Hair Style

[doyliewoo]

Hi -

Just wondered what other peoples thoughts are on this.

My DSD (9) arrived for 2 weeks in the summer holidays with a new haircut .

(has been cut just below the chin, very styled, does look lovely)

When she arrived she said that her hair will need blowdrying and straighening every morning and that her mum said that I will have to do it for her as she can't do it herself? No point asking her dad he is even more hopeless at hair than I am.

Well firstly I am soooo rubblish at styling hair (mine is a state lol) and I can only really do my DD's (7) hair in simple styles, i.e ponytails and plaits.

Secondly is it right to styles a child's hair everyday? I certainly wouldn't want to damage my DD's hair like that and I do find it a bit ridiculous to give a child a hairstyle that they cannot manage themselves? (or is this just because I am soo hopeless at it).

I said to my DSD that I wouldn't have time to do this every day but if we were going somewhere nice etc etc then I would do my best for her.

The day my DSD went home to her mums they had both been literally been playing out with friends on their bikes, bouncing on the trampoline and I had not felt it necessary for her hair to be styled to enjoy these activities.

The Ex went ballistic at my partner and said that DSD looked really scruffy (she didn't) and why weren't we styling her hair every day as instructed?

I know this all sounds really petty and ridiculous but I just wondered what everyone else thought? Should I be doing her hair every day she is with us regardless of what we are doing? I always ensure it is washed, brushed etc etc.

Thanks in advance x

Bloody ridiculous! no kid at thay age needs their hair put through that much.

what a ridiculous woman - if it was my dsd I wouldn't be doing it either

At 9 she should either style her own hair, or leave it as it is.

You do need to brush long hair at least once a day or it turns into dreadlocks [voice of experience here...] But styling? She can style it if she wants when she gets back to her mum's can't she? There's no permanent damage done by her having not styled it for a few days.

Poor child - I agree she shoudl be out having fun on her bike at 9, not worrying about what it will do to her hair

FGS if it is clean and has been brushed some time in the preceding 24 hours that is more than good enough. Who would saddle a child with a hairstyle that had to be "done"

LOL at the dreadlocks thing. I was away for work for a week over the summer and I swear neither DD nor DH put a brush anywhere close to her (long) hair in that time. It took a lot of conditioner to comb out the tangles when I got back

I think a brush on a morning is adequate. I think using heat styling equipment on a daily basis can be damaging for anyone's hair.

I would not worry too much about the ex complaining she is over the top and being unreasonable. Ignore her and let DH deal with her.

Thanks everyone - once again you have just reinforced what I know is right. Just find myself questioning everything as a step parent at times.

x

If it wasn't bothering her to be left unstyled then it's really not a problem, her mum is being rather OTT.

DSD had long beautiful hair and she asked me to do a fishtail plait like frozen. It took ages but I did it and it looked beautiful.
Next time she came her hair was short. Apparently her mum said it was because nits were going round the school but they had been for ages.
She just didn't like the fact that I had done it or that DSD loved it

Utterly ridiculous. I'm happy to plait long hair for purely practical tangle prevention reasons, but I don't blow dry mine and have never owned a pair of straighteners.

What goes on in your home is up to you, not the ex.

Nightmare! What a ridiculous thing for a child to have....hair that needs high maintenance every day when she could be doing other/better things with her time. Also, I'd be horrified if my child felt such pressure to "present" herself in a perfect way, every day and to concentrate so wholeheartedly on "image". What was her mum thinking of? What was the hairdresser thinking of.

Tell her mum, you're not faffing about with the hair. Buy dsd a hat and a great book to read. The idea being.... The child gets engrossed in the book, wears the hat and before she knows it, her hair is long again. She can then forget about it and get on with her life! .

Sorry don't mean to be facetious but, it IS silly.