Proud Mama

I did that. And I am one proud mama.
I cornrowed Olivia's hair! I'm not good yet, but as a french braid native, I am finally getting the hang of it.

This is the second week she has sported this particular style, and I snapped a few shots after I refreshed all of the braids on Saturday. It's increasingly hard to get good pictures of my little spunky subject. She hates the flash.

Here are some tips, if you are thinking about committing to this hair style for your little one:

• Don't expect your toddler to sit still. You have to incrementally train your little one to sit still with less-involved hair styles as they grow up. Olivia's hair has been fussed over whether it was just hair bows or plats since she was 7 weeks old.
• Prepare a snack, juice, or bottle.
• TV can be a good distraction. Olivia gets to watch her favorite show(s). 
• Playtime is a good time. We typically embark on the one-hour commitment between 10-11 a.m.  as it is one solid hour away from 12 noon nap time. She will be READY for that nap too. Btw, it doesn't always take an hour, sometimes less.
• Give her a break. At the halfway point, if possible, stop and kiss the baby, let them run around for about 2-3 minutes (but not too long) and then refocus and get it done.
• When you're done, let 'em run.  I remember as a young girl getting my hair braided (usually during the summer months) after sitting still all of that time, I couldn't wait to break free and run.

You should also try to avoid interruptions and distractions yourself so you can concentrate on getting the task at hand done as soon as possible.  So that means no taking phone calls, watching TV,  etc.

Two Helpful Tools: the Bebe Pod and metal clips (keeps hair you're not braiding out of the way)

Above all take it easy and don't stress yourself or your child out (or the rest of your family) over getting this done. Every part won't be perfectly straight and symmetrical and every braid won't be perfect. Oh well. There's always next time.