Little kids and weave...

[MoniintheMiddle]

Also, I understand that a lot of women aren't versed on proper hair care (thus this board) but that's no excuse. Also, the affects (on the edges, extreme damaged, etc.)

 

[jasminestar]

Seeing little kids with weave makes me want to cry inside.
I was on the train this morning, and this woman was with her little girl. The girl was maybe four or five. She had some long, shiny platinum blonde hair. Her poor little edges were either pressed or permed to match the texture, and you could see where the dye was growing out near her scalp.
Ooh, I wanted to slap that woman. It seems to me that that should be considered child abuse.

 

[teysmith]

For me it depends on what you mean by weave. My girls are now almost 5 and 7. They do wear braids with extension hair added and have been doing so since they were 3 or so.

I prefer for them to wear their head braided because I do not have to manipulate their hair everyday. Having to get everybody ready in the morning and taking the time to get their heads right can get old. However I do style them in one or two puffs on occasion. In addition to the time element, I also have to add water or a product in the morning to get their hair into puffs that will stay all day. That's cool when it is warm but I
refuse to send my babies outside in the cold with damp or wet hair.

I do put in braids with their natural hair, however, the styles do not last as long. More so with one of my daughters with a slightly looser hair type than the other. Her styles always have to be redone sooner.
As far as the time spent styling for doing natural hair alone vs natural hair with extensions added. It is much less time for me overall when I add the extensions. Most of the time their braids with hair added take one to two hours and stay in anywhere between 4 to 8 weeks. Now I do maintain their hair by moisturizing, spraying the hair with a moisturizer and oiling their scalp with a light pomade or olive oil. I mostly cowash while in braids and I also shampoo when needed (when they get something in their hair) or at least every two weeks.

Oh yea, and my two have rocked a phony pony just for fun.

To me it's not about trying to impress anyone, it's about keeping their hair looking nice and being healthy within my time/money/styling abilities. The braids with extensions is what works best for us. I refuse to relax their hair and no longer relax mine.

My kids have never sat down to have their hair braided for 7 or 8 hours. Even my 7 year old would probably be trying to karate chop me at the end of the third hour.

In the last couple of months, they have been wearing more braided styles with just their hair but I am probably going to put in a set of braids with extensions soon. I think it is a good protective style. They like them. Overall, for me, they require less time. They are easy (for me) to upkeep. I can jazz them up with accessories, etc. I do not feel that I do styles that are age inappropriate and I do not use too much hair. My kids like their natural hair and they know that it is versatile.

If anyone dislikes it, that's their problem. I do what works for me and mine. I do their braids (or my mother will when we visit) and I have never had a problem with edges breaking out or any kind of hair loss or breakage with braids.

Now if you are talking about sewn in weave, that's another story. But my girls will keep rocking their braids with extensions.

i agree. my daughter is 3 and I've added weave to her cornrows and the only problem I had was some good growth and retention...

I put her hair in cornrows with out and extentions but they never last more than about 4-5 days before becoming frizzy. so I found that when I add weave it last waaaaaaay longer.. I dont make them really long and I sometimes curl the ends or add beeds.. I think its really cute and girly.. i even think that people dont realized that she has weave added...

Plus I know that her hair is safe underneath because I do it

 

[finickyone]

It's funny that I don't like the phony ponies, but my 8 yr old wore box braids with added hair for about a year. We started the crown & glory method a month before she turned 7. She was about neck length then & after a year of the C&G method, she was well past APL. She will be 9 next month & she's 's now past bsl because we still practice the method off & on. I always make sure the braids are not too heavy & I am super careful of her hairline. I learned to do the braids myself because I felt like the braiders were still braiding too tightly around her hairline. I also like the braids to be about an inch longer then her natural hair. That way she doesn't get addicted to having length that she actually doesn't have. I would never do a weave on my dauaghter & other then kinky twists, braids, or a fake pony, I really don't think I have ever seen an acutal weave on a small child.

 

[NikStarrr]

I really don't like to see little girls with fake hair. It's basically sending the message that even at age 6--your own hair isn't good enough. Now, I'm sure mother's who do put fake hair on their children aren't thinking that deep into it and are probably doing it for ease of style and I guess to attain a "look", i.e. longer hair on their child. Me personally, I wouldn't do it. I do think extensions in braids (like cornrows) are better, as opposed to fake ponytails and tracks. But that's just my opinion.

 

[meka]

My daughter is four and she gets her hair braided with extensions...
She is getting kinky twists on Saturday. Out here in AZ, if def helps with growth and retention and since I KNOW how to take care of her hair in braids, it ok with me. Now mind you they are not mid back but depending on the style, I get extenstions added to the ends only. Especially if she wants beads in her hair. The kinky twists MAY be shoulder length so they can be pulled into a pony tail.

 

[ladysaraii]

I'm not against extension for braids (to a certain extent) but I hate seeing little girl with weaves. Where's that picture of the baby with a lacefront when you need it?

 

[laurend085]

Girl #1
There was a girl in my class last year that had braid extensions in her head for at least 6 months she was 7-8. The first day of school they looked to be needing a redo. The top of the extension was at the middle of her head. So the new growth was just over powering the weave extension and it was never detangled, moisturized, anything and her edges were messed up. Then one day someone decided to go ahead and take em down and her real hair was actually nice and had some potential if it was taken care of.

Girl #2

The little girl in the classroom across the hall was just too much. She is an example of a little girl actin like a 20 year old (carryin a purse to school-in it was cell phone-that went off sometimes in class, and lip gloss, not to mention she liked to pop lock and dougie down the school hallway when she was in the mood). Anyway she would wear a phony pony most days to school that was NOT made for a little girl and was probably her moms. She would snatch it off sometimes in class when she got tired of it and put it in her purse.

 

[natura87]

Girl #1
There was a girl in my class last year that had braid extensions in her head for at least 6 months she was 7-8. The first day of school they looked to be needing a redo. The top of the extension was at the middle of her head. So the new growth was just over powering the weave extension and it was never detangled, moisturized, anything and her edges were messed up. Then one day someone decided to go ahead and take em down and her real hair was actually nice and had some potential if it was taken care of.

Girl #2

The little girl in the classroom across the hall was just too much. She is an example of a little girl actin like a 20 year old (carryin a purse to school-in it was cell phone-that went off sometimes in class, and lip gloss, not to mention she liked to pop lock and dougie down the school hallway when she was in the mood). Anyway she would wear a phony pony most days to school that was NOT made for a little girl and was probably her moms. She would snatch it off sometimes in class when she got tired of it and put it in her purse.

WTH?poke: Thats just wrong.

 

[Vintageglam]

see the yaky extensions for braiding are ok if not too heavy and done properly not to put too much tension on the hair and not done tooooooo long.

I just have an issue with weaves? I mean why would a child that young need to fool people into thinking her hair is longer ? She is beautiful without it.

Braids are diff I think because everyone knows the deal. However weaves are a form of hair deception i.e. changing hair texture and length at the same time. This is the problem I have with them on young girls. They begin to feel their hair isn't good enough.

I know because I had extensions (braids only) as a child and now as an adult I feel "lonely" and inadequate without them. Its about helping the next generation feel truly beautiful and comfortable in their own skin.

 

[prettybyrd]

I really don't like to see little girls with fake hair. It's basically sending the message that even at age 6--your own hair isn't good enough. Now, I'm sure mother's who do put fake hair on their children aren't thinking that deep into it and are probably doing it for ease of style and I guess to attain a "look", i.e. longer hair on their child. Me personally, I wouldn't do it. I do think extensions in braids (like cornrows) are better, as opposed to fake ponytails and tracks. But that's just my opinion.

@ bolded: Speak the truth and shame the devil! You stole my thought from my head!

I live in Baltimore; and every year around the first day of school little girls sporting weaves and mature looking updos abound!

I don't know if it's ease of preparation that makes these styles so attractive to many mothers around here, but it's pretty rampant. I couldn't see doing that to a little girl.

I loved MY hair when I was a kid, these girls can't even touch their hair! To me that is just so unfair!

 

[LadyPaniolo]

I can understand why moms put box braids in a little girl's head. If your little girl's memories of getting her hair done includes constant painful combing... she won't have a good image of her hair anyway. Putting a bit of false hair into the box braids helps them to stay neat longer. This allows a little girl to spend most of her time playing, reading etc and not being tortured with painful combing lol.

My DD does not wear any type of extended hair. Her texture is too loose to hold anything like that. But I put her natural hair into braids either Pocahontas style or one long braid in back and leave it be for as long as I can before I must redo it. She doesn't hate having her hair done... but she might if she had to go through it constantly.

Also I think DH would be ready to if I put any false hair in her head!

 

[BostonMaria]

I can understand putting on a phony pony one day just for fun, but to make these little girls wear something like that on a daily basis will just kill their self-esteem. They will feel ugly without their fake hair.

I used to take care of a BABY - yes under 12 months - that had braided curls in her twa. I had never seen anything like it. Wasn't even her same texture so it just looked crazy LOL

 

[LadyPaniolo]

^^^ OMG! That is just too much

 

[arosieworld]

When I was little I was on swim team and took diving lessons every summer and I would get those braids with the colorful beads at the end BSL. I think it was just easier on my mom but I couldn't get a full weave till 12/13. Which is still probably too young.

 

[dynamic1]

I wonder how my parents managed to make it without putting extension hair on their four little girls. Countless others seem to manage as well. Braids get fuzzy on active little girls...big deal!

It just seems odd that hair can be maintained for a longer period by adding length to the braid. I have never seen hair added to braids equal or even close to the length of the child's natural length. Even more odd, I have never seen a child with really long hair get hair added to maintain a braid style.

Adding hair of any kind has the potential to send the wrong message.

 

[imaccami]

I don't like to see any fake hair on children. What's the point of it? I think it just teaches them to not like their own hair. It doesn't take that long to do a child's hair in the morning, my dad did my hair and my sister's hair every morning until we turned 12, I don't see why other parents can't do the same thing. Putting a weave on a child gives me the heeby jeebies.

I don't usually wear wigs but I bought a nice one for my Halloween costume, I got used to the thickness and shininess reallllly quickly. It made my real hair, which I am usually in love with, look not so great. If it could do that to me after wearing it one night, I can only imagine what it would do a girl who's been wearing it her entire childhood. I just don't think it's a good idea.

 

[jamoca5]

Oh my gosh at these stories. I mean, I am no where near motherhood, but even I have enough sense to not do that to a little girl! I think me and my sister would have to box if she ever puts a full weave in my niece's hair.

Is this a new, generational thing or has this been happening for a while, because when I was younger, I only saw fake or even chemically processed hair on my head for TWO occasions: 1) When I was six, I had cornrows w/extensions for a school picture, and 2) When I was seven, I had a phony puff in my hair when I was the flower girl for my cousin's wedding. Other than that, it was au naturale for me until I got a relaxer when I was twelve.

The little girl in the classroom across the hall was just too much. She is an example of a little girl actin like a 20 year old (carryin a purse to school-in it was cell phone-that went off sometimes in class, and lip gloss, not to mention she liked to pop lock and dougie down the school hallway when she was in the mood). Anyway she would wear a phony pony most days to school that was NOT made for a little girl and was probably her moms. She would snatch it off sometimes in class when she got tired of it and put it in her purse.

^ SMDH We got to do better.

 

[ceebee3]

I just don't want to believe that people are really putting sew ins and lace fronts on their babies.

That's so screwed up.

 

[Galadriel]

Kids(little girls)+weaves=nono.

it's just.too.much. If the mothers would just actually HELP the childs hair.........weaves wouldn't even come up into the mind.

ITA. I have a friend with a 2 y.o. and she already puts her hair in these tight pony tails (you can already see the poor baby's hairline being affected) and she doesn't put in any type of moisture. A lot of parents who are throwing weaves on these kids' heads mess up these babies' hair from the get-go and then want to cover it w/ weaves or extensions .

 

[Galadriel]

I can understand putting on a phony pony one day just for fun, but to make these little girls wear something like that on a daily basis will just kill their self-esteem. They will feel ugly without their fake hair.

I used to take care of a BABY - yes under 12 months - that had braided curls in her twa. I had never seen anything like it. Wasn't even her same texture so it just looked crazy LOL

.....................

 

[Harina]

Question!!

I'm part of this tutoring program at my school. Some other students and I go to a low-income preschool and read with them, write with them, etc. Anyhoo, there's this one little girl who is 4 years old. She had microbraids in her hair from the time we first visited the class.

Flash forward two months later after we get back from holiday, her caretaker has taken out the braids. Her hair is tore up! I mean effed up. Breaking, relaxed bone straight, her edges are missing, sticking straight up. She's the only girl in the class who's hair is seriously messed up. This little girl also has gold caps in her mouth, but that's a whole nother thread. I've never met the girl's mother/father/caretaker. Should I say something to the teacher? Write the girl's mother (we write these weekly progress reports)? Is this my place? None of my peers (two of which are black women) have mentioned anything. She's not in my immediate reading group, but I feel really bad for the little girl. It's not fair. I want to tell whoever is her caretaker that they need to start over, because that is not right. I just don't know if I'm stepping over a line that I shouldn't cross.

 

[Galadriel]

If there's no visible sign of neglect then there's not much you could say/do without being seen as rude or intrusive (even though I sympathize and agree!).
Perhaps you can do little things like encouraging the girl, maybe give a little gift of a cute barrette or hair goodie and tell her a little bit here or there about putting her hair into a ponytail or grooming it so at least it doesn't stick up.

Question!!

I'm part of this tutoring program at my school. Some other students and I go to a low-income preschool and read with them, write with them, etc. Anyhoo, there's this one little girl who is 4 years old. She had microbraids in her hair from the time we first visited the class. Flash forward three months later after we get back from holiday, her caretaker has taken out the braids. Her hair is tore up! I mean effed up. Breaking, relaxed bone straight, her edges are missing, sticking straight up. She's the only girl in the class who's hair is seriously messed up. This little girl also has gold caps in her mouth, but that's a whole nother thread. I've never met the girl's mother/father/caretaker. Should I say something to the teacher? Write the girl's mother? Is this my place? No one else seems mention anythign. She's not in my immediate reading group, but I feel really bad for the little girl. It's not fair. I want to tell whoever is her caretaker that they need to start over, because that is not right. I just don't know if I'm stepping over a line that I shouldn't cross.

 

[Angel of the North]

I don't have daughters but if I did weaves/extensions/relaxers would be totally out of the question! I don't agree with it at all, I would want to keep them natural till they were an adult where they could make their own decisions about how they want to wear their hair, teaching them about healthy hair practices from a young age. I would allow extensions from maybe mid-teens but there would be no weaves or relaxers before 18th B-day.

ETA: But everyone is different and I can only speak for myself

 

[I Am So Blessed]

weave on children if fricken horrible, i need a worse word then horrible, but dam its ugly and F-ing embarrassing to the black race period! PERIOD!!

 

[I Am So Blessed]

Question!!

I'm part of this tutoring program at my school. Some other students and I go to a low-income preschool and read with them, write with them, etc. Anyhoo, there's this one little girl who is 4 years old. She had microbraids in her hair from the time we first visited the class.

Flash forward two months later after we get back from holiday, her caretaker has taken out the braids. Her hair is tore up! I mean effed up. Breaking, relaxed bone straight, her edges are missing, sticking straight up. She's the only girl in the class who's hair is seriously messed up. This little girl also has gold caps in her mouth, but that's a whole nother thread. I've never met the girl's mother/father/caretaker. Should I say something to the teacher? Write the girl's mother (we write these weekly progress reports)? Is this my place? None of my peers (two of which are black women) have mentioned anything. She's not in my immediate reading group, but I feel really bad for the little girl. It's not fair. I want to tell whoever is her caretaker that they need to start over, because that is not right. I just don't know if I'm stepping over a line that I shouldn't cross.

STUPID a$$ Guardian. who in their right mind would do this to a child, or themselves.....?

 

[thehairmaverick]

10+ ...okay maybe. But if you dont know your ABC's, heck if you cant walk without falling down you dont need a lacefront. Exactly when and where will you be swinging that yaki? In the sandbox? While watching Dora?

There is protective styling on occasion and a bun for a recital, and then their is weaving up your kid beucase you dont want to do anything else.

 

[laurend085]

Question!!

I'm part of this tutoring program at my school. Some other students and I go to a low-income preschool and read with them, write with them, etc. Anyhoo, there's this one little girl who is 4 years old. She had microbraids in her hair from the time we first visited the class.

Flash forward two months later after we get back from holiday, her caretaker has taken out the braids. Her hair is tore up! I mean effed up. Breaking, relaxed bone straight, her edges are missing, sticking straight up. She's the only girl in the class who's hair is seriously messed up. This little girl also has gold caps in her mouth, but that's a whole nother thread. I've never met the girl's mother/father/caretaker. Should I say something to the teacher? Write the girl's mother (we write these weekly progress reports)? Is this my place? None of my peers (two of which are black women) have mentioned anything. She's not in my immediate reading group, but I feel really bad for the little girl. It's not fair. I want to tell whoever is her caretaker that they need to start over, because that is not right. I just don't know if I'm stepping over a line that I shouldn't cross.

OH NOOOO. As a teacher I can tell you that is something you do NOT want to do. If it has nothing to do with behavior or grades do NOT write the the mother about the girl's hair. These parents today are somethin else. Esp. some of the ones that are young or just dont need kids period. They will jump stupid and act ignant if you dare say anything about their parenting. Trying to tell them what they should do with their child's hair falls into that category. You are crossing the line. If there are no signs of physical abuse or neglect (this doesn't count because not everyone knows about proper hair care and that isn't a crime) then you have no right and even then you should call CPS. As much as you wanna say something you're gonna have to hold your tongue. Believe it or not these parents will get offended whether they're doing the right thing or not. They see it as an attack and like your trying to tell them "You obviously don't know what you're doing with your child, so let me help you" whether its true or not. Unless they ask you I wouldn't. I wouldn't even go as far as giving her a barrette and tell her how to do her hair as someone else mentioned. That will be repeated at home and the mom could get offended as well. Now there was a girl who came to school literally just out of bed, no comb ever touched her head. The white teacher's took it upon themselves to take her to the black counselor and have her comb her hair. Now this girl said her mom didn't have time to do her hair in the morning..so I'm guessing the mom never even noticed.

 

[yaya24]

I don't like it AT ALL. .. unless the child has a condition that is preventing her hair from growing normally, or was in a life changing event that scarred her, and wigs are the only alternative.

I dont like weaved:
corn rows
boxed braids
ponytails
sew ins
relaxers

And anything extra on little girls.

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

I think this is ridiculous, reckless and wildly inappropriate.

I'm not down with the phony ponys, weaves or relaxers on pre-pubescent girls. These are babies! Let them be what they are.

The best gift we could give to our daughters is to instill pride in who they are and let them enjoy that brief window of time where vanity isn't the #1 concern but rather enjoying life is.

When I have a daughter I will do her hair in age appropriate braids and twists using her own hair with durability and longevity in mind so she can just live her life and enjoy it. Trust me when I tell you there are a myriad of styles for EVERY length of coily hair.

There was a popular thread recently about a mother who grew her daughters 4b hair to waistlength by age 5 using nothing but braid-outs....less is more with afro textured hair.

Let them be kids, they should never feel they need anything additonal to be beautiful or presentable.