When and how should DD start doing her own hair?

[PonDeReplay]

My oldest DD has lovely curly hair. I do all hair care at the moment: helping her to wash / condition it, applying hair dressing, detangling it and plaiting it weekly. She’s a pre-teen and I’ve noticed that her friends (with straight hair) are starting to brush their own hair and do their own ponytails. Although I too have Afro hair, I can’t remember how or when I learned how to cornrow my own hair.

So, my question is: how do I help DD to learn how to do her own hair? And when is reasonable to expect her to be able to do it herself? All tips welcomed!

I don't think there is a specific age under 16. You can start them off by letting them do different things yo their hair. Some children have more willingness and interest to learn than others. But it's a skill everyone needs to learn and not the hard away.

Your dd should be able to shampoo and oil their sculp. Do simple plaits. That's the bare minimum.
For plaiting, that's what dolls are for.

You practise plaiting on dolls then willing victims - friends or younger siblings heads - before you do your own.

I think that because you asked, it's time she did her own hair. Don't feel guilty about that.

Thanks for your replies. I’ve been thinking about my own hair and realised that I started having mine relaxed when I was about the same age as DD is now. As a result, I had to relearn how to do cornrows in my own hair as a young adult when I chose to wean myself off the hair relaxer...

@creativecringe DD can plait but is not particularly interested in hair. I suspect I wouldn’t have asked the question if she’d been showing any enthusiasm for taking over haircare duties!

@RedMarauder like the idea of her practicing on others. Will have to tempt younger siblings / cousins to allow DD to style them up.

@GettingUntrapped (appropriate username here!) you make a good point about not feeling guilty. And you’re right - I’d like her to be able to do her own hair (not immediately, but eventually).

Maybe show her YouTube ideas on her type similar to her own OP.

I’m 36 and I still don’t know how to cornrow my hair lol.

There are great tutorials on YouTube for twists outs, etc, and other Afro hair styles. I really like naptural85.