Flashback: My First Set of Cornrows (That Were NOT On A Barbie Head)

I was going through some old photos the other day as I was working on some great new things for Braids, Beads, Truth when I came across the photos of the first set of cornrows I did on my oldest daughter. I had to laugh at them.

First of all, my girl had very little hair back then. Now, her hair is super thick and much coarser. Secondly, they were kind of sad, and it looks like I threw in a bunch of brightly colored little clips to try to disguise it.

I will never forget that day. My daughter was still in her adjustment period and loved me one minute and hated my guts the next. Her favorite way to vent anger over all of the disruptions of her life was to give me a hard time.

I took her into the bathroom after I finished the rows to show her my work. For just a moment, her face lit up in a HUGE smile, but she quickly recovered to pronounce her judgment…

A snarl of disgust and then…”Pa belle” 

Translation “Not pretty”.

We’ve come a long, long way…..

Here is a picture:

Quality Literature for Children of Color

Some of you may have visited my website, Family of Color, in the past and found that it needed a little attention.  Well, I have been working on it, and I think there is improvement! 

I really believe that as parents of children of color, we need to be proactive in offering them all the tools at our disposal to build strong, positive self-concepts.  We have come a long way as a nation, but unfortunately, we still have a long way to go.  Just this week, an acquaintance made a comment to me that was fraught with negative beliefs concerning people of color.  Worse yet, she knows I have black children, and seemed oblivious to her offense.

Our family loves to read, and I look forward to posting reccomendations on this blog of books that empower children of color.  Occasionally, I will throw in a pick for parents too! 

Here are my first picks.  Enjoy!

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, By: Mildred D. Taylor (ages 9-11)

This is considered one of the greatest children’s novels of all time.  I love this book. 

 

The Watson’s Go To Birmingham, By:  Christopher Paul Curtis (ages 11-14)

My eldest son laughed out loud when reading it.  Great summer read for middle school aged children.

 

And…for those of you with younger kids….

The Story of Ruby Bridges, By:  Robert Coles (ages  6-9)

I have read this story to my five children countless times, and it still moves me to tears.  Ruby’s story inspires so many of the characteristics I hope to instill in my kids:  resilience, courage, dignity, and forgiveness.  She is not only the kind of person I want my kids to become, but the kind of person I want to be as well.  Your family will treasure this book.

Question about Itching Extensions

I recently received a question on the blog about itching extensions.  Read on…

Solution for itching heading when I get braids.  it appears that I am allergic to the hair.  Nothing works!  Do you have any suggestions?  I am using Benadryl, but am ready to take braids out and just got them in.

 

Dear Allergic,

Honestly, I did not know the answer to your question.  I have never had extensions!  So, I called up my dear friend Vicky Seapker at In Vu Hair Salon in Franklin, TN.  She told me that it is indeed possible to be allergic to the hair, even when it is human hair.  As a matter of fact, she said that she suffers from this same problem and it seems to happen more often when it is human hair, rather than synthetic. 

First of all, Vicky said this stage in the process, while miserable, will pass.  Then, she was kind enough to offer us some solutions:

1.  Shampoo and condition your hair.

2.  Apply an astringent such as Sea Breeze to your itching scalp.

3.  Follow up with a leave in conditioner (since the Sea Breeze can be drying.)

I hope this helps!  It is interesting to note that when I asked Vicky if she still gets extensions (I had never seen her with them) she replied, “No.  It just wasn’t worth it to me.  I have gotten them for several years.”

So….while the itchiness may pass, and there are things you can do to provide relief, in the end you may find that those long tresses just are not worth the cost…

In more ways than one.

Best,

Sherri

In Vu Hair Salon is located in Franklin, TN.  The stylist mentioned is Vicky Hopkins-Seapker and she is wonderful.  Here is the contact info for the salon:

615-377-5090

1585 Mallory Lane, Suite 202 Brentwood, TN 37027