7 Tips For Styling Your Toddlers Hair Without Tantrums

Like me, you’re the mom of an active (and of course stunningly gorgeous) toddler. She’s energetic, she’s eager to explore life, but if you don’t do something, her hair looks a hot mess. And then you get those looks from your family and friends that say “That women can’t even take care of that poor child’s head. Mm Mm!”

Clearly they have forgotten how difficult it can be to get a child to sit long enough to enjoy a meal, let alone sit and let her hair be styled.

So, being the avid information collector I am, plus someone who doesn’t really appreciate getting those strange looks, I have put together my top 7 tips for getting your child to cooperate in getting their hair done.

Be prepared

Have your tools ready including brush, comb, hair accessories and products that you are going to use on your child’s hair. You certainly do not want to waste time running around once you finally get your toddler seated and ready to go.

Set the scene

Make sure your child is in the mood to be sitting down for 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure she has had food to eat, has had a nap, and had a chance to play and burn off some energy. Most importantly, make sure she is wearing the outfit that you plan to go with the hair.

There’s nothing worse than doing a great style and having it messed up by pulling an outfit over your child’s head. And if you forget, hopefully you snapped a picture.

Go natural

Many off the shelf hair care products are filled with chemicals or fragrances that can be irritating to your toddler’s young scalp. Unless you are willing to shell out some extra cash for a natural product, keep it simple by using products you may find at the grocery store.

Moisturize your child’s hair with plain water or aloe vera gel*, and follow it up with an oil of your choice. Shea butter, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, and olive oil* are all excellent oils* which tend to be gentle and non-irritating.

Be gentle

Trust me, there is no such thing as a “tender headed” toddler. But there is such a thing as a parent that is too rough. Don’t forget, as you style your baby’s hair, you are setting the stage for their entire experience of getting their hair done.

Are your own childhood memories of getting your hair done good or bad? You can make sure that your baby looks forward to getting their hair done and excited about all the pretty accessories.

Just make sure you handle their hair only after applying water or a water based product.

Change it up

Once you get into a rhythm of regularly styling your child’s hair, you may feel like just repeating the same tried and true style over and over.

One problem, as you part the hair in the same areas, or pull hair in one direction with ponytail holders, the hair in those areas can get weak and prone to breakage. So try and at least change the sections where the hair is parted on a regular basis.

Make it short

Let’s be real, this is a baby. We’re not doing kinky* twist extensions* people. My rule of thumb is that all my baby’s hair styles should be completed within a single episode of Elmo’s World (that’s how I get my baby to sit, I recommend you YouTube this show if you haven’t already).

If the style you were planning takes more than about 15-20 minutes from detangling to last hair accessory, it’s really taking too long. As you child gets older you can try more elaborate styles. When they are a toddler, just focus on making sure your baby is presentable to your standards.

Don’t Be Mad

Ok, so you did an incredible style. All your cousins, and auntie’s and friends are looking enviously at your baby’s hair and you feel great! Then after a quick jaunt to the park, the child’s hair is looking crazy again. What happened? I’ll tell you what happened, she’s a toddler.

Kids will be kids and your beautiful creation might not make it to the end of the day. I find my baby’s hairstyles last longer when I apply homemade flaxseed gel. But just be prepared that you may have to repeat the entire process tomorrow.