How to Style Your Kid for the Virtual Classroom

For most women, it’s no secret that our hair tends to be our pride and joy. It can be worn long, twisted, straight, pinned, or whatever style suits our fancy at the time. A good hairstyle can bolster our confidence, hide our struggle, or enhance our sex appeal. And as a result, we spend hours in the hairstylists’ chair week after week.

However, what about our children? We want them to look good too. After all, they are an extension of us. But let’s face it. It can become costly for you and mini you to get your hair done. And in the midst of COVID-19 right now, visiting a salon may not be an option. So, what is a mother like you supposed to do since school has started and requires your darlings to be fresh-faced and picture-perfect to be seen on screen all day five days a week?

As a working mom of two under the age of seven, I am constantly on the hunt for the ideal hairstyle for my girls. Not just any hairstyle mind you. Oh no, that won’t do, because my darlings at four and six, have two distinct styles that must be maintained at all costs! My youngest still believes in fairytales and demands her hair be put in twists and ponytails complete with bows and barrettes. My firstborn has more sophisticated tastes that require an updo or a sleek bun to demonstrate her obsession with ballet and gymnastics.

So, I ask the question I asked earlier, “What is a mom like me (like you) to do” when there are only so many hours in a day and most of it is taken by work and other life obligations? Pat answer: I do (we do) what’s needed. I scour social media for quick and fun hairstyles that make me look like a Queen B to my kids. While they are asleep at night, I whip out my phone. While I am on a lunch break or in between meetings, I open a new browser on my computer.

Social platforms like Pinterest and Youtube have become my BFFs. When I need a new hairstyle, I check what others are doing on Pinterest. Click the search button, type in kid hairstyles, and I am off to the races. I let my fingers do the walking as my eyes scan quickly for potential styles, I think my girls would love to sport. Braids, check. Ponytails, check. Colorful beads, check. Twisted bun, check. All these and more are placed on my Pinterest board so I can have a visual when it comes time to recreate them on my daughters.

Sometimes, I come across a style I don’t know how to create and if I can’t find a how-to on Pinterest, then Youtube is my next stop. I can typically find a DIY (Do It Yourself) video of a hairstylist demonstrating the correct technique. In addition, Youtube is a great place to learn more about the styles and hairstylists I find on Pinterest.

So, you want to know which styles are perfect for the virtual classroom? That’s easy. Any style you do for your son or daughter that makes them happy and you look like a goddess. What are you waiting for? Find your next style on Pinterest or Youtube. You will be glad you did.

L. Renee James-Griffin is a former GA Pre-K teacher and staff writer who has written articles for magazines, newspapers, and other publications. She resides in Georgia where she currently instructs high school and college students alike about literature. In addition, James-Griffin splits her time between her family, her writing, and her writing business, TLM Language Services, LLC, with her two business partners. Her book, The Building Blocks of Writing is currently on presale on Amazon.com.