Tidy hair for school

[aliphil]

DD is starting reception. She has quite fine wispy hair, between chin and shoulder length. I don't know if it's long enough for the school to insist it's tied back, but she wants it to be anyway. How can I do it and make it look halfway decent? It ends up with bumps on top of her head, wisps that are too short sticking out, and the clip I use for her not-quite-grown-out fringe looks wrong and doesn't stay in very well.

Something very simple would be good, please, as I am pretty clueless on hairstyles. And something that doesn't require putting any kind of gunk on, as I think that's ridiculous for a 4yo. Thanks in advance ...

[whogrewoutoftheterribletwos]

Bunches with an alice band to keep shorter parts back?

[CRazzyyAce]

You can by the donuts from
Homebargains or BM to make a bun, they are dead easy to do just google the instructions

[bombayflambe]

When mine started reception their hair was very similar to your DDs.
I put in a centre parting, then a bobble in each side with about half the hair in (from the top), then a lower bobble on each side containing the leftover hair and the bottom of the top one. If that makes sense.
Simple, neat, and no whispy bits. Works with or without a fringe. A bit like a French plait without any plaiting.

[paxillin]

Would bunches or pigtails work? You don't need as much length.

[Pengweng]

I do piggies or 2 french plaits to jeep them out of their eyes. I do a twisty braid across the front of DT1s hair as she is growing her fringe out and it's crazy!!

This is good video of how to do it. I use those tiny clear elastics to hold it in place.

When their hair was really tiny i used to do something similar to the picture as it kept all the little bits in place without having to use loads of clips that they would take out or pull out

[Hockeydude]

Personally, I would get her hair cut into a bob which is just above chin length. This may make the wispy ends into a straighter edge. It will also have the effect of getting the growing fringe closer or equal to the length of the rest of the hair and overall the hair may look thicker. If you needed to put her hair up, you'd just need to grab the front section and put it in a hairband (half ponytail style). The style is easy for a small child to brush themselves, easy to wash and dry.

[Girlsinthegarden]

I do a half pony tail and then plait the tail. Or pigtails.

[catkind]

Crazzy is joking, right? A simple style for a child with short wispy hair that most certainly ain't!
DD has similar hair OP, she's happy with just a clip at the front mostly, but if she wants it more tied up a couple of little bunches at the sides catches most of it. Though really, who cares if it looks bumpy anyway, they're 4! Clipping the fringe seems to stay in a bit better if we twist the chunk of hair around a bit before clipping, and are you using those snap back clips rather than any kind of slide on grips?

[Mybeardeddragonjustdied2016]

Don't worry too much coz it will be a mess by break time anyway!! Bandanas are an easy option!!

[Dixiechickonhols]

Just to say 'gunk' can be great at stopping nits. eg detangler spray some have tea tree. I read before DD started school nits can't stick if you use hairspray. She is 10 and never had them (touch wood) and I use detangler or spray or both. Personally I think you are better with longer you can tie back - hairband to keep growing out fringe out of way. I see the ones with bobs that can't be tied back messing and flicking them in assembly.
I do a ponytail or plait, I'm never going to win any hairdressing awards.

[MidniteScribbler]

Oh god, I bet Crazzy is going to be one of those parents that freak out if their child comes home and their hair isn't the same as when they were dropped off.

[AppleMagic]

I keep dd's hair in two plaits round the clock. In the morning I just unplait and replait each side. After washing (once or twice a week) it gets brushed and straight back into plaits. She has fine, wispy, baby hair that matts very easily and this has taken all the pain out of managing it.

[CRazzyyAce]

Midnite are you always this obnoxious or is it just your personality trait?

Where did I meantion I would freak out if my DD hair wasn't right? I put it up like that because it's warm and it's out of her face she has a terrible habit of tripping over when not looking so best to have her hair out of her face. She does had whispery bits and her fine. it was styled when her hairs wet.

Seriously though there's no need for some of the bitchy attitudes on MNs lately there's just no need for it.

[cuntinghomicidalcardigan]

I put the front section of my dd's hair in a Dutch braid to keep.her fringe back then scoop the rest back into a ponytail. I learnt by using youtube to watch French braid, Dutch braid etc. If you search school hairstyles you should get some easy to follow ideas! I also use a little hair mousse on dd's hair to keep the flyaways under control.

[Scarydinosaurs]

But surely crazy you can see your DDs hair is much longer than chin length to do that style?? Plus the fringe...

[TheDowagerCuntess]

CRazzyy - your DD's hair looks amazing. But I don't think it quite meets the OP's remit of something simple, for shoulder length hair.

I would probably try to do braids along the sides, as I don't think it will go back into a pony tail at that length.

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

To prevent the bobbly bits I've found that I need to brush it as I collect the hair up, going around the head in a circle gathering as I go unless I realise too late that the hair has escaped my pre leaving inspection, then it is a head down, gather as much hair as possible and hope no one spots us! Do consider bunches (looks v cute, dd(11) still sometimes has low bunches). Practice french plaits on the weekend as once you get quick then they can be useful. When the hair is a bit longer then two small plaits from the front on each side can be tied at the back to make a hairband. Or a half pony-tail scooping just the front half to the crown.

CrrazzyyAce your daughter's hair looks lovely, but not something that I could have considered pulling off on my little eels who would wriggle their way away. Certainly not before school, with three we just didn't have time to get everything else done and out of the house by 8.20. I think that Midnight was probably referring to the not infrequent parents moaning / freaking out that school has changed their dd's hair style without checking first that the child and their friends hadn't been playing hairdressers and pulled it all out/ hair fell out of the hair band/ child pulled hair band out/ child got paint in hair which they rinsed out etc resulting in emergency TA repairs. Midnite is I think a teacher so has seen this on mumsnet and in real life.

[VioletBam]

Crazy the OP says her child's hair is thin and wispy. And it's not quite shoulder length. How on earth could she achieve what you've shown?

OP....I agree with getting it trimmed into a nice bob....that will help it stay neat if you're growing it longer and in the meantime she can have nice alice bands to wear to satisfy her desire for accessories.

I did this with my DDs hair....it was curly and thick but still wispy and messy at the same time....she pulled her bobbles out and it was so untidy that we bobbed it...best thing ever!

[waitinglistquery]

I agree a stretchy Alice band is the best (and easiest!) option.

[TooTweeOrNotTooTwee]

OP my DD's hair is exactly as you describe. I'm totally rubbish doing 'nice' hair, plus DD won't sit still. We've never tied her hair back for nursery before either.

I've been doing a single pony tail with an alice band to keen all the wispy bits and half grown out fringe out of her face. I think it looks cute. I might take up a PP's tip s out hairspray to prevent nits though.

[CRazzyyAce]

My DD is only slightly longer than her shoulder and very fine. The attitude from midnite was appalling and totally uncalled for I'm flabbergasted she's a teacher with such a judgemental attitude, quite frankly she doesn't know me ,I'm a stranger and she gathered an unbiased assumption on a picture and a couple of words. People should think before they actually post Mn is becoming an increasing unpleasant place with one or to determined to have ago at someone. Thing is people wouldn't act this is way in RL but it's become somewhat acceptable on the Internet.

I have three DC one of which is a baby who is breastfed the two are now in school I seem to be up by five these days. I don't always put DD hair up but when it's hot days it's easier for her. I didn't expect to get judged because I offered someone some advice. I was going to post a link for the hair style which can be adapted for shorter with only one shorter plait inside of the two but I won't bother.

[JasperDamerel]

CRazzy, I do think that, while your DD's hair looked lovely in the picture, the style was very far from the basic simple solution the OP was looking for, and it did look a bit like showing off - a sort of hairstyle equivalent of a thread where a parent asks for suggestions for a quick meal for a fussy eater and someone posts a recipe for a Goan fish curry which their kids absolutely love.

I realise that you really didn't mean your post to come across that way and we're trying to be helpful, but I think that you have wildly overestimated the amount of skill and effort which constitutes a simple and easy style.

And I think that you might also have fallen foul of a certain amount of snobbery regarding fancy hairstyles at school.

[Theask]

I only ever did a simple pony tail. If not long enough then a bob or alice band. Some of these styles are nuts.