“Your curls are beautiful!”

“I love the way your curls bounce!”

“I love your curly hair!”

These are phrases I didn’t hear enough growing up, and words I don’t want my daughter to lack hearing.

I grew up wishing my hair was long, straight and flowey. I avoided going underwater in swimming pools, knowing if I did, my hair would revert to its curly state. In fact, earlier this year, Dove Hair found that 8 in 10 women feel pressure to wear their hair a certain way. For many, these pressures begin at an early age. I don’t want my little girl to feel this way.

After a lifetime of straightening my hair with heat every few weeks, I packed away the flat irons and stopped scheduling my hair appointments to set an example for my daughter. Together we’re navigating naturally curly hair styles, finding bows that don’t get stuck, and the best products we love. It’s an evolving process but we’re in it together.

Lil’ J has gone through phases where she’s wanted to straighten her hair, but after one experiment for a dance recital she hasn’t asked since. I’ve noticed her embracing her curly hair–Proudly drawing it in her self-portraits, and celebrating characters who have similar hair.

“Moana has hair like me mommy!” She was so excited to see another Disney princess with locs like hers, but they shared not only the same style, but the same color.

From hair, to weight, to skin color and down to shoes size, I want my kids–but especially my daughter, to have a healthy and positive outlook on body image. And I know that starts with me. Now I’m careful to celebrate not only her curls, but my own.

It took more than 25 years, but now I’m wearing my hair down, and proud, and swimming without fears of my natural hair. It’s not going to take my daughter her whole life to get where I am. We’re starting now.

Her curls are beautiful. Her curls are hers, and what God gave her, and I hope to help her grow up loving them as much as I do.

I’m passionate about raising my kids to be kind and confident adults who love who they are.–Which is why I partnered with Dove on this post. As a mothers, we can make a difference and help ensure ours daughters grows up feeling confident. I can celebrate the beauty of my daughter’s hair today–so she loves her hair tomorrow.

 Join @Dove’s mission and inspire a young girl in your life to love her hair. Create and share your custom animated message by visiting LoveYourHair.Dove.com!

Tags: dove, natural hair