Teaching My Daughters to Love Their Curls

I grew up hating my hair. It was curly and I often longed for the long, straight hair my friends had. I spent countless hours straightening it, spending money on it…and probably damaging it…all because I was not happy with those curls. And I have to be honest – I wasn’t completely in love with them until I become a mom and saw those same curls on my daughters. Their curls were beautiful and it struck me: I need to teach them to be happy with their curls and embrace their individual beauty – and lead by example!

I’m not alone in my sentiments. Did you know that women and girls with curly hair tend to feel less confident? Only 4 in 10 little girls with curly hair think their hair is beautiful and only 10% of women in the U.S. with curly hair feel proud of their hair! This was unbelievable to me – and certainly not the way I want my daughters to feel.

Dove Hair wants all women and girls to love their curls! So much so that they’ve launced the “Love Your Curls” campaign to encourage women to celebrate their curls and inspire future generations to do the same. I decided to start now by embracing their little curls and reminding them how beautiful they are. Since they are twins, they love doing each other’s hair and this is a great thing for them to bond over. I also love the NEW Love Your Curls book – a poetic tribute to curly hair.

My girls loved looking at all the pictures of girls with curly hair and we read some of the poems and the front dedication.

This is going on their bookshelf, with a dedication from their mommy, so that it may grow with them. I hope every year they get older the book will give them new and different perspective.

For now, we discussed the pictures, discussed each other’s curls and I had them draw pictures of themselves with their curls!

The poems and stories were inspired by real women and was written by Written by best-selling author, Taiye Selasi and illustrated by Annick Poirier. I think it makes a great gift from mother to daughter, sister to sister, friend to friend! It is truly a book that will inspire confidence.

You can visit Dove.com/LoveYourCurls to download and personalize your own e-book and then share it on social media. It’s the perfect way to share this inspiration!

Along with inspiration, Dove has the products necessary to keep curls looking their best. I love Dove Quench Absolute Products because I feel like they are made for my hair.

The line includes:

Quench Absolute Ultra Nourishing Shampoo

Quench Absolute Ultra Nourishing Conditioner

Quench Absolute Intensive Restoration Mask

Quench Absolute Supreme Crème Serum

The products in this line provide 4x more defined, natural curls as part of a three party system. Hair is nourished, with formulas being infused with protein, nutrients, Buriti Oil – all working to provide a smooth finish – something curls of all shapes and sizes need. I love these products because they bring out the best in my drier, thicker curls, helping me feel more confident in wearing my curls proudly for my daughters.

There’s a long road for me to make sure my daughters grow up with confidence – especially given media influence, but I’m confident I can start making strides now to help empower and build their self-esteem. Here a few simple things you can do every day –

1. Lead By Example

Be confident in yourself! Putting forth a confident, happy and empowered personality will show my daughters’ that they can and should do the same.

2. Watch Your Words

As women, we tend to put ourselves down a lot. Be aware of what you are saying about yourself and others. The littlest of comments can have a lasting impact.

3. Realism

This can be hard with little ones, but it can be done. Interject realism whenever possible – making sure that kids know that the images they see (models, media, etc) are not perfect. Remind them that people come in different sizes, shapes, and colors. When watching television shows or movies, point out MORE than physicalities in favorite characters. Do the same for your children and others as well!