It was early Friday morning, and I had just dropped Day off at school. It was a gorgeous, sunny California morning, and I was enjoying the breeze as I cruised down Crenshaw Boulevard with my sunroof open. Needing a haircut, I drove to a Barber shop that opens up early. I arrived just as one of the barbers was unlocking the front door. Great, sometimes it’s hard to find a good haircut at 8:30 A.M.
A young father walked into the barber shop and started a conversation about the struggle he was having keeping his 7-year-old daughter’s hair combed. I could relate, sometimes I think I’m the only guy who ever had that problem. Keeping a toddler or second grader’s hair combed can be a challenge. I should know, my daughter was “the most tender-headed kid in the world” when she was younger.
I raised my daughter on my own from the time she was about two until she was seven years old; that’s when I remarried. Looking back, it wasn’t always easy, but I never noticed. We have a saying in the Marine’s; “you knew the job was dangerous when you took it.” If you’re gonna, have kids, be ready for your responsibilities to increase exponentially. You’ll also have some of the most beautiful times you will ever have in your life. I wouldn’t trade being a dad for all the gold in the world; there’s nothing like it.
Help! My Kid is Tenderheaded
When she was little, Day would give me the blues when I combed her hair. Her Maker gave her an excellent set of lungs, and she’d use them to let me know if I caused her the slightest discomfort. It didn’t help matters that I didn’t know what I was doing when it came to combing her hair, and I think she knew it. Day, didn’t like getting her hair combed, and was in no mood for my experiments.
As we continued our conversation I began to tell the younger dad how I solved my hair problem. I feel slightly uncomfortable referring to him as the “younger dad, but 
hey, my inner Sergeant took over, –Oorah!– Been there done that. I told that the best thing you can do in this situation is to find a woman with a good heart, who knows how to French Braid. Take a look at this picture of my baby girl. She was six, and we were on our way to Kansas City. In this picture, we’re taking a break in Colorado. Notice her hair is French Braided. “Babysitter” (that’s our nickname for Cheryl) braided her hair right before we left on a road trip from Los Angeles to Kansas City. Thanks again Cheryl!
The Solution
The answer to, “what’s the best way to comb her hair” is very simple; comb it as little as possible. Fortunately, I was blessed to have a babysitter and braider all in one. I don’t know what I would have done without her. The icing on the cake was that she’s also very close to my family. Thank God for Cheryl.
Now you have it, that’s my big secret. Keep it French Braided. I kept Day’s hair braided most of the time. Her tresses were in French braids from the time she was two until she was about seven. Day’s braider was highly skilled and knew what she was doing; that’s important because poor braiding hair can cause hair loss.
Wow! How time flies, those days are long gone, and God has blessed me with a fantastic wife who helped me raise Day. Thanks to my better half, Day learned how to do all the everyday stuff for her hair, herself. Sometimes I get a little nostalgic and miss the days of worrying about her hair, but not for long. That’s life, and it’s great that she is now able to do her own hair, especially now that she’s 17 years old. Now and then she still likes to get her hair braided, but now she loves to get it braided in big thick braids now.
Sensitive Scalps and Fake Tears
My question to you is, do you know a kid that does this, when they get their hair combed??? Mine did. Take a look below at the most tenderheaded boy in America; he brings back memories of me combing Day’s hair; (America’s most tenderheaded girl).
https://youtu.be/Udw3xdXK0Rk
If your child’s scalp is anywhere near as tender as the most tenderheaded boy in America Shown above), you’ll find the next product priceless. I tried a couple of detangling products on Day’s hair when she was little, but I always went back to Shea Moisture Kids Extra-Moisturizer Detangler with Coconut & Hibiscus. You have to be careful about what you put on a kids head and I like the fact that it’s made with Coconut Oil, algae extract, hibiscus extract, sage leaf extract and slippery elm extract, all organic ingredients. It also works. I can’t say that for some of the products.
If you have the time, the Mom in the video below gives instructions for making a splendid, hair detangler for kids that you can make right in your kitchen
Thanks for stopping by, it’s always great to see you. God be with you until we meet again.
I love this post!! You can tell you were really concerned with your daughter’s feelings. Getting your hair done is a very intimate experience. It can build a relationship with a child or scar them for life. My problem with the video above when the person is combing the hair, is that they are laughing in the background. As an adult with a tender scalp, this was humiliating, traumatizing and really got under my skin. I appreciate you sharing your experience!
Thanks for your comment and astute observation. I didn’t consider the fact that the person laughing in the background is more than likely embarrassing the child. They’re probably causing the kid to cry even more. Day sure used to holler when her hair was washed and combed. Fortunately, no one was laughing in the background, that would have been a whole another issue I would have had to deal with. I’m glad you enjoyed my post.