That's me at like age 3 in AFRICA before immigrating to AMERICA. Hmph! check out my cute and chic school bag and my fly mini dress and shiny Mary Janes!
I Look eerily like a cross between the two boys...I guess it helps that I have a short cropped natural. That's how we do it back in Africa and during my trip this January, I noticed a lot of little girls with short cropped hair otherwise unstyled.
I remember years ago I had said to myself if I ever had a little girl and she had coarse hair that would be difficult to comb and style that I would keep her hair short cropped and moisturized. I told myself I'd pierce her ears and dress her girly like so she isn't confused for a boy, but I REFUSE to pull, straighten and stress her hair using hot comb elements and rubber bands, bubbles and other girly hair accessories if she didn't have the length to support it.
I've seen so many little girls with damaged hair, especially around the edges, at early ages because their parents insist on pulling their hair, no matter how short, into a pony tail or several pony tails. I think even cornrows sometimes pulls extra stress on a little child's head. A child's skull is still soft and hardening up to the age of 4 I read once! I can't imagine that cornrows, braids and ponytails on coarse hair is a good thing.
I know I'm going to get a lot of flak and criticism from this decision IF I INDEED EVER CONCEIVE AND BIRTH A GIRL, but I think I'll read up on it and should have enough back up ammunition about hair follicle damage and such to defend my decision.
4 comments:
Very cute picture and yes the boys definitely are a combination of you. There are so many wonderful all natural hair products out there for little girls you won't have any issues with her keeping her hair healthy and stress free. I definitely feel you on the little girls with stressed edges, part of the reason I chose to go natural is because if I ever had a girl I wanted to a) know how to care for her hair and b) give her a positive example of just how wonderful our hair is without any chemicals or heat.
Still sending tons of baby girl vibes your way- I'm dying to find out about your u/s.
You're adorable. I used to rock the natural fro as a little kid too (and now I'm sporting it again, lol). Everything Yo said is spot on, of course. My Girlie wears her hair primarily in puffs, sometimes high, sometimes low. I take good care of her hair and make sure it's never done too tightly. Her hair is strong and healthy but I would say the majority of the little black girls I see here are not so lucky. :-/
thnx guys. you all give me hope that I don't have to have a bald girl child!
Yolanda's right, fortunately there are a lot of good products on the market for maintaining healthy natural hair.
I don't plan on doing anything to my daughters' hair. When they hit their teens I'll leave it up to them if they want to succumb to the creamy crack because by then their hair is their problem.
Luckily for me I can plait and cornrow so it's easy for me. Some ppl aren't that lucky and once frustration sets in they take the easy way out.
I want my daughters to love their natural hair so even though my older keeps asking if she can wear her hair 'out' and does it look pretty, I respond positively even though I know it might end up lint-filled puffy mess.
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