hi-chair eating mandarin oranges (SHE LOVES THOSE!!) and watching an elmo movie but that's best-case. This morning I picked, brushed and adorned her crown with clips and she gave me little/no grief. It just takes time.

[Kelli]

Martha, our highchair did double duty as a place to eat and to get dd's hair done. It helped to have a Barney tape on too. That was the only way I could keep her in one place long enough to get the job done. Since I'm usually pressed for time in the mornings to get to work, it was important that I could keep her still long enough. Now she's an old pro at sitting still while I do her hair and she holds the comb/brush and hair accessories for me.

[BethanyB]

You can really do it when they are sleeping? Hmmm? Doesn't it wake them up? My daughter Madison is only 7 months but her hair is long enough for me to put two puffs in the front and one in the back. Not too hard since she doesn't have that much hair. (It all fell out shortly after birth.) BUT she hates for me to even touch her head. I don't know why, I never hurt her. She also looks up at me when I am trying to make the
parts even! The same when I try to do twists. Hmmmm...I guess practice makes perfect!

[leaabc123]

Big D is almost 4 and likes getting her hair done, she likes to look good and will sit still for long periods of time (2-6 hours with breaks depending on style).

Little D is 2 and does not like it at all. She will remain in the chair though but will cry. Play dough, a snack, or other distractions usually do the job. I keep her styles simple (puffs or big twists usually). She has started asking for braids but wouldn't sit still for it so she has a while to go.

I know others who do it while kids are sleeping but I have never had luck with that nor do I want to disturb their sleep or my quiet time.

[LisaCA]

dd's a light sleeper, so no touching her while she's napping. what I did was brush her hair from the time she was a newborn. she's now used to my doing her hair (and as you know there's tons of it). we sit with a couple of lift the flap books and that keeps her busy. we also sing endless rounds of "the wheels on the bus", "I'm a little teapot" and "the itsy bitsy spider". we don't let dd watch tv. sometimes we do her alphabet puzzle, which she loves (she loves letters-go figure), or her numbers puzzle. anyway, it works. she's not much of a resister, lol. And I talk endlessly about her gorgeous hair (she's just a tad vain, lol). She'll now sit for 15 minutes without fuss, after hair washing it usually takes 20min. The key is to be in charge. if she whines and screams, tough, imho. dd's way too strongwilled, so any weakness is her advantage, lol.

[florobin]

I used to come dd hair while she was asleep...when she first woke up in the morning before breakfast while she was still groggy. Sometimes I section her hair the night before or after washing and then comb the next morning.

[florobin]

Originally Posted by florobin

I used to come dd hair while she was asleep...when she first woke up in the morning before breakfast while she was still groggy. Sometimes I section her hair the night before or after washing and then comb the next morning.

I think I was zoning out when I wrote this. This is what I meant to say.

I used to comb dd hair while she was asleep. I also would comb it when she first woke up in the morning before breakfast while she was still groggy. Sometimes I section her hair the night before or after washing and then comb her hair the next morning. It's a little faster.

Now I just make her sit while I comb it...crying or no crying.

[maxkinzie]

For us it has been BabyEinstein, Barney, and TheWiggles, along with breadsticks or Ritz. We too started around 6 mos old (15mos now). She sits in her Exersaucer. This doesn't sound like the most poplular way to go about it, but I have never make her sit and cry/scream so I can get done. Every once in a while she will protest and it's time for a break, hug, different DVD etc. She doesn't protest often, I like to think the time I've taken early on is paying off for us now. I think only once did she really fall apart about it, I threw the remaining lopsided hair in a pony, and finished later.

The other day when I was experimenting with numerous braids she actually sat still for the entire "WigglesLive" DVD, that's 77 minutes!!! Almost more than mom could take although we usually average 30-40 min a day.

[MMC66]

Thanks for all the tips.

The sleep idea is definitely out - she is a super light sleeper.

I like the high chair idea and have tried it but the back is so high that I don't get a good look at her head and seem to screw up more. I think I'm going to get one of those chairs that pulls up to the table and play dough is a great idea, she loves that.

I'm thinking about investing in some good toddler videos just for hair time, she has shown absolutely NO interest in anything on TV which is good but it really could come in handy.

Anyway, thank goodness her little afro loks good today so I have a day off from all the parts and piggies
Geez I have a lot to learn

Martha

[LisaCA]

here's an idea for what it's worth. if you want to let her watch tv while doing her hair, buy one of those nature videos for cats, where it shows birds at a bird feeder for what seems like days, squirrels running around, etc. not too stimulating but something else to look at.

make sure you lay the groundwork and buy all those books about young black girls having their hair done. worth their weight in gold I think.

[MMC66]

Tell me about the books, I don't know them??

Something else weird. I was talking to my 14 year old, she was playing with Addy's hair and talking about her black friends in SC and said some used to burn the ends of their hair to keep braids etc in - once again, I am completely clueless, sounds scary is this common??

Enlighten me oh wise one

Martha

[Sleeplvr]

Nooooo! Burning is for synthetic weave hair. The heat melts the hair so the braid stays in. Don't use that method on natural hair.

[MMC66]

See toldya I was clueless - getting smarter though

Martha