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 ...

Don't panic! I have a dd2 with crazy hair. It's somewhere between curly and not, currently just above her shoulders when dry.

I damp her hair with either just water with a bit of tea tree oil in it (helps keep nits at bay) or leave in conditioner spray. Brush through to remove tangles, comb into a tight pony tail then generous spray with hair spray. Also do the same for dd1 but her hair is much longer so easier to tie up. Dd1 is 8 and has only ever had 1 nit, after she spent a couple of nights with a relative who was riddled and without me for normal hair routine, so she kept her hair loose.

As for ballet, dd2 has started gymnastics and I've already noticed there is a mum who offers to do competition hair for the cost of any donuts used plus a small donation towards the gym club. Has certainly saved my anxiety as if dd2 ever gets to needing it, I cannot do more than basic pony tail, half up or simple plait. Anything else is completely beyond my skill level

I can (after much perusal of YouTube and being forced to do it twice a week) a decent ballet bun on dd1 who has tons of hair. Still can't do anything decent on dd2, but a wide pink hairband covers a multitude of sins, and damp hair / lots of hairspray does the rest!

I can't learn things from videos, they go too fast and I am a slow learner. I found some picture instructions for French plaits which I've bookmarked to try next time DD is feeling compliant (could be a long wait!), but the ones for donut buns made no sense as they didn't say how you're supposed to cover the donut and leave it looking tidy; I think if I did it it would just end up a mess. Oh well, her hair's too short for that at the moment anyway! Thanks for the tips everyone.

I want to know what this complex hairdo was but the picture has gone!

Meep, something like two high bunches, plaited, then wound round in the middle and fixed down somehow.

If you google "easy romantic braided up do", you'll see similar things.

Not this style, but not hugely dissimilar. Two plaits woven together and pinned in place.
m.babesinhairland.com/b1xlo5e/articles/88478/Easy-Romantic-Braided-Updo

Tbh the top half of that hairstyle is quite easy, and you might only need one to catch most of the hair at that length. (So no plaits, just the inverted ponytail)

But I find the best for flyaways and a shortish fringe is 2 French braids on each side, catching the fringe. My DD usually has that, and they usually look a bit lopsided but it does the job of keeping hair out of eyes.

Just coming back this thread to say: what has worked well for DD the past couple of days is hair in ponytail or pigtails, and her fringe, which is long as we are in the process of growing it out, braided and then fastened to the side with a hair clip. Looks quite sweet.

Just another one here wanting to confirm that the donuts are a piece of piss and I am crap at hair too!

OP, What about "princess hair" (sounds far more grand than it is - half up, half down), with an Alice Band or plaited bunches, if it was long enough? Good luck - it'll soon become routine.

aliphil please don't let hair be what puts you off your daughter doing ballet. I'm sure a simple pony or two plaits will be fine and that if and when she gets to exams there will be assistance.

Two half ponies one on each side might be nice for school?

I'd just have boys instead!

aliphil it sounds like your DD's hair has promise! My DD's hair is curly and really doesn't grow more than 1-2 cm a term...tops! We rarely cut it to and tend to tie the top hair/aspiring fringe back for school.

Do not worry about the ballet thing. Somehow ballet school helpers/teachers create miracles out of the finest of wisps and a lot of spray or gel for exams... frankly any child that listens and learns is a godsend for under 10yr lessons.

So far we've done clips or an Alice band at the front and a little ponytail at the back, but it still looks messy to me compared with the other girls. I tried French plaits last weekend and it didn't work at all - I felt like I needed an extra three hands!

Meanwhile DD has got fed up with the whole thing and is asking to have her hair cut short like the boys do.

P.S. What are half ponies?

DD has very wispy hair, I've found a tangle teezer brush with some kind of gel spray helps to flatten out bumps and make it smooth. A half pony is where the top half of the hair is up in a bobble, the bottom half is left down.

This:

For ballet it might be easier not to use a doughnut. For my DDs I do a ponytail (mid to low), twist the ponytail into a coil and pin it down, then an invisible net over the top and pin that down. I am not a natural hairdresser but this is pretty much the only time they ever look neat!

Thank you aye!

aliphil you're welcome! I'm not a natural hair doer, but over time I've got better at the basics.

Thanks Pengweng and Aye for the pictures.
What I was trying to describe further up the thread is a centre parting with a half pony on either side, and then a lower half pony on either side to catch the rest of the hair and any which was long enough from the top band. Like Pengweng's picture but with only two elastic on either side, one up and one down.

I do bunches half pony and then a single one at the back sometimes, that's a good easy one too.