Good (Girls') Hair

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Last week I was interviewed by Kimberly Allers, the dynamic, Mommy Lifestyler behind the Mocha Manual bestselling book series and its companion website. She wanted to know if and how I did my daughter's (pictured left) hair. They also got the thoughts of my good buddy, MochaDad, on the subject. Just in case you didn't catch it over there, I brought the full interview over here to Makes Me Wanna Holler for your reading pleasure...

Daddy Talk: Doing My Daughter’s Hair

My wasband can't seem to get it right. We wondered how other dads were faring in doing their daughter's hair. The answers were tangled and knotted!

Every Monday when I wait at the bus stop, I face my Dad-does-Kayla’s-hair fears. After a weekend with her father, how my daughter’s hair looks when she goes to school on Monday is anybody’s guess. How she looks when she steps off the bus after school, is my greatest fear. (Read my blog today on my Monday Fright Fest)

So I started wondering if my childrens’ father is the only father who can’t master two simple ponytails. The man speaks fluent French and does freakishly complex math permutations in his head—but a almost straight part and two barrettes—not so much.

So we set about asking some of our favorite Dads about their hair experiences. In this age we were thinking Dads are doing it all. Or are they?

Eric who writes the blog, MakesMeWannaHoller resides in New York and has been married for 2 years, has two children one of which is a 3 year old daughter. Eric has this to say:

Mocha Manual: How often do you do your daughters hair?

Me: Typically once or twice a week when my wife isn't traveling on business. When she's out of town I have to do it every day.

Mocha Manual: Do you find it difficult? If so what do you find difficult about it?

Me: My daughter has enough hair for me, my wife and my son, so if there is any difficulty in doing her hair it's the sheer amount of it that is required to be detangled, then combed, then braided, unless I leave it loose. But because of the amount of hair she has it's more manageable if it's braided and my braids don't stay tight the way they do when her mother does her hair.

Mocha Manual: Do you find it to be fun/ a good bonding experience ?

Me: I wouldn't call it fun, it is time consuming for sure. I definitely feel that we were able to bond in a different format. There are even times when she prefers me to Mom, but those times are rare.

Mocha Manual: How did you learn to do hair? Did you learn by trial and error?

Me: The experience will always be trial and error for me, since hair isn't something I have any skill in (other than barbering in college) and personally don't concern myself with since I shave my head. I'm pretty good at learning through watching. My wife does our daughter's hair in the evenings before her bedtime and from the very beginning I was fascinated by the process and watched intently. Eventually it began to click for me, but in the beginning I had my daughter looking like she had been in a cat fight.

Mocha Manual: What advice would you give other fathers who have to do their daughters hair?

Me: Be patient! Find distractions for her that will require her to sit still and shift her focus to something besides her hair and remember pulling on hair hurts, especially when a man is doing it.

Mocha Manual: Do you get your props?

Me: People are always surprised when they see my daughter's hair looking decent and I announce that I did it. No one has ever not believed me, but more times these people are women who are surprised that I would do my daughter's hair. But she's my daughter. If there's anything I'm not going to allow it's for my daughter to go outside looking like "Who did it and ran?" My pride in my daughter's appearance far outweighs any pride I might have had at some point in my life about being a man doing a girl's hair. She's not just a girl, she's my daughter and that overrides everything. Every daughter should hold the same level of importance in their father's lives.



Fred, an African American father who blogs as MochaDad.

Mocha Manual: How often do you do your daughters hair?
MochaDad: I rarely do my daughter's hair because she doesn't think I'm competent enough to touch her hair.
Mocha Manual: Do you find it difficult? If so what do you find difficult about it?

MochaDad: The actual hair styling is not all that difficult. The most difficult part is having to listening to my daughter berate me because of my subpar styling skills,
Mocha Manual: Do you find it to be fun or a good bonding experience ?

MochaDad: Fun is definitely not the word I would use to describe my experiences. If you've ever bathed a cat, you can understand how my hair styling sessions go.

Mocha Manual: How did you learn to do hair? Did you learn by trial and error?

MochaDad: It was definitely by trial and error. I can't say that I've completely learned how to do hair. Definitely not in my daughter's opinion.

Mocha Manual: What advice would you give other fathers who have to do their daughters hair?

MochaDad: One ponytail is the key to success.