My daughter's hair was chronically tangled and her beautiful curls were the source of some difficult morning routines.
I was cursed with poker straight hair that wouldn't curl with a piping hot curling iron and therefore had no idea how to deal with the shock of beautiful curls she'd been blessed enough to inherit from her Mexican American father.
I'd most days throw a headscarf on her which had become not only her signature look but also my business venture.
I knew though that there had to be some way to keep those curls as pretty as they deserved to look.
It occurred to me that many mothers who had biracial or adopted children with hair different than their own must have similar struggles.
After much experimenting the following is what I have found works and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
I always use a pick instead of a tight bristled brush or fine toothed comb to detangle my daughter's hair before bath time.
I hold the hair close to her scalp firmly at the root so as not to tug on her delicate scalp.
I make sure never to use drying baby shampoos commonly found at the local drugstore and opt instead for the all natural products available at most baby stores.
I use very little because I find the natural ingredients seem to require less suds so they go a long way.
Try to find one that contains Jojoba oil and essential oils.
Post bath I spray her hair with a mixture of a natural baby conditioner, tap water and a natural baby detangling product that contains lavender.
I find mixing the three makes both the conditioner and detangler not only work better but last longer.
Of course by the next morning her gorgeous hair is wild again but it's been pretreated and so it's easier to get her ready for the day.
We spray our concoction again until her hair is damp and comb with a pick.
Then I scrunch her beautiful curls with my fingers and let them dry.
No tears, beautiful hair and happy mama and baby.
By afternoon after hours of play and fun it may be a tangled mess again but at least there's always that darling headscarf.