You know how long locks just really look adorable on girls? How girls combing each other’s hair are just a picture moment worthy of scrapbooks?
However, do you have the time to care for hair other than your own? Because little girls either can’t, or won’t. I don’t have a girl yet but just watching my sister-in-law debate with her daughter over hairstyles whenever they go out exhausts me. And then, there are the other things to consider:
Hair products and how often hair is washed.
Not only do additional hair products and trimmings add up to family expense, your tot may also not like getting her hair washed. More hair products invite more occasions for stinging in the eyes. Plus, you’d also have to find a product that your daughter’s hair will respond to. If you’re going out, it also may take a while before it gets dry enough to be styled. Bedtime may also be affected as sleeping with wet hair may result in more tangles in the morning.
Knots, grooming and styling choices.
Most girls hate having their hair brushed because the knots and tangles are a pain. I am sure a lot of us have vivid memories of a mother rabidly combing our hair that felt more like she was trying to scalp us. Let a girl play with her hair free and five minutes later, it’s already all tangled up. Even if you’ve managed to braid that hair before letting your child loose in the play yard, you’re bound to get her back with hair in disarray. And at around the age of two, they start having style preferences that may not agree with your tastes. Worse, mothers also feel that their little girls’ grooming is a reflection of their parenting and good tastes so a lot aren’t likely to let a daughter out with clips and ribbons that didn’t match what their daughter was wearing. And pray tell, how do you expect a husband to help in this area? Mine only combs his hair once a day, after taking a bath, so I doubt he’d know how to properly maneuver a boar brush through tangles.
Other real hazards.
Hair unchecked may easily be caught in doors or appliances like mixers. Worse, they become a target for boys to pull, make fun of, or throw gum at. Enough said.
Like what I said, I don’t have a girl (yet). I am pretty sure a lot will depend on a family’s lifestyle, parenting styles and even a child’s temperament. After all, girls who really WANT long hair may be more cooperative with all the hair combing and twisting and decorating. And there are parents who are cool enough to let their child wear bunny headbands even in Christmas or mismatched hairclips. I think I’d do as my friend’s mom did with their hair though: keep it short until the girl is old enough to take care of it and style it herself. I am pretty sure a lot of moms love Dora for the same reason.
