Hair Nightmare!!!

[Nutjob]

Ok, I am going to admit it, I am useless at 'doing' things with hair. I have mine in a shortish bob which needs basically no fiddling with and that's fine by me.

However, my dd has not long started nursery and has been seeing all these other girls with plaits and bobbles and god knows what in their hair, and is desperate to have the same (she's got a little bob like me!!) This morning I tried to put little plaits in at either side and it was a nightmare - I managed to do it, but it didn't look great and it took me so many attempts that dd was getting really fidgety and I was getting really snappy. I just can't go through that every morning.

So, does anyone know any amazing (easy!!) things I can do? I don't want dd to feel she is missing out but on the other hand what good is it if we just end up in tears together?!!!

what about twisting the hair and tying it at the back, it can look pretty but might not be possible with short hair.
Pretty clips and slides would probably do the trick.

my dd has 2 little ponytails on each side and different colour hairbands all the way down them,looks cute and it`s easy

I part my dd's fringe and put a little clip in each side - we had a lovely mummy and dd day at the shops recently (she's 3) and bought some nice clips. Her hair is long enough for a ponytail so we sometimes do that, but I cant do bunches to save my life, they always end up squint.

what about investing in one of those crazybraid things

I bought an excellent book whilst in America with very basic explanations and diagrams on how to do alot of these styles I still struggle with the French style braids but have managed some of the styles that look far more complicated than they actually are i.e. rope plaits, herringbone plaits etc. A very simple one that looks excellent is a sort of pony tail twist (can't remember proper name). Make pony tail/s - while dd's hair was shorter bob length I used to do two pony using only the top part of the hair - leavinf back down. Loosen pony tail band away from head, make a hole through the hair between the head and the band (use finger or long tailed comb) ensuring that the hole is big enough for the pony tail to pass through. Twist pony tail through the hole and retighten - this looks lovely, if you use small pony tail bands you can often adjust hair so that the band is unseen.
Do you understand that or was it complete gobble de gook??

How about investing in a Girls World or whatever the equivalent is these days so you can practise without her complaining?

Sent before finished - araargh!

I have the same problem with my daughter. We now have to plait her hair every bedtime to ensure t's tangle-free by the following morning. We also use Pantene shampoo and sep conditioner as this seems to keep the tangles away.

It's taken me a couple of years to learn how to do her hair and I am still nowhere near the standard of most of the mums! I was thrilled when someone said how neat she looks when she turns up for school. Shame she always has the headge backwards look when she leaves(unless dear Miss W has helped her out!)

Thanks for your suggestions everyone, will try some out, good idea about the Girl's World!! Trouble is dd has a double crown so I can't get a nice even parting. Trust her to be difficult!!

DS1 has a double crown too! Full on double swirl with a parakeet crest in the middle Luckily, I can just cut his hair very short.

my daughter has always had short hair it wont grow and its curly. she is 10 and it still wont grow!

anyway

when she gets this way i put her hair in bunches right at the base of her neck BEHIND her ears, as her hair isnt long enough to put bunches ABOVE her ears os the hair from the base of her neck wont reach

also a kind of half bunch on either side so..
get the longer top hair and do bunches as you would with a kid who has longer hair ABOVE the ears and leave the rest.

also fancy clips with flowers on and grips are quick and easy - but they wont come home from school with them in!

and one big clip, gathering that longer top hair againand just clipping it back and centre - i think the design of the clip is all imprtant to little girlies though, so the more pink, ribbons, beads, feathers etc is has the better.

clairs acessories are great for this kinda nonsense.

remember to use covered elastic bobbles as others rip the hair.

and we find things like this are good incentives for saving in a money box or doing a little chore here and there to get new hair thingies for school

I had exactly the same problem with my 2 dds - you will learn (taken me 7 years though!). My youngest had quite short hair until recently, and a favourite was 'kitty ears'. Basically, its 2 v. small bunches using just the top of the hair, and only the bit at the front (most of the hair is left loose). The trick is to make sure it is on the top of the head to it stands almost upright - kitty ears. It does actually look v. sweet. Also, about 5 or 6 little bunches around the sides - yes, we think it looks mad but the little girls haven't sussed the 'less is more' thing yet - more is definately better. I second the claires accessories trip - but be prepared to look at bobbles/clips as a disposable item - they never come back, esp from nursery. Wouldn't use the crazy braid though - used this a few times on dd1s hair & IMO it rips the hair & leaves chronic split ends - yuck.

Dd and I are going on a trip to Claire's Accessories today after picking ds up from school. Have managed a kind of half pony-tail (just the top section of hair, the rest still hanging down) which isn't too bad, still think it looks a bit messy though. Oh well, practice, practice, practice. Will give the 'kitty ears' a go though.

When my dd was young she was desperate for a french plait, I booked an appointment at our cheapest local hairdresser, took dd along and asked her to teach me how to it. Best £3 I ever spent, she's 14 now ans I can still do them!

What about "Alice" bands, which come in all kinds of jazzy colours these days with all kinds of girly sparkles on them.