So it's that night of the week that you might dread and have reservation doing, it's hair wash time but not for you for...... your baby/toddler and if anyone knows how trying it can be to wash and do any kids hair, imagine the type of hair that needs a little more TLC, and a lot of patience. Sometimes it never seems to go the way you want, nor turn out how you pictured in your head (at least that has been my experience), or you may be a mom with a mixed race child and you are all thumbs when it comes to mixed textured hair. So what do you do? Some moms start getting into blow drying, combing, pulling, etc.....and all these extra techniques that leave you crazy, the baby screaming, squirming, and nowhere closer to what you were attempting to do. Well no more tears, no more stress, no more sweating!

Embrace your baby's hair! Learn how to work with it, not against it. Whether it's short, long, full, thin, coiled tight, Afro kinky, loose, grown in, or bald patches in the back, whatever it may be, there are ways to work with your child's beautiful crop. Using certain techniques and tricks to work with your little ones hair in its natural state can make all the difference in the time it takes and the final result. What's the popular saying now, courtesy of Beyoncé, "I like my baby hair with bay hair and Afro" Here is a DIY, a few tips, and products that I have and use on my daughters hair that gives me different styling options and makes hair washing time quick, easy, and painless!

•Apple cider Vinegar hair rinse. You can use a perri bottle or some type of bottle with a nozzle that controls the flow because ACV can be a little strong. You will want to use 2 parts ACV with 4 to 5 parts distilled water. Using the hair rinse is great for stripping the hair of all dirt, and styling products, without stripping the hair of its natural oils and moisture. Have child tilt head back, and put on hair prior to washing, massaging  with hands to get it all in, then apply co-wash or whatever form of shampoo you use, let sit in hair while you wash child, then rinse out. Hair is left more manageable, softer, elasticity, and more defined curls, ringlets, or coils.

• spray bottle with 2parts conditioner and 4 parts water and about 1-2 tbs of olive or coconut oil. Put everything in spray bottle, give a good shake so the contents mix together as much as possible and your done. Any brand of conditioner will work, personally I use: mix chicks, trader joes tea tree, or a generic coconut oil conditioner from target.

Ok so now that you have your essential "go-to" tools, for this week, I will provide a few tips and DIY on how to stretch tightly curled toddler hair. Remember a child's hair pattern and true texture doesn't really set until they are 12yrs of age. What you see now may not be how your child's hair is when they get older, so you have time to get used to and work with their hair as it grows and changes.