Tears over tangles and fear of haircuts are just a few struggles parents face when handling hair care. While you might be tempted to give your kids a buzz cut to avoid the hair-care woes, knowing a few tricks of the trade will make the daily struggle easier. Hair care is similar for girls and boys, with the typical difference in hair length.
Get Comfortable
When you need to style or comb your child’s hair, choose a comfortable spot for her to sit. If she is comfortable and entertained, she is more likely to stay still, allowing you to fix her hair quickly. Turn on her favorite TV show and get her comfy on an ottoman or chair. A snack is another option for keeping her distracted while you work on her hair.
Choose the Right Tools
Not all brushes work well for kids. A vent brush is more likely to snag and pull on the hair, causing your child pain while you’re trying to comb out the tangles. A comb with wide teeth or a paddle brush is a better option for gentle hair care. Keep different options on hand in case your first choice isn’t working well.
Washing Schedule
Every day washing isn’t necessary for most kids. Babies need a hair washing about twice a week. For toddlers, increase to three weekly hair washing sessions. When your child reaches preschool age, she might sweat more and get dirtier during normal play. Girls also tend to have longer hair that needs more washing. Every other day should be enough for a preschooler. A child at any age might need additional hair washings if she gets particularly dirty. Parenting recommends waiting until the end of the bath to wash the hair. Your child doesn’t have to sit in water full of shampoo suds if you wait.
Combing Technique
It seems logical to start at the top and comb down toward the ends of the hair, but this also pushes any tangles down the shaft into one massive ball at the end of the hair. Starting near the end of the hair shafts gets rid of those tangles while they are still small and manageable. Go back to the top once the bottom tangles are gone. Wet hair can make tangles more difficult to remove from the hair. Kids’ detangling products help in removing the tangles with fewer tears.
