Becoming a Black dad who can do his daughters' hair is an opportunity for bonding

A London father learns practical techniques from stylist Jennie Roberts to care for his mixed‑race daughters' curls, replacing painful routines with gentler tools and methods. The piece also notes a wider movement of Black fathers taking workshops to share hair care and connect with their children.

A father in London sought hands‑on guidance to make 'salon night' less painful and more positive for his two young mixed‑race daughters. He met stylist and curly hair advocate Jennie Roberts in Larry King's salon in Marylebone for a tutorial that covered technique, tools and product choice. The writer describes long-standing gaps in his knowledge about Black and curly hair and why learning the basics matters at home. The article also places his experience alongside a growing number of Black fathers attending workshops to learn hair care and share the work. What we know: - The author's daughters are aged three and four‑and‑a‑half and have mixed afro and straighter curls, which he has struggled to manage at home. - Jennie Roberts demonstrated gentler detangling techniques: start at the hair ends, use a manta comb or wide‑tooth tool, and work upward to reduce pain and breakage. - Practical changes included swapping tight elastic hair ties for silk or loose ties, using an old T‑shirt rather than a towel to dry curls, and using lighter serums and a diffuser to enhance curls. - The writer attended a one‑hour tutorial, left with silk pillows and new methods, and reported calmer salon nights and a greater sense of satisfaction when styling his daughters' hair. - The piece notes broader context: workshops run by Jamelia Donaldson's Treasure Tress and other courses are attracting Black fathers, and a 2021 report cited that many people with afro hair have faced discrimination and that Black British women spend substantially on hair products. Summary: The hands‑on session helped the father replace earlier techniques that caused pain with gentler tools and step‑by‑step methods, making at‑home styling less fraught. The article situates his experience within a growing trend of Black fathers learning hair care in workshops to share caregiving and build connection with their children.