Lesson 7: How to make a part

To make a part, use the front two teeth of a comb to draw a line across the scalp. Divide hair at the top of the comb and separate. If you draw a straight line, the part will be straight. If you draw a curved line, the part will be curved. Draw a zigzag for a zigzag part, though you may find it easier to do small zigzags with the tail end of a rat tail comb. For large zigzags, do a zig, separate the hair, then do a zag and separate. If you try to turn a corner with one stroke, you may get to much hair in the comb to manage.

Lesson 6: Ponytail

This is the most basic up-do there is. To make a ponytail, brush all the hair together into one spot and secure it with a hairband. You can do a high, middle, low, or side ponytail. Choose where you want it to be on the head, then gather all the hair together into one hand with your thumb and pointer finger. Use the other hand to brush the hair smooth into your hand. You'll have to open your holding hand and close it to let in the hair you are brushing. Once you have smoothed out the hair all the way around, wrap it with a hairband. For thick hair, use a thick band; thin for thin. The tighter you wrap it, the longer it will stay put. If you don't wrap the band tight enough, it will slide down and make a loose ponytail and eventually fall out. You can put a ponytail into wet or dry hair. Depending on the growth pattern of the hair, you may see bumps or ridges. It may be easier to smooth them out with wet hair. If you are putting up dry hair and there are small strands of wispy hair that don't lay down, try spraying them with a water bottle and brushing them in. They will probably fall out again eventually if you don't spray them with hairspray.

Lesson 5: How to Brush Hair

Brush out those tangle monsters in the morning and before bed. Start on one side and work your way around, or start in the middle and work through one side at a time--it doesn't matter. But if there are lots of snags, it will be easier to smooth out the ends and work your way up rather than trying to push a rats nest down from the top. Try to be gentle; you don't want to make her cry. Little heads are tender and sensitive especially above the ears. When you are working out a big tangle, pinch the hair with one hand and brush it out with the other to take some of the pressure off her scalp. Or if her hair is long enough, you can wrap the hair around your finger and pinch it. As I said in lesson 2, the right brush is important. Don't yank out any tangles with the brush because it will break the hair at the knot (and hurt). If the brush isn't working on a particular spot, try to locate the knot and work it out with your fingers.

Hair is harder to brush when it is wet. A wide comb or pick will work better on wet hair.

Little girls are really good at getting sticky stuff in their hair. Don't try brushing out sticky spots because you will probably just break the hair. Wash it out first. You don't need to wash the whole head for one little spot of lollipop; just lean her head over the sink and wash out the end of the sticky strand. If the sticky stuff happens to be gum (oh dear), massage some peanut butter into the gum. It will soften it up so you can get it out. It may take a few shampoos to get it all out. (I speak from experience here.) Keep trying. It will take a lot longer to grow the hair out if you cut out the gum than it will for you to wash it out.

Lesson 4: Hairdoodads

I made up this word. Doodads, meaning little thingamajiggies, and specifically for hair, you know?  Hairdoodads.
Here's what you need:
Bobby pins. For holding buns, up-dos and twisty things and keeping things in place

 Jaw clips. The big ones are most likely not going to work in little girls' hair. Try it in your own. Okay, not you, dads. The medium ones will work for little bun flips or half ponies, etc. The most useful are the teeny tiny ones. They are good for holding things in place as well or better than a bobby pin, though they can't be hidden the same way a bobby pin can.

Barrettes, ribbons, bows, headbands

New-fangled thingies are coming out on the market a lot lately to make different dos easier. Bump-its, spin pins, "Modern Up-do Maker," etc.

Lesson 3: Hairbands

Hairbands come in many different colors and sizes. Use fatter bigger hairbands for thicker hair and styles. Since baby and toddler hair is so fine, you will need to use the tiny poly bands or these:As her hair gets thicker, you can use bigger and thicker bands, but don't get rid of the little ones, because they are still useful for styles with small sections.
Clear poly bands are good for styles where you want to hide the band.Try out some different brands to find what you like best. Some brands retain their stretch after a day in the hair and can be used over and over. Others stretch out and need to go in the trash. Some pull and break the hair more than others, and some slide around more.
Do not use the office kind of rubber bands in your daughter's hair because they will pull and break her hair (and hurt!).

Lesson 2: Brushes and Combs

Different hair types and different styles call for different tools. Here a few you may need:

Hard plastic or metal bristle brush
These are good for getting the tangles out of thick hair and moving a lot of hair into a style like a pony tail. The kind that are squishy in the middle don't hurt as much since the bristles are more free to move when they catch on a snag.
Soft bristle brush
The soft bristles smooth the top layer of hair to "fine tune" a style. These brushes work for finer thin hair to get tangles out, but won't do the job for thicker hair.
Wide tooth comb or pick
These are good for combing through wet hair. Use these when you want to undo a braid or twist and keep the curl or wave without making it all go poofy or frizzy. Also if the hair is very curly, a regular brush may cause a big frizz, so a wide tooth comb or pick can be use to get the snags out.
Fine tooth comb/rat-tail comb
This is the best tool for parting hair. It can also be used for styling short hair, ie. boys' haircuts. A rat-tail comb is named after the long thin handle that looks like a rat's tail. It is good for making zigzag parts. I am sure there are plenty of other types of brushes and combs that are useful, but these are what I have, and they will do for the scope of this blog.

Lesson 1: Why do hair?

The first and most important reason for doing hairdos is to keep our little girls modest. We want them to have good self-esteem, and feel good about themselves. They don't need to have a prom style to be modest, just keep it brushed rather than unkempt. Fancier hairdos bring compliments and attention, which can make you and your daughter both feel great, but please let's be careful about our motives for styling hair. We need to watch out for vanity. Let's show our girls we value them for more than their beauty. And if you find yourself more interested in finding out if anyone complimented her on her hair during the day rather than what she learned at school, let this be a reality check for you that you are too obsessed!

Hairstyling time can be bonding time for you and your daughter. Some girls really love it. Some don't. If your daughter is complaining about how much it hurts and how bored she is, it doesn't really make it enjoyable for either one of you. You may want to stick with the simpler quicker hairstyles.

Hairdos are functional for keeping hair out of the eyes during play or to keep the hair from getting all tangled up.

My favorite reason for doing my daughter's hairstyles is because I am an artist, and hairstyling gives me a creative outlet. I love to make her hair beautiful, the way I enjoy painting a picture or sewing a quilt. Every morning I have a new canvas.