Need Some New Hairstyles for My Daughter

My daughter is 9 and she has always hated to have her hair done! I tried everything from hair bands to braids to barrettes. What I started to do is ask her what I can do with her hair, when she was 4 I would ask her how many braids she wanted. SHe was conviced that with the right amount of braids she could just off the chair and fly! I also let her pick out her own hair ties etc. One other thing I noticed is that since I always wear my hair down she did not understand why I wanted to do her hair. I have had to start braiding my hair or wearing it up more. Just today she decided to get it cut into a short bob at the chin!

A friend of mine had a daughter with really thick long hair. She wears it in different pony tails, with different colored bands. If they quarter her hair or put it into 6ths, it's much easier to deal with. Sometimes they pull the ponytail only part way through the last time and somtimes they connect the pony's together. It really keeps her hair under control and is easy to do. She's 9 and can do her hair all alone now.

Good luck! Just don't cut if off like my mom did. I got really tired of people thinking I was a boy that summer! (It was the '70's and my hair was shorter than my brothers!)

It sounds like your daughter knows her own preferences and should be respected. Parents are often much more attached to their child's appearance than the child is. But listen to your daughter, otherwise it just creates more conflict in your relationship.

I've worked with a few girls who sound just like this. They really want the least possible to do with their hair. One little girl gave herself a "Sharon Stone" short 'do with kid scissors in frustration, which left her looking more like a little boy. The short, bobbed haircuts are the best if you are going for a more feminine approach. If she chooses to grow it out at some point, pigtails will work to keep it up.

By the way, I happen to be a woman who wants absolutely nothing more to do with my hair than wash it, so I can totally sympathize with your daughter. (I too have the bobbed haircut and sport pigtails in the heat to keep it off my neck.) Trust your daughter on this...not all girls like to be girly and some of us would rather be doing anything else than fussing with our hair.

Good luck!

My friend has a four year old daughter with the same problem. She can't keep up with her hair and her daughter won't let her. So she had her hair cut into a shoulder length bob and it worked out great. It was so cute and she didn't have to do anything but brush it when she got out of the bath. It was darling. Good luck!

My 2 1/2 year old has been going through a phase of this, too! And her curly hair covers her eyes completely without a hair-do!

What has been helping lately is that we started naming the different hairstyles after other little girls that she knows. It seems to make it more fun and get her excited about it - then I just have to be fast and get it done while she's brushing her doll's teeth :). Our current repertoire of styles is:

The Bridget: Two low pigtails, parted down the middle (named after a bug in a story she loves)

The Holly: A side ponytail made from the whole top-middle section of hair (named after her 4 y.o. cousin)

The Michelle: A small side ponytail, just enough to keep it out of her eyes (named after the hairstylist who first put one in her hair)

The Rachel: Like the Michelle, only I flip it through to create a twisted look.

And one I can't remember the name for:
Front sections of hair all pulled back into a ponytail, then the back sections into a ponytail that also grabs the end of the front ponytail.

Just take her to the mall and let her chose what she would like to wear on her hair. Most of the accessories has pictures on them and she can chose which one she likes. This way she will be more cooperative when you do her hair too. Talk about colors and cloths and how you can match them. I have a son who is 4 and he already knows how to match the colors. It is killing me when I see little kids here and there dress up like little parrots. Actually the mother nature made a better color choices for these colorful birds.

My oldest daughter had very long, silky, thick, beautiful hair that we grew out and did every day. She was good about sitting to get it done, but she was getting tired of it. She decided she wanted to donate to Locks of Love, so we went to do it on her 5th birthday with her friends. (Great Clips does the cut for free when you donate.) Well, she was about an inch too short, so it ended up being the day before Kindergarten started last fall. She got a chin length bob on that day which made it possible for her to shower and do her hair all by herself, which we both loved! After Christmas she decided to go even shorter, and after a bit of protesting from me I let her and the hairdresser alone (this time at Mia & Maxx in the mall for $13) and she came out with a very short wedge cut in the back with a dramatic angle to chin length in the front. I never would have chosen it for her, but she's had so many compliments with that haircut!
Now just yesterday she told me she's ready to grow it out back to a bob so she can do it more ways again. I guess my point is that you might not think of an adult hairstyle for your daughter, but it just might turn out great!

I just spent the day with my niece, who has an un-even bob. It's shorter in the back and angles in the front, where it's longer in the front, and no bangs. She has had it this way for several years, and her hair always looks nice. My Sister-in-law just washes it, brushes it, and then it drys straight. She loves it, and never fights with her about her hair. She is thinking about getting her some headbands, because she is 8 and wants "something" in her hair.
I have always loved an un-even/angled bob on little girls. If I had a little girl, she would have a bob.

You can let her pick out some new hair clips and pony-tailers for putting in her hair. If she really likes something, she's more likely to want it in her hair. My 3yo loves all things sparkly, so we went to the store and she picked glitter clips and some beaded barrets. Some of them are heavy, so I told her that she has to have her hair pulled up for those, and the others I just clip her hair to the side at her forehead. (She has thin hair.) This has helped a lot. Also, after making it part of the "morning routine" she didn't fight having her hair done as much after a while.

Since it is thick, my suggestion would be to cut it into a layered cut, and more of a bob....or a little above the shoulders. The layered cut makes it easier to brush tan when it is all one length. And they can thin it out as well.

It sounds like you have some great advice from the others.

For my two cents, short is much better. My daughter is 5 1/2 and she hates it when I need to brush her hair, and she has never been a fan of letting me "style" it. She does have super curly hair and it does take a while to get the tangles out, so part of me can't blame her. Our solution has been frequent haircuts and we are not shy about getting length taken off (it is about chin-lenth). Some layering, with a little wedging in the back seesm to work best for her. And short bangs since she won't keep a barret or anything in her hair to keep them out of her eyes.

Good luck!

What I remember from being that age with long, thick hair:

I LOVED all of the pretty-colored "hair things". Cute animals, translucent colors, sparkly things. Extra special when I got to pick them out.

I settled down and learned to enjoy the love that is given and the bonding that occurs when my mom started using detangler. Little scalps are very tender. Just the anticipation of a snag is enough to make me run away now!

Have you taken her to the childrens hair salon? I think it is called Jack N Jill. They were great with my 2 little ones and after their cut and shampoo, they got their hair styled with little bows and they both ask for that style almost daily.

My daughter HATES it when I want to touch her hair. She is six now, but has always been this way. She does not care how cute she looks when I am done, she does not want me to brush or touch her hair!
I keep it fairly short, but still 'girly'. She has a bob-style at jaw length and bangs. This has been a great help and low maintenance.
The other thing that is popular now are headbands with pretty silk ribbon or material on them. This will keep hair off her face and out of her eyes. I suggest you take her shopping for hair accessories WITH you so she can pick out what she likes.

My daughter is 5 and has long hair. I let her watch a video while I do her hair. My girls get to watch tv, but not a lot of it. So, this is great to her. She asks me to do her hair because she knows she will get to pick a video to watch. Before we did this, she hated when I even brushed her hair out after the bath. Now, she will sit through pig tails without a peep. :)
As far as new styles, I find the girls on the Disney Channel always have fresh, new ideas. I am not suggesting that you have your daughter watch these shows, but you can look up Disney Channel online to check out some ideas.
Good luck!

Hi C.,

If you want, you can email me and I'll send you a free sample of my Nonslip Barrettes - I'm in Port Orchard, WA. There's a hair ideas page on my site, as well. I've got three girls and they all just had cuts so I know that length needs something. Also, you can support a fundraiser for a local child who had a brain tumor removed at 4 yrs (now 6) and has worsened and has NO diagnosis - we're helping the family send her to MAYO for upt 10 days of care - I'll be selling samples that moms made in training cheap, cheap, cheap - 100% of proceeds from that will go to benefit Keyahna - that's on my site, too. www.maidenus.com Best to you - T. B.

My daughter turned 4 2 days ago and 1 month ago we cut her shoulder length hair into a very cute bob. She has 2 older sisters with long hair and I think she just wanted something different. In addition, she hated having her hair brushed and this new hairstyle is just perfect. She can brush it herself, it takes minimal effort and it's easy to wash. Plus if in a few years she wants to grow it out, it won't be that hard. Good luck!

Well i dont know about anyone else, but i have always had short hair. (due to my disability..not wanting to leave it long and then cry when i had to have my head shaved for surgery. The cut i had growing up was called something like a tenille. It was short with whispy bangs and it curled under at the bottom

why does she need to have her hair "done"? i'm sure it's beautiful as it is. it's her hair, let her wear it how she wants!

Can you add more info? Curly or strait, thick or thin, course/fine, ect.