Maybe I Should Just Buy Myself One Of Those Barbie Heads?
Some daycare teacher when I was 9 taught me how to french braid. I’m not sure if there’s anything special about my hands, or if the joy I got out of playing with other girl’s long hair motivated me, but I had a knack for the braiding. I soon started braiding any head of hair that would sit still long enough and patiently waited for my own to grow out from the picture you see here, so I could one day decorate my own scalp in the same braids.
Fast-forward to high school where somewhere along the way…I became the braid girl. Female athletes in my very small school would come to me before school started on gamedays to have me braid their hair. I did it tight enough and pretty enough that it served it’s purpose while making the recipient feel good about the look. I even took the chance to do cool things periodically, braiding in shapes and using ribbons through the braids. I think there were times of the year I’d get annoyed (basketball season, namely) but for the most part? I had fun doing it.
And of course…my first child was a boy. And while I wanted a boy first – fearing raising a girl as a girl raised by a man – I was sad I wouldn’t get to use my mad braiding skillz on my own child. Lucky for me, my best friends both had daughters. And didn’t mind me living vicariously with their locks.
And now? I have NikkiZ. A daughter who hates having her hair pulled back in any way. Because Mother Nature hates me. However, she is now participating in two things that require the hair be pulled back from the face. Dance and Soccer. Two events each week that she understands to require braids, because I’ve made it sound much more dire than it really is. It’s dance day! You have to let me braid your hair or you can’t go to dance! Because – dammit – I’m going to finally use this skill with my own kid. Even if I have to force her to let me using lies and deceit.
That’s just Motherhood, right?
Those are mad skillz. Why did braids on adults fall out of favor?
I wish I had your skills. My french braids that I do end up being all crooked and such.
I soooo wish I lived by you, I would let you braid my hair any old day. NikkiZ looks like a soccer superstar! My daughter is so out of luck when it comes to hair style, because I have none!
I was totally the braid girl too (for my neighbor and fellow drill teamers). My hands would cramp up after about 8 girls or so. My girls like it when I do it, but hate to sit down long enough and I feel stupid when I do it to my own.
Very nice! I wish you lived near me – I can’t French braid my own hair to save my life, but I love the way it looks.
I was the braid girl too! Unfortunately, I always had to have someone else do my hair, since I couldn’t do it tight enough on myself (my fingers tangled). My sister wants me to teach her to do it for her daughter, which I can’t wait to do!
I envy your mad braid skilz. I try often, but standard braid is all I can accomplish, which is tragic because ThePrincess would love some french braids… le sigh….
Oh my gosh, you are a braiding master! I can’t french braid to save my life. Could you teach me?
Nikki’s hair looks super adorable! I wish you could do my hair for me haha. I’ve never been any good at braiding my own hair.
I taught myself to braid – I used to have it done really really tidy for four days in the academic year – the dress rehearsal of the Gym and Dance display and then the three evenings for the performance.
I could plait for friendship braids to then learn how to do french plaits while watching the girls do it for the display. When I got to Year 13 we did a play and had to wear wigs – I plaited one of the girls hair – she was Indian and her hair came fown to her waist! Now that was good fun! I braided her hair and then had to sit there and pin it down to get her wig on!
I am SOOO jealous of your skills! I have a 2 yr. old girl and would love if i could make it so tight!
P.S. you should talk sometime about how it is having 2 kids sharing a room. I am thinking of having 2 kids share a room, 1 toddler and an infant eventually. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Hey I am the braid girl too. Whilst I love braiding, I am also extremely lazy so I convince my girl that if she has her hair braided properly today she won’t have to sit through it tomorrow or even the next day. Sometimes a decent braid do will last all week! It even stops nits infesting her hair and that is a great thing, de-niting hair really bites.
I can braid my own but not anyone else’s. You are more than welcome to practice your mad skills on my head!
You’ve got some mad skills. My mom actually did my hair every single day until I hit 7th grade (I’m the only girl with 3 brothers). All of a sudden I realized my hands didn’t even know how to put my hair in a ponytail (literally). I now have 2 girls and no hair skills. I was almost kinda glad my older daughter cut off her hair and the younger girl’s hair because then it gave me an excuse to the fact that I never did anything with their hair.
I absolutely love her braid. I am also very happy that you have finally found a way to INSURE that she has a braid. HA. Love it!!
Beautiful.
I suck at braiding.
Could you put up a video tutorial? I dream of having my daughter’s hair braided like that but haven’t managed it yet!
Yep, you got the talent! Glad you can finally use it!
If I’m ever in the south, my hair is yours to braid! Love it! NikkiZ looks so gosh darned cute!!
Those are some mad awesome braid skillz! I’m super impressed. And kinda wished I lived closer cause I need to have my hair back every day.
Wow, those are fantastic! My father actually used to braid my hair… He was an expert after years of working with show horses. The problem lied in the fact that horses don’t have nerve endings in their manes, and thus could be pulled quite tight. It took him a while to realize that his own child was quite unlike a horse, in that respect at least.
Am SO jealous. My girls would let me mess with their hair all day long but I can’t french braid. Regular braids? I got that. My DAD taught me, of all people. He used to braid my hair in the mornings before school because my mom had already left for work. But french braiding was never his thing and I never really learned how to do it. I would so become your apprentice if I lived near you. Well, first I’d have to stalk you. And then actually meet you, and THEN you could teach me everything you know. Or I can just be jealous of your skillz. *sigh*
And that is why, thankfully, God gave me two boys. Once my older son’s beautiful blond curls disappeared, I don’t think I ever even had to brush his hair….
I’m so jealous of her! I remember being one of those recepients – always felt pretty….and I still think of you every time I attempt to give my niece decent braids;)
I wish I could braid like you. My older cousin used to play in my hair for hours, coming up with all sorts of neat looks.
Those braids are AWESOME!!!
I give Piper the same excuse!! You have dance today, I have to braid your hair. You have gymnastic today, hair up in braids!
I have also threatened her…”if you take your hair out of your piggies/braids/whatever we’re going to go get it cut!” She may come home with lopsided piggies, but the threat has worked so far…
Oh, this takes me back to the days when girls liked to play with/braid my hair in elementary school. Feels sooooo good.
Those are gorgeous braids on NikkiZ.
I totally loved your braids – they made me feel so beautiful (and I secretly worried that you were annoyed in HS). Nikki’s look just like I remember them. So cute! xo
I wish I had your braiding skillz. Alas, my sister got that talent in our family. My hands/fingers just don’t work like that. I’ve actually considered getting one of those heads to practice on, but I’m afraid it would be money down the drain.
i miss your braids! or maybe it’s more that i miss the actual braiding time itself? ummm….it’s both. and no matter how much i’ve asked…toby won’t learn to do it for me. not that he would ever touch your mad skillz!