Loving Our Hair Together
“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
I love those photos! You and your daughter are both gorgeous!
I always hated my curly hair as a kid, and now that it has mostly straightened itself out in adulthood you better believe that I miss it! Y’all both have gorgeous hair, I love how much joy is expressed in these pictures.
People should embrace the curls! Straight-haired people pay good money to get curls like that!
You both have beautiful hair! I love that you are raising your kiddos like I am to be confident!
I have always loved curly hair. I think you should embrace the hair you have and rock it.
Embrace what you got for sure! Such beautiful photos of you two!
I am all about companies promoting acceptance. I think that brands and company who can see we are unique are awesome.
LOVE the curls!! I have bone straight hair and I have always wished for full, bouncy curls.
I too make sure to comment on my kids hair every day… I want them to grow up loving their hair too!
Love your message, especially for young girls! I always hated having straight, boring hair! (Now it’s grey, straight, and boring!) Good for Dove for being a leader in creating positive self images for females!
I went through the SAME thing! I always wanted my hair to be straight because my curls always looked A MESS. No one knew how to make my natural hair look good, so I always thought it was a burden. Now, I know how to do it and I LOVE it. It’s so important to affirm girls when they’re younger so they don’t grow up wanting to change themselves.
I love this! I have straight brown hair and my daughter has crazy, curly red hair! My husband and I make it a point to tell her we love her hair and how beautiful it is. Celebrate our differences!
Love this! Every mom wants their daughter(s) to love the skin they are in and Kudos to Dove!
I love that my daughter loves and embraces her curls. Unfortunately I didn’t as I got older but I hope I can always positively show her that her natural self is beautiful!