What Did & Didn't Work for My Toddler

Wash days don’t have to be a challenge if you find what works for your child. Over the past two years I have learned a lot about not only my toddler, but also her hair. You should take time and learn about your child’s hair, so that you are able to take care of it, keep it healthy, and then pass those skills on as your child gets older. If you are a parent or guardian of a toddler with textured hair, then you know that hair care and styling can be a battle, but I have learned a few tips that make her hair care a little easier.

Where to wash her hair

When my daughter was a small baby I was able to wash her hair in the bathtub. At that time she didn’t have as much hair as she does now, so it was easy just to shampoo it in the tub and rinse. Now that she is two, we have since moved our wash days to the kitchen sink. I lay her on her back and prop a pool noodle under her neck for support. That’s my little hack for washing your child’s hair in the sink. It’s definitely easier for her to lay back and get her hair washed and rinsed versus the bathtub as a toddler. We have fewer tears and it’s less stressful for me.

How to keep her busy

As we know children don’t like to sit still for a long period of time and wash day is no different. Distractions will help to get your little one through the process. I don’t know about you, but my daughter doesn’t like to get her hair washed at all. In order for us to successfully get through wash day smoothly, she needs a distraction. I have found that she will cooperate if she is able to watch her favorite show on her tablet. I am able to get through washing and styling all while she is watching Peppa Pig on YouTube.

Styling

I found that washing and styling at night didn’t work well for us. She would be really tired and fussy so it was never a success. Now I set aside wash day for the morning immediately followed by styling. I find it easier to get wash day over with early in the morning when we are both energized. I usually do mini twists on her hair for styling, because they can last up to a week without restyling. When the twists get old, I just untwist them and she wears a twist-out or a puff until wash day rolls around again. I typically wash her hair once a week. This routine works for us, but you may find it is easier to wash and style on a biweekly basis.

Nighttime routine

Since my child was a small baby I have always protected her hair with a satin bonnet at night. I figured we would start early with this routine, so that she would be used to it by the time she was a toddler. She actually likes wearing it to bed, because we have a matching set. I purchased our bonnet set from Ebonicurls. You must teach your child that it’s important to protect her hair at night. It’s fun and I love the look on her face when it’s time to put on our bonnets.

What did you find did or didn’t work for you and your child on wash day?