Hairwashing hack

Many of us have borne witness to a toddler's blood- curdling screams on Hairwashing Day, their cries akin to those of an unfortunate victim in a slasher flick. 

You'll notice how I referred to a simple, quick routine hairwash as some sort of ominous event. That's because a) it is, and b) most of us would rather donate a finger or toenail, than deal with a crying, screaming toddler who is losing their absolute sh*t at the mere possibility of water getting into their eyes, on a daily basis. 

So in order to maintain the fragile emotional and mental state of both parent and child, many of us have reserved specific days to tackle the painstaking task of washing our kids' hair. Heaven forbid they get some sand or food into their locks on the days that don't line up with your hairwashing schedule. I'd sooner wash one specific piece of food- matted hair, than wash the whole head and deal with the fallout thereof, if I can help it. 😅😭

The twinnies are no exception to this, and just the sight of me standing over them with the rinsing jug would cause them to erupt into hysterics. And I get it, I was exactly the same way as a kid. Still, something needed to be done. I needed to find some means of diverting their attention away from the act itself. 

I was almost out of hope, thinking I'd have to just deal with their cries until they got to an age where they get over their hairwashing fear. Cue The Crazy Store. I walked in one day to browse the aisles for whatever I was initially there for, and happened upon something called a 'shampoo cap'. It looks like a cross between a sun visor cap, and the type of hat a rice paddy farmer might wear. All a bit ridiculous looking, but the point was that it held the promise of 'no more tears' when washing baby's hair. It simply diverts the water away from their faces and cascades down the sides of the silly- looking cap.

I'd obviously been living under a rock, because it turns out it's been around for ages, but that was the first time I'd seen one myself. I promptly snatched it up, with the hopes that this simple cap would change our hairwashing fate.

I wasn't 100 percent sold on it, as so many, way more expensive baby products offer results that they simply don't deliver on. I decided to give it a spin, and at first, the twinnies looked puzzled and unconvinced as I strapped the cap around their heads that first time. They both initially complained as I went on with the process, but the heavens opened and angelic light smiled down on us. They didn't complain as I rinsed the shampoo from their hair, they even enjoyed the 'rain' effect the water created around them, as it rolled off the cap and into the bath. 

Suddenly, our days of 2 x screaming, crying toddlers at bathtime had come to an end, and we've not looked back since. I'd recommend the cap a hundred times over. A R50 'investment' is a small price to pray to ensure bathtime smiles all around. 😁

Emily's clearly won over

#babyshampoocap

#hairwashinghack