Getting started

I found this to be one of the subjects that people learn the most from in my class. Children are not designed to sit still without entertainment, so I will discuss some tips I've learned to help you keep your child distracted. It is important to consider your child and plan hairstyles that are possible with their age or ability to sit still. Most basic styles can be done in just a few minutes and most children can sit through that. We are trying to make this process a pleasure for them, so follow these tips to make that happen :)

• Be Gentle: This is the most important thing to consider because you don't want to torture your child. The scalp is sensitive and even the tiniest tangles can produce pain along with causing breakage to the hair. Follow my steps to detangle and make sure you pick out good tools to use. 

• Be Quick: Be prepared with supplies before you start and work swiftly to get the process over with. If you are just going to brush the hair and leave it in a ponytail, this should be no more than a minute. Don't let your pursuit for perfection get in the way of completing the hairstyle, you will get better as you practice. 

• Seat Position: Find a comfortable place for your child to sit. With shorter hair, you can get away with them sitting on your lap. Longer hair will require a stool or another chair that allows you access to the hair. Chairs with backs on them will get in the way and make this process more difficult. This is a great opportunity for you to work on their posture by guiding them to sit upright with their chin up.

• Distracting your child: This can come in many forms, but I encourage you to choose some of the better options out there. You can distract your child by simply talking to them and explaining what you are doing with their hair step by step. You could also get them into reading a book, my daughter is a fan of Garfield comics while I'm doing her hair and it keeps her attention, plus I get the occasional laugh which is always great. You could use the TV, phone or tablet as well, just make sure you don't get distracted yourself. When you reach a point in doing their hair that you need them to look up, instruct them to look at something in particular and count to 10 or 20 seconds; this makes that process much easier for them to follow. 

• Reward your child: Use this opportunity to compliment your children on how well behaved they are and how proud you are of them for sitting still. Show them their hair either with mirrors or by taking a picture and sharing it. You will find that they enjoy the reveal and love the encouragement.  Sometimes in the class, we use lollipops, but you may consider a healthy fruit snack that they would like as a reward instead of candy.