While Cydney has what would be colloquially known as “good hair” its still a lot for me to deal with. I’m a guy. I have a little more experience than most guys with hair because I had two separate five and six stints with long hair. Still, I never braided it and not until Timile got sick did I twist my own locs. I was excited th day Cydney’s grew long enough to put into a ponytail and go. That was my expertise and Cydey’s signature style.
Around February, the hair in the back of Cydney’s hair began to thin out and I couldn’t do anything with it. The days of the ponytail were mostly gone and it was time to start braiding it so that it could be left alone and grow out. I knew that because my hair grew quickly since it wasn’t being combed out or touched on a regular basis. I have braided her hair before but that was mostly guessing because I knew the basic mechanics from all of the times that I’ve seen and felt my own get braided.
About 90% of the time, Cydney’s hair being done is by the hands of yours truly. Being that she’s a little girl, I can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again so I had to find ways to get creative: pigtails with braids, four braids, rows of three, etc. Well, this morning I didn’t want to do the same thing over and over again. Through some guessing and just doing, I figured out how to put Cydney’s hair into two French braids. I put on Nick Jr., gave Cydney a doll to comb her hair and figured it out. She sat through it mostly. By the second braid, she was over it and it became a little of a hassle. Eventually I got through it. I’d say the results were mixed but I was kinda proud of myself for figuring it out. It looked good enough that I didn’t take it out and I figured that if I keep doing it I’ll get good at it and figure out cornrowing.
Now, this may not seem like the most masculine thing to do. But I’m a dad and whether or not Cydney’s mother was around I would have wanted to figure out things like doing my daughter’s hair. Partially because it would be a challenge, but also because I do want to be that father that does it all. At this point its necessity and I have to keep my daughter looking right.
In honor of this feat, I will post a video that sums up the fatherly experience of doing hair.
