detangle

the least favorite thing i have to do is to brush tangles out of my girls' long hair.

kate and emma each attract a bird's nest of tangles almost daily. and being the detangler* is no fun. not having grown up around sisters, i didn't fully realize how traumatic this ritual was going to be for both the recipient and giver. to say that they cry and scream and beg for cessation is to merely sketch at the edges of the ordeal.

so for all my single friends out there who think their morning routine is tough, just remember your parent-friends who are daily causing shrieks of terror and POW-style bargaining sessions.

i think of myself as a benevolent Detangler. talk calmly. start at the bottom and work up. take is slow. let the more troublesome sections rest and revisit them following successes in other areas. use ample amounts of detangling spray. let the kid pick which weapon brush i use. talk, sing, and apologize throughout the ordeal. praise the kids and hold them close when it's done. amy's really good at this, too.

since the fall we've been discussing the inevitable day when we'd have to cut emma's beautiful long hair. the tangles were just not relenting and it was becoming a sanity issue. our morning routine is tough enough with a dad (me) who has trouble waking up, a daughter (abi) who is just clearly not a morning person, a mom who takes on too much, and another daughter (kate) who loves her sleep more than life itself. jordan, of course, is the bulwark throughout the morning sagas, he the calm and responsible one. he the eleven year old grownup.

today is the day, i think. time to cut emma's locks. we did one last detangling, solely to prep her pelo for the stylist. we were both crying by the end. amy's gonna call and make an appointment with the lady that cuts abigail's hair. i'll post photos later.

*you're all invited to say that phrase with a crawford ranch accent

Comments

[bob c]

the most trauma i have ever witnessed was my own failed attempts to detangle

this is a myth - this detangling

i am certain my daughter's psyche is forever damaged - certainly my ears are

[salguod]

I've been there too. All 3 of my girls have been through the short hair for the sake of the tangles phase. When they get to the place where they can brush their own, it gets easier - a bit. There's still a fair bit of pain and drama, but it's now self inflicted. :-P