Brush Then Bed

Now that Eloise isn't napping our bedtime routine is very different. By the end if the day she is wiped and ready for her bath as soon as we finish dinner. Bath time is quicker too and once Eloise has brushed her teeth, gone pee and put on her jammies, she knows there's just one more step before sleep. 

We have to brush Eloise's hair before she goes to bed or else we end up with mats. And not figurative mats, but literal mats. Hair brushing at bedtime is just another step in our routine but it has always been one of the hardest. It equals resistance and tears, no matter how gentle I try to be, which means it's not a very fun thing for either of us. Until now. Now that Eloise is so utterly exhausted she rushes into the bathroom to bring me her brush so we can complete the only thing keeping her from sleep. Then she leads me to the computer where we sit down to this: 

I have 3:48 to brush Eloise's hair. Once we see baby Simba's feet dangling above the baboon-shaman and the animals bow down I know it's time to get my show on the road. If not, we have to watch Hukana Matata. 

Three Zones

I've mentioned before how much we struggle with Eloise's hair: her beautiful golden curls have a mind of their own and are often unruly. Tangles, frizz and mats make themselves at home on the back of Eloise's head and sometimes I even struggle to get a comb through her hair after double conditioning.  

Chris and I have determined that Eloise's hair has three zones: 

Zone One is the deceiving one. This zone that invites you to touch Eloise's beautiful hair and compliment her curls. Zone One is made up of perfect tendrils that frame her face and are nearly always frizz-free. 

Zone Two is the problem area. This is the spot that gets the most contact with pillows as she sleeps, the car seat and the couch. It's the hair that mats, easily, for the constant contact it maintains with other surfaces. When Eloise wakes up in the morning after a bath-free night Zone Two is big and scary like this:

(Ponytail day!)

And finally, Zone Three. This one isn't so bad when Eloise's hair is clean and brushed but becomes an issue when Zone Two is acting up. When Zone Two looks like the image above Zone Three is a full on rat tail. And I know a good rat tail when I see one, my brother had one for years. 

Hairy Situation

Good morning, afro.

As you may have noticed, Eloise has curly hair. Very, very curly hair.

She inherits this trait from my dear husband, who now keeps his hair short. The problem is not the curl, we love our little cherub's blonde ringlets, the problem is the rat's nest that forms anytime her hair is a) not freshly washed or b) in a ponytail. Mornings are prime rat's nest time and today's example was particularly special.

In addition, Eloise puts up a huge fuss anytime we so much as mention brushing her hair. I understand brushing must not be uncomfortable for her, but a nest like the one above is only a few hours from becoming a full-blown mat. That we would have to cut out.

So curly haired friends, this is where you chime in. We are currently using Paul Mitchell Kids Taming Spray, which is pretty good, but I would love to know what else to try. Thoughts?