So apparently, most people think that all black women can do hair. It’s probably one of the most irritating stereotypes that I have come across. Possibly because I was one of the black women who COULDN’T do hair for so long.
I’m still a novice, but I am MUCH better than I was this time last year. Let me tell you, I learned how to cornrow at the ripe old age of thirty. Yes. Thirty years it took me to learn how to braid and that’s only because I was getting a little bit jealous at all of my other friends who could do it. What I didn’t know was how many of my friends were NOT able to braid. After finding that out, I felt a teensy bit better, but it still wasn’t great. Anyway, I’ve joined many online hair communities for people with little girls, and I picked my mothers brain (who I refer to as the queen of hair braiding.) I mean, the woman’s parting game is one NOT to be messed with AND she could give us braided styles that did not pull all of our hair out. *two snaps*
Here is where I started out:
and then it progressed to this:
or, well, this is where I went the second time. Doesn’t much look like progression.
Getting better!
Yes this is how she posed. I do NOT make my daughter put her hands on the wall.
And today’s hairstyle:
inspired by the website Chocolate Hair Vanilla Care which chronicles a Caucasian moms journey to learn how to do her adoptive daughter’s natural hair. She has FANTASTIC protective styles that I can actually do! I love it!
You can tell that she loves it. Even though we fight like a cat and dog while doing her hair, I find that if I let her pick a style from one of the sites that I go to, I get a little bit more cooperation from her. Oh, and also letting her watch Qubo Channel doesn’t hurt either.
How about you guys? Do you have as much trouble as I do with doing hair? How do you come up with hairstyles? Let me know!
~ Make It A Fantastic Day
I had to laugh,I was the exact same way. It took me a longtime to lern todo my girls’ hair. I didn’t have the web, so it was a lot of trial and error, but they survived. You’re doing great! Your daughter is too cute. Love the hand on wall pose!
Oh my goodness. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have the internet to depend on. I know that makes me seem so, “un” something, but it’s the truth! I was even contemplating taking a class at a local community college. Yes. It was that serious.
I can’t do hair period let alone braid. I so desperately want to learn. I went on the website that you spoke of and will revisit again. I even thought about buying a half head doll to practice on lol.
You should have seen the looks the ladybug would give to me when I first started doing her hair. It was a mixture of sheer terror and disappointment.
Good job. I tired the last hairstyle too and failed MISERABLY! Nice to see you pull it off.
I say do it again, and show me pictures. Did you do the braids or the rope twists?
Great job on Ladybug’s hair!
I am learning as I go along. My mom, too, is great at overall hair braiding and hair care. She sat me down and taught me what to do. A couple of mothers stop me at school almost every day to compliment Lil Girl (and me) on the hair. (This, as I side-eye my own hair.) That is a great confidence booster.
Let’s not talk about our own heads of hair. LOL! She thought it was great this time around. She’s getting better at sitting still, and I’m getting better at parting.
You are doing a great job! I am the only one of my mom’s children that can not do hair nor braid! I’ve tried & my fingers just.won’t.do.right! I believe that’s why God sent me a boy. I would have to get a pt job just to get her hair done if I had a girl. Keep up the great work…
It was my prayer that she was a boy for that very reason. Now I don’t know what I would do if she was one. She has the spirit of one (daring, not scared) but the demeanor of a lady. Amazing.
I WISH my braids started out looking like that!! I guess because I have 3 boys I had not need to really braid until I went natural. Just trying to get 1 french braid is a challenge!! I am DEFINITELY braid challenged.
Brandi, for real, you don’t. I promise you. LOL!
Good job lady! I’m hanging my head in shame because I still can’t cornrow! *lol* Thank the Lord I was blessed with a son!
Thanks ma’am! It was only by the grace of God that I learned. He knew that I couldn’t have my little one going around with a messed up crown. AND I was NOT paying someone else to do it.
Wow–you’re good!! –After 17 years of having a daughter I STILL can’t braid like that!! LOL I gave up on trying a long time ago!! You stuck with it and are to be commended for it! You did a great job!! ~Thanks for sharing!
I still dont know how to braid. My cornrows always look extremely busted. I am glad that my youngest looks so good in two strand twists because I can do them. So I decided to give up on the braiding and just do those.