Black and Married with Kids posted a great article on how to teach your kids to love their natural hair. We love the message of the article. You can read it in its entirety here. I remember Nicole Ari Parker talking on Melissa Harris Perry’s weekend show on MSNBC last year.
She said when doing her daughter’s hair she spoke nothing but affirmatives… “you can do so much with your hair” and “it’s so beautiful”. That stuck with me as such great advice. How do you talk to your kids about their hair and why it may look different from their classmates of other races?
1 Curb hair texture comparisons
Even when you’re talking with friends, your kids are listening. If you find yourself having conversations similar to the aforementioned one, put it to an end. You have more long-lasting influence than you may realize. Instead, praise your child and constantly tell him or her they are beautiful/handsome; and that their hair is amazing just like they are.
2 Put those magazine subscriptions to good use.
It’s pretty easy these days to find awesome images of any hair texture. Just flip through your favorite magazines or browse the ‘net and you’re sure to come up with a multitude of gorgeousness. It’s important for your child to see such images and realize that his or her hair type is absolutely stunning. Combining this with your own high confidence levels will help to ensure your child exudes a healthy self confidence that will last a lifetime.
3 Try to find dolls that possess your child’s hair texture
Particularly for little girls, dolls are some of their first friends. Kids tend to associate beauty with their doll friends, and if she doesn’t see herself in her dolls, she may grow to believe that she is not as beautiful as they are. Hair texture is very similar. When I was a kid, you’d be hard pressed to find any dolls that looked like me with my hair type.
But nowadays, the options have greatly increased. There are dolls of every ethnicity and every hair texture. Make sure your child sees a similar beauty between her dolls’ hair and her own. This will help translate into healthy levels of self-confidence as she grows up. (Read this article).
4 Lead by Example
You are one of the biggest influences on your child. If you’re constantly talking about how much you hate your hair, or how much better someone else’s hair is than yours, your child will absorb and internalize all that negativity. Start by learning to love your own hair. Find cool ways to wear it so that you feel great about yourself. Speak positively about your hair and your overall beauty; your child will surely emulate you.
*Reposted with permission from Black and Married With Kids
