Nursery hair dilemma

I sympathise with this but if the only reason they're having an issue is because of nursery doing her hair too tight then it's not really reasonable that OP feels she has to cut it off when it's them causing the issue. Assuming child is otherwise fine and happy getting hair done normally like.

I've taken your approach in general though, my DD is 5 and has always had short hair (either a bob or pixie cut) but that's because she hated anything to do with it (washing/brushing/wouldn't wear anything in it etc). I can appreciate that lots of other kids don't mind that stuff though so less necessary to keep it short.

I use those little elastics with my daughters, they are the only ones that last all day. I use a drop of oil to magically break them but snipping them works the same. It doesn’t damage their hair and my girls have never complained it hurts them. One of mine has curlier hair and I use a little gel and water to help the style last all day. My curly girls hair always lasts alot longer than my girl with silky straight hair, but save all the pretty bobbles and hair clips for home!

I’m sure the nursery meant well. Is your problem just the elastics or would you rather they not touch her hair at all?

A few years ago, DH had picked DD1 up from nursery to come straight to hospital to meet her new baby sister, I remember waiting thinking that her hair was going to be such a mess as DH had dropped her off at nursery in a rush that morning… but one of her nursery teachers had taken the time to do her hair so beautifully that I cried when I saw her and the pictures of her meeting her sister are just so lovely and I was so thankful for them.

Speak to them. At our nursery, there was something about not using clips and bobbles that would fall out because it was a safety risk - if they fell out and another child put in their mouth. I can’t remember exactly as this was a long time ago. Anyway, I vaguely remember there being some similar issue that my child would go in with her hair done one way, and then they’d redo it with a different thing that wouldn’t fall out. They didn’t talk to me about it until I asked I think - they were too busy to think of talking to me about it as it was NBD to them.

Just cut her hair short until she's older ? It really doesn't sound worth the agro. 15 minutes crying and pain a night. If she was a boy she wouldn't have to suffer this. She's 2, she won't care about her hair for another 3 years

Disposable hair bands/small elastics are by far the most effective for kids hair that won’t stay “done” (been there, got t-shirt and all associated clothing) so I am not surprised nursery are using them. You chop them out with scissors. I suggest you try them - will really help the style last just google elastic hair bands and look for tiny ones.

I sympathise op but I've got the opposite "problem"...

At my dd's nursery the manager discourages the staff from playing with kids' hair because, she says, "it's better to respect their personal space". This is fab especially for my dd because she doesn't like being touched and hugged much.

But it means she comes home with her hair like a bird's nest everyday because hair bobbles just slip out eventually. Usually with bits of food and paint in it. And she's caught headlice twice. She hates having her hair washed or combed but we have to do it way more often than I'd like because of the state it gets into.

So I almost wish someone would plait it for her! Tbf she'd probably not stay still long enough to let them.

sometimes my DD comes back with a different hair style and it’s because a group of the girls have been playing hairdressers with one of the carers. It’s another activity to pass time. One of them did crazy tiny tight plaits, no idea how her fingers managed!

could it be something like this? I think just have an open conversation with them - is her hair falling out and having to be redone (could be for a nits policy) or do many of the girls have their hair redone? Either way please be careful and use the hairbands she came with or the spares in her bag. etc etc.

Citrus based essential oils will dissolve bands and let them snap easily

Oh god I’d be livid on so many fronts, but using disposable plastic hair bands would be number 1. Have they absolutely zero idea about sustainability?!

Definitely tell them to only use what you send. Kids hair gets messy, it’s really not important that it’s neat. The next time you pick her up with them in ask them to remove them before you leave.

I have had to have a billion conversations to please use her wet bag and not disposable nappy bags for wet clothes. No single use plastic shite thank you.

Some nursery staff do seem to like pissing about with hair. Then at the same time they moan about how busy it is…..

When I worked in a nursery there were always some of the younger staff who would play with the children’s hair. Used to really irritate me. Children don’t go to nursery to sit and have their hair done. They should be playing and the younger staff should be interacting with all children not just a select few. If it had been one of my children I would have been very irritated

Yes, those little plastic bobbles are meant to be cut out. I too was pulling them out of my poor daughters hair before I realised this.

Same problem here and my child has straight fine hair - but still a pain to get those elastics out! I have taken to snapping them as well so as to save ripping chunks of hair out with the elastic. My child nearly always has a different hairstyle than what she was sent in. I asked and they said the kids are playing hair dressers or asked for a different style etc. Definitely ask if they could use the lovely soft bobbles you send her with or perhaps they will have another solution (and that sock pit - 😅 )

Cut the bobbles out i invested in nail scissors specifically for the tiny bobbles as i had a very sensitive scalp little girl.

I would send hair baubles that you use into nursery with her and ask them to just tie her hair like you do with her own baubles, explaining that they way they do it makes it difficult in the evening to take out.

we have so many girls who start of with beautiful hair and within hours he baubles lost and the hair is hanging in the paint, in the water and in the mud too!

Speak to them. It must take ages to do it that tightly and probably not overly comfortable for your DD, I wouldn't be happy either.

You do need to speak the nursery to find out what's going on here because it could be any of a number of things. Is the hairdo coming out itself over the course of the day? Or is DC taking it out themself? Or are staff taking it down for a sleep/another reason, or are they taking it out just because they like her hair and enjoy doing it up...? And then go from there depending on what they tell you.

Does her hair style fall out after a day of playing at home? I’m wondering if a staff member at nursery is taking it out on purpose because she enjoys doing the intricate braids. Worth saying something for sure!!

This would stress me out so much!! What about a plastic hair band to keep it off her face? Then it just needs sliding in. I appreciate this may not work though. Other than that, I would definitely speak to them about it.

I do 2 pig tails or two cornrows and my kids will systematically unpick it all. The nursery used to tie the pigtails so tight I'd have to cut the hair band out. You've reminded me to speak to them about it

You cut the plastic ties out

Clips are a bit pointless in soft toddler hair, as is tying it loosely - toddlers play very physically and it will just come out all the time.

You need to tie it securely with bobbles. Can you french plait it? This is the best way to keep it in. They won't want it loose because it will end up full of craft stuff, food, at risk of nits etc, othee kids will end up pulling it by mistake.

It sounds like her hair may need braiding more tightly to get it to last the day, but you might need to find something more suitable to secure it. Your bobbles are too soft, so they're coming out. Theirs aren't soft enough, so they're getting stuck and risk damaging her hair.

Definitely talk to them, but I think you might also need to explore some alternatives.