My favorite hairstyle for both of my daughters is “beads and braids.” I believe it is one of the best protective styles for little girls because not only is the hair protected by the braids, but the beads act as a second layer of protection. It is so cute and my girls feel involved when I allow them to pick out their own bead colors.
Despite how great I think this protective style is, there is a hazard that I had no idea existed:
The last time I braided my oldest daughter’s hair I took a lot of care in the pattern of her cornrows. She was very patience and sat as still as a 3 year old could for the duration of her “hair time.” As usual, when I was all done, she popped up and immediately began jumping on the couch. I told her to stop playing so rough, but before the words could completely leave my mouth I heard, “OUCH!”
Looking up from my laptop I saw one long braid, complete with all of the beads sticking out of the window blinds. It had gotten caught in the blinds and ripped out when she plopped down on the couch. She didn’t cry, but I definitely wanted to shed a tear. She continued to play without a care in the world as I stared, open mouthed at the smooth bald spot the box braid left in the center of my baby girl’s head.
So what did I do?
1. Ask her if she was okay: She’s a touch cookie, but she said it really hurt (with a smile on her face).
2. Panic on the inside, cool as a cucumber on the outside: It was no one’s fault because these types of things just…happen. She didn’t view it as a big deal, so I didn’t want to alarm her unnecessarily. I played it off for my little girl, but inside I was throwing the worse temper tantrum ever. I was also trying to figure out how in the world I was going to style her hair with a big bald spot in the middle.
3. Show her the braid, tell her to be a little more careful: Although I didn’t want to scare her, I did want to let her know that her hair was missing from her head and that she should take it easy while playing. Did she listen? The answer to that question is: NO. She held her lock of hair and giggled.
4. Call my mom: Whenever I need guidance my mom is the first person I call. She lightened the mood a lot (I was seriously on the edge of tears folks!). She shared some of my past hair stories and made me laugh at the situation.
5. Figure out how to style around a bald spot: My little princess can wear diagonal parts, two or more ponytails, two-strand twist, but absolutely no beads and braids. I’m still trying to figure this one out as we speak. I suppose this will all be over in about 6 months when the hair grows back.
Do you have a hair story you would like to share?
How would you have reacted in this situation?
