View Full Version : UPDATE: pics in post 16! Lots of braids...2nd grade...potential for teasing?
sarahsthreads
09-05-2011, 10:53 PM
OK, so in our ongoing battle against the lice (I think we're winning!) I've been braiding DD1's hair in lots of little braids. She has insanely thick, smooth and stick straight hair that's about shoulder length, and because it's so thick it's truly impossible to put in one or two braids. (Seriously, I try, but they're so thick they only cross a couple of times before running out of hair and therefore don't stay in more than a few minutes - French braids are so-so but usually fall apart after a couple of hours. I have thick, curly hair, and until DD1 came along I considered myself an expert braider... ;) ) So she currently has 16 little braids that I keep undoing, carefully combing through, and re-braiding.
She is adamant that she wants to go to school for her first day (tomorrow!) with these braids. They look kind of cute, and it's keeping her hair neat and tangle-free, but I'm wondering if she's going to get teased for it. Neither she nor I are particularly fashion conscious, but I will say I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like this hairstyle on any of her classmates. (I'm not sure I'm explaining it well, it looks something like this wig (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00312SQ1Y/ref=asc_df_B00312SQ1Y1663203?smid=AGI3EWKYGR15P&tag=nextagusmp0384857-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B00312SQ1Y) but with fewer, thicker braids and no loose hair underneath.)
I'm probably overthinking this, but in my case all the "mean girl" stuff started in 4th grade, and I know it happens much younger now... DD1 does not have the sort of personality that would just shrug off someone teasing her about this because she wanted her hair this way, kwim?
WWYD? Send her in with the hairstyle she wants, or discourage it...?
Sarah :)
TwinFoxes
09-05-2011, 11:00 PM
I don't have any advice re: let her wear her hair like that or not. But I would say that's not a common style (unless she's black/biracial by chance?) I can see it drawing attention. It sucks you have to worry about teasing, but I'd say it's not out of the question. But I don't know if you should stop her or not. Tough decision. :hug:
Green_Tea
09-05-2011, 11:09 PM
If your DD wore her hair like that and my DD saw it, she'd be begging for the exact same hairstyle :). My girls dig fancy hair. I don't think she'll get teased - at least not here!
sarahsthreads
09-05-2011, 11:14 PM
(unless she's black/biracial by chance?)
Nope. About as pasty white as they come, though slightly less translucent than me, thank goodness. ;) So the part lines are super noticeable, too!
Sarah :)
hellokitty
09-05-2011, 11:16 PM
If your DD wore her hair like that and my DD saw it, she'd be begging for the exact same hairstyle :). My girls dig fancy hair. I don't think she'll get teased - at least not here!
Putting myself in the shoes of a girl that age, I would have had the same positive reaction. My mom NEVER braided my hair. I always admired girls with braided hair, it just looks cool.
sarahsthreads
09-05-2011, 11:18 PM
If your DD wore her hair like that and my DD saw it, she'd be begging for the exact same hairstyle :). My girls dig fancy hair. I don't think she'll get teased - at least not here!
That makes me feel a little better. DD1 did say that two sisters on her bus had lots of braids at one point last year, but while we don't live in a tremendously diverse area, there are some black/biracial families and she could have meant cornrows. She seriously gave me a complete blank stare when I asked whether the girls had light or dark skin, which made me smile. (And for the record, I think cornrows, while they might look unusual on my light-skinned daughter, wouldn't give me nearly as much pause as this more "vaguely egyptian wig" look we've cobbled together.)
Sarah :)
bubbaray
09-05-2011, 11:19 PM
If your DD wore her hair like that and my DD saw it, she'd be begging for the exact same hairstyle :).
:yeahthat:
american_mama
09-05-2011, 11:20 PM
It wouldn't raise an eyebrow in my area, but there are lots of black and biracial girls around, including my own. I know several white little girls who wear 4-6 little braids or ponytails as a result. I also know many white girls, and some white moms, get their hair cornrowed if they are on vacation in the Carribean. A neighbor did it while on a mission trip to Africa.
If anyone ever asked my kids about my attempts at cornrowing or twisting their hair (wihch usually doesn't look great and gets closer to your DD's look than professional braids), I would have them say "It's just easier right now/it takes less time in the morning/my mom wanted to try something out/my mom didn't want it to snarl after we washed it last night." All of which are true. You could try whichever one of those would be best for your DD.
lalasmama
09-05-2011, 11:25 PM
DD is the same age... heading into 2nd grade as well.... and LOVES when her nanny does a million little braids. She's also as white as they come, so it's not an expected hairstyle on her! That being said, I would allow it for several reasons. (1) At least on my daughter, it's flipping adorable, so I assume it's cute on your kiddo too. (2) There's something to be said about having opinions and desires about your own appearance, and at 7yo, I believe they are old enough to be allowed these decisions, within reason. (3) If she's anything like my DD, she flips that hair around with a HUGE grin on her face. (4) I think most of the girls would want something similar!
There was a thread on here a while ago, I believe, about a girl doing this and having Jolly Ranchers on the bottom for picture day. I don't think I would allow *that*, but otherwise, it's a small thing to me, and not worth a battle.
sarahsthreads
09-05-2011, 11:26 PM
If anyone ever asked my kids about my attempts at cornrowing or twisting their hair (wihch usually doesn't look great and gets closer to your DD's look than professional braids), I would have them say "It's just easier right now/it takes less time in the morning/my mom wanted to try something out/my mom didn't want it to snarl after we washed it last night." All of which are true. You could try whichever one of those would be best for your DD.
Oh, those are good ideas of things for her to say - though to be honest it's going to take a *lot* more time in the morning simply because I'll have to comb-through and re-braid all those braids!
Judging by the responses, maybe we'll start a trend of fancy braided hair. (The moms are all going to hate me, aren't they? :ROTFLMAO: )
Sarah :)
KrisM
09-05-2011, 11:32 PM
My DD is only 5, but she'd love it. She likes me to braid her hair to make it wavy.
tmahanes
09-05-2011, 11:34 PM
You could do the braids and then do a ponytail of braids if you want to make it a little more uniform
Sort of like this one? http://www.untrainedhairmom.com/2011/04/saturdays-shappin-style-veil-style.html
bubbaray
09-05-2011, 11:45 PM
(The moms are all going to hate me, aren't they? :ROTFLMAO: )
Yes. Yes they will. But only for a minute. ;)
crayonblue
09-06-2011, 01:29 AM
My DD always loved when Carmen's African nurses would offer to braid her hair. She would bounce out of bed bright and early (soooooo not her!) and run to Carmen's room and sit still for an hour while the nurse braided her hair into tons and tons of tiny braids.
Go for it! I'm betting that a bunch of little girls will go home and ask for braids. :)
We do a lot of braids for my DD, who's the same age as yours. All her friends want me to teach their moms to braid. As she gets older, looser braids are more in style for tweens/teens, so I sometimes make them loose/messy on purpose. Also, anything swept to the side is apparently "in" for that age group.
I'm really looking forward to when my DS goes to school. Don't even have to comb his hair!
sarahsthreads
09-06-2011, 09:16 AM
OK, so I asked her one last time this morning, and she said she was absolutely sure she wanted to keep her braids in for school, so I combed them all out and re-braided them and sent her off:
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=2018&stc=1&d=1315314826
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=2019&stc=1&d=1315314836
Thanks for all the advice and reassurance!
Sarah :)
plusbellelavie
09-06-2011, 09:20 AM
She is beautiful! I love it!
Hope her first days goes great!
TwoBees
09-06-2011, 09:22 AM
That's adorable, I love it! I hope she has a great first day. :D
bubbaray
09-06-2011, 09:22 AM
Super cute! Hope she has a great first day!
(I'm so not showing DD#1 those photos, LOL! All she's getting is a pony tail, or a pony tail with a braid!).
TwinFoxes
09-06-2011, 09:23 AM
Aww! I hope she has a fabulous first day. :)
daisymommy
09-06-2011, 09:25 AM
Very cute and fun! Honestly! My DD would love that!
infomama
09-06-2011, 09:36 AM
Looks great...love all the colors! My dd would love that, too! Bet she will gets lots of positive feedback.
scriptkitten
09-06-2011, 09:38 AM
she looks super cool.
sarahsthreads
09-06-2011, 09:58 AM
Super cute! Hope she has a great first day!
(I'm so not showing DD#1 those photos, LOL! All she's getting is a pony tail, or a pony tail with a braid!).
If I could get her hair to stay in one ponytail or braid (or even two) I would so prefer that, but it's usually down and messy and tangled, so if we have to add 20 minutes to our morning for braids I guess that's how it's going to have to be. We're currently trying to grow her hair out in an attempt to make it more manageable. (Not sure if it will work, but a short bob wasn't manageable, so we're trying something different.)
The crazy bit is that DD2's curly long hair is so much easier to handle. It's as though DD1 got my thickness and DD2 got my curls. You put the two together and I'd know what to do with it (since I've had to figure it out for *me*) but each thing separately is confounding me. LOL!
Sarah :)
jse107
09-06-2011, 10:06 AM
Very cute! And, she looks totally happy with it!
I think she looks adorable!
amldaley
09-06-2011, 10:24 AM
Putting myself in the shoes of a girl that age, I would have had the same positive reaction. My mom NEVER braided my hair. I always admired girls with braided hair, it just looks cool.
:yeahthat:
I remember wanting to have my hair *done* in some way. That looks like a cute and fun style. And if there is teasing, then it is only for one day and you can take it out that night.
amldaley
09-06-2011, 10:25 AM
Just looked at your pics....SO CUTE. Especially since you did such a good job on the braids.
It's such a cute hairstyle! Love it.
mommy111
09-06-2011, 10:41 AM
She looks totally adorable:love-retry:
bubbaray
09-06-2011, 10:42 AM
If I could get her hair to stay in one ponytail or braid (or even two) I would so prefer that, but it's usually down and messy and tangled, so if we have to add 20 minutes to our morning for braids I guess that's how it's going to have to be. We're currently trying to grow her hair out in an attempt to make it more manageable. (Not sure if it will work, but a short bob wasn't manageable, so we're trying something different.)
The crazy bit is that DD2's curly long hair is so much easier to handle. It's as though DD1 got my thickness and DD2 got my curls. You put the two together and I'd know what to do with it (since I've had to figure it out for *me*) but each thing separately is confounding me. LOL!
Sarah :)
You could try a modified ballet bun approach. Wet the hair using either spray water, or spray gel (or both -- I use a spray bottle of water and then Paul Mitchell spray gel for this step). Put in a pony tail. Spray with strong-hold hairspray. I use Joico Ice Fixx Firm.
I really prefer the Goody Stayput Elastics, but I think they may have discontinued the thick ones in the small sizes. I can't find them anywhere in the US or Canada.
GL!
Just darling! She looks so happy :) Have a great first day!
anamika
09-06-2011, 10:52 AM
Super cute! Hope she has a great first day!
(I'm so not showing DD#1 those photos, LOL!
:yeahthat: My DD has super curly hair so I can't imagine how hard it will be for me to reproduce!
She's lovely - what a huge smile! Love the braids too!!
Melaine
09-06-2011, 11:04 AM
I agree with others that she is most likely to get envious comments from other girls. My girls would think it was super cool, but I can't show them because I don't think I can braid their curly hair in so many!
ABO Mama
09-06-2011, 11:20 AM
If she wants to wear them, let her. If she wants to stop, go with that too.
ha98ed14
09-06-2011, 12:37 PM
I think it looks awesome! FWIW, DD played with a little girl at the park who had a very similar hairstyle and she was African American. DD asked for the hair style a few days later, "the braids like the little girl at the park," she said. At first I hesitated because I wasn't sure how it would be received on a very white child. But then I decided, "Why not?" A hairstyle does not have to be exclusive to one culture. We took it out 2 days later when we had to wash her hair. I got 3 days out of that hairstyle! That's enough of a reason for me!
Canna
09-06-2011, 01:28 PM
She looks adorable! My 1st grader would like that for sure.
wendmatt
09-06-2011, 01:37 PM
She looks adorable, nothing to tease at all.
ZeeBaby
09-06-2011, 01:54 PM
I think she looks very cute and most importantly very happy!
Puddy73
09-06-2011, 01:56 PM
CUUUTE and she looks happy! Hope she is having a great day at school!
sarahsthreads
09-06-2011, 04:26 PM
DD1 is home from school and....
....everyone loved her hair!
This means we're going to have to get up early every morning to fix up her braids, doesn't it? ;)
Also, she said she had a great day at school, that she met a new best friend (though she can't remember her name) that she sat with for lunch and played with at recess, she ate nearly her entire packed lunch, and just generally was all smiles coming off the bus. I'm doing a big happy dance here!
Sarah :)
LexyLou
09-06-2011, 04:31 PM
DD1 is home from school and....
....everyone loved her hair!
This means we're going to have to get up early every morning to fix up her braids, doesn't it? ;)
Also, she said she had a great day at school, that she met a new best friend (though she can't remember her name) that she sat with for lunch and played with at recess, she ate nearly her entire packed lunch, and just generally was all smiles coming off the bus. I'm doing a big happy dance here!
Sarah :)
Yea!!! It looked adorable!
AnnieW625
09-06-2011, 04:49 PM
I wish I could do a single braid in DD1's hair, which is soo fine that I'd probably have to get it wet with a bunch of water or hair gel. So cute, hope she had a great day, and if you let her sleep in it tonight she should have some wonderful waves tomorrow:)
baileygirl
09-06-2011, 05:19 PM
So cute! This will be a great first day of school picture to look back on in the future!
MamaKath
09-06-2011, 05:50 PM
DD1 is home from school and....
....everyone loved her hair!
This means we're going to have to get up early every morning to fix up her braids, doesn't it? ;)
Also, she said she had a great day at school, that she met a new best friend (though she can't remember her name) that she sat with for lunch and played with at recess, she ate nearly her entire packed lunch, and just generally was all smiles coming off the bus. I'm doing a big happy dance here!
Sarah :)
YAY!!! :yay: That sounds like an amazing first day! And her hair was adorable!!!
TwinFoxes
09-06-2011, 05:53 PM
DD1 is home from school and....
....everyone loved her hair!
This means we're going to have to get up early every morning to fix up her braids, doesn't it? ;)
Also, she said she had a great day at school, that she met a new best friend (though she can't remember her name) that she sat with for lunch and played with at recess, she ate nearly her entire packed lunch, and just generally was all smiles coming off the bus. I'm doing a big happy dance here!
Sarah :)
OMG, such awesome news! :thumbsup:
Ceepa
09-06-2011, 06:09 PM
DD1 is home from school and....
....everyone loved her hair!
This means we're going to have to get up early every morning to fix up her braids, doesn't it? ;)
Also, she said she had a great day at school, that she met a new best friend (though she can't remember her name) that she sat with for lunch and played with at recess, she ate nearly her entire packed lunch, and just generally was all smiles coming off the bus. I'm doing a big happy dance here!
Sarah :)
Fantastic update! What a great day.
SkyrMommy
09-06-2011, 06:19 PM
:cheerleader1: So glad she had a great day!!! Her braids looked adorable.
citymama
09-06-2011, 06:37 PM
Ooh, I love her braids! She is absolutely stylin'! You are one patient mama - I am not showing my DD these pics, or she will want them too!
katydid1971
09-06-2011, 07:16 PM
Love the braids, they look sooo cute!!! I'm glad she has a new best friend, whatever her name is ;)
Melanie
09-06-2011, 07:19 PM
Cute! I'm glad it went well. I know the kids would love that at our school, too. There was a girl in 3rd who wore her hair like that most days last year. And ITA, it's only the other moms who are now going to have to get up early to do their daughter's hair like that who will be thinking "mean" thoughts of you. ;)
hellokitty
09-06-2011, 07:23 PM
See, we told you, she'd be a hit! :)
ThreeofUs
09-06-2011, 07:24 PM
Fantastic first day experience! How cute!
dcmom2b3
09-06-2011, 07:42 PM
Yay!!!!!! So glad that she had a great day!
noodle
09-06-2011, 08:03 PM
Yay! So glad she had such a good day. :)
ShanaMama
09-06-2011, 08:47 PM
She looks great! I could never do that- nice job. I bet all the girls will be begging for braids.
ShanaMama
09-06-2011, 08:48 PM
Also, she said she had a great day at school, that she met a new best friend (though she can't remember her name)
I posted before I saw your update. Glad her first day went so well.
I had to quote this part. Don't you love these best friends? :rotflmao:
georgiegirl
09-06-2011, 08:54 PM
So glad to hear the update. Those braids look adorable on your DD. My DD would love me forever if I did her hair like that.
KrisM
09-06-2011, 08:57 PM
Totally cute! My DD would love it.
Just wanted to chime in that I think she looks super cute too! And my DD would totally love that style.
Babymakes3
09-06-2011, 09:07 PM
Totally cute and she looks so happy!
Will her hair go up in a bun at all? You could french braid both sides about halfway and put the rest into a bun too. I remember having ponies all the time with a ton of tiny braids when I was little and then getting to wear it curly when I took it out but I had long hair!
shawnandangel
09-06-2011, 09:10 PM
Late to this thread but wanted to say that your DD's hairstyle is super cool. I'm glad she had a great first day!
sarahsthreads
09-07-2011, 11:15 AM
Thanks for all the kind words, everyone! It makes me feel warm and happy inside. ;)
The *only* negative reactions I got (and they weren't exactly negative, just...odd) were from my IRL friends who commented that they didn't even know who the child in the "first day of school" pictures I posted on facebook was at first. Now I know she normally has heavy hair around her face, but she doesn't look *that* different...
We combed out and straightened up the braids again this morning. They're pretty messy after being slept on, so they really need to be re-braided in the morning. I think tomorrow I'm going to *have* to take them out entirely to wash her hair, too, so maybe we'll try a different, slightly less time-intensive style!
Sarah :)
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