Tips on How to Make Styling Your Little Girl's Hair a Little Bit Easier

Most people blessed with little girls know that the brushing and styling of hair can be one of the most dreaded parts of the morning for both caregiver and child. Tears are often shed, fits are occasionally thrown, and shouts of "Let MEEEEE brush my hair!" are heard throughout the house. However, there are things that can be done to make the styling of hair something that adult and child look forward to.

You may be thinking, "Yeah, right. What does she know?" Well, let me tell you, I have a spirited and extremely independent little girl who isn't quite 3 years old. Her hair is fairly long and thick for her age. I also have a husband who loves her strawberry blond hair kept long and all one length, a'la Little House on the Prairie. In order to keep my sanity, I had to find a way to make this chore easier for both of us. Here's how we took the battle out of the hair brush.

1. Set a morning routine and keep to it. My daughter now knows what to expect. This helps give her a sense of control. We move from the kitchen for breakfast, to her bedroom for changing clothes, and then to the bathroom for hygiene needs. My daughter proudly fetches her stool each morning and places it in front of the bathroom sink. We brush teeth, we wash her face, then we style her hair. Simply knowing what is coming next in our routine helps include her in the activity and offers comfort to her.

2. Allow her to do as much as she can. Toddlers love to be independent. They want to try to do things on their own. As we go about the morning routine, I try to do as little as possible for her. I let her retrieve our hair supplies and do an initial brushing of her hair first. I take the opportunity to praise her for the good job that she does. Of course, she is still too young to take care of her hygiene completely on her own. I am always sure to step in as I am needed to make sure she is clean and presentable, but I do encourage her to exert her independence.

3. Offer choices. This also addresses the need for independence. I try to offer my daughter one choice while we style her hair. One ponytail or two? Braids or bows? The pink brush or the yellow brush? I do not overwhelm her with choices, but I do let her feel like she has a part in deciding how we take care of her hair. Occasionally, that may mean that she's walking around with the orange and black Halloween bow while wearing her lovely lilac sundress in the middle of summer. Those are the days where I smile at her and remember that she is, indeed, a toddler.

4. Be creative with imagination. We have "butterfly" spray at our house. Months ago my cherub starting telling me that flowers "smelled like butterflies." I took that piece of her imagination and ran with it. We have several detangling sprays that we use. We pretend that butterflies live in the bottle of detangler . Each morning, it's a different color butterfly that alights from the spray onto her hair. It's a simple game in which her toddler mind finds joy. I would also suggest Blue House Soaps Natural Detangler. My daughter has skin sensitivities and this detangler hasn't caused her any problems. I also must admit to using this product on myself. They have absolutely delightful scents.

5. Play to her material side. My little girl, as well as many of the little girls I know, seems to be drawn to pretty things. My daughter loves bows and baubles. I have simple barrettes and holders that were purchased at the bargain stores, slips of ribbon snatched from my craft basket, and a few quality bows from work at home mom businesses. A great WAHM business that I can recommend is The Little Stinker Store. They have quality bows, clips, and headbands from which to choose. My daughter takes pride in her bows and likes having them in her hair.

6. Offer distractions. As she stands on her stool at the sink, she often plays with a few tub toys in the sink. We have a foamy soap that she likes to put on some of her plastic dolls' heads. She does her own "beauty shop" as I attend to fixing her hair. Often she continues playing after her hair is done, not even realizing we are through with the task.

7. Be prepared at mealtime. On days where she sports a hairdo that is only partially off her face, I keep a soft children's hair band at the dinner table. I was finding that the part of the issue with the hair battle was over knots in her hair. Keeping her hair out of her face and her food helped curb knots in the hair.

8. Give her the respect she deserves. Though listed last, this is an integral part of avoiding battles. Our daughters are people with hearts and feelings. When we raise our voices or mumble sarcastically under our breaths, we degrade our children. The times I have lost patience with my girls, it has only served to make the situation worse. Respect your child. Respect that she may have days when she isn't the most cooperative. That is to be expected from time to time. On days like this, I choose a more simple hairstyle. Goody StayPut Headbands are an easy option, as well as just leaving her hair down.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that little girls are just that -- little. Most likely your little one will respond best to feeling important and being a part of the routine, even as you allow her to be a little kid. By playing up what your little girl does best and loves most, you can build a spirit of cooperation when it comes to hair styling.