How to Make Cornrows and Braids for Children Without Stress

Cornrows and braids for children are low maintenance natural hairstyles that can be worn for a week or longer. It does take time to braid hair. And this can prove challenging for children who may find it difficult to sit still for an extended period of time. So here are some steps on doing cornrows and braids for children with minimal stress.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• comb
• brush

1. 
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   Choose a period of the day when you have plenty of time for cornrows and braids for children. Allot for the fact that the child may be fidgety or may need to take a short break from sitting in the same position for a long time. Natural hairstyles take time and can become frustrating if you feel rushed.

2. 
   Aleksandra P.

   Have something on hand to occupy the child’s attention. Little ones may sit still if given a toy. Older children may be able to read a book while they get their natural hairstyle done. This is also a good time to talk with your child. Laughing together or sharing stories can make the time more enjoyable as you do cornrows and braids for children.

3. 

   Stick to simple cornrows and braids for children. Hold off on complicated natural hairstyles until the child’s attention span is long enough. Instead, at first make as few braids or cornrows as possible.

4. Have patience and understanding. Natural hair tends to tangle, so gently work out the knots with your fingers or a comb. Do not yank the hair. And try not to get upset if the child does not stay completely still. Sometimes you can accommodate small movements and still complete the cornrows and braids for children.

5. Check the resources section at the end of this article for a link for step by step directions for cornrows.

Tips & Warnings

• Complex natural hairstyles can wait until the child is older and can sit still for longer periods of time.
• Television may not be a good distraction when doing cornrows and braids for children. Some children will keep their eyes glued to the TV and not turn their heads when instructed to do so.

Resources

• Caring for your daughter's natural hair
• How to make cornrows with illustrations

[cookiesdomain]

on 12/2/2008 Thanks for the tip. I updated the article with a link for actual instructions.

[longhairqueen]

on 12/2/2008 This is a good article for how to occupy kids while doing cornrows, but I thought it would give actual cornrow instructions. I know how to do them, but you may want to write an article on how to actually do them for those who don't. Just my thoughts when reading:)