Interview: Author Nicole Updegraff

I have been trying to find books that promote self confidence and self awareness for children. Especially children of color. I have found a few books online but none in stores. One book in particular that really stood out was, “I Love My Cotton Candy Hair!” by Nicole Updegraff. It’s a charming and beautifully illustrated story, about her gorgeous daughter, Charlie. I had the pleasure of interviewing Nicole for Hair and Heart.

What inspired you to write I Love My Cotton Candy Hair?

Three years ago I was stunned when my then 3yr old daughter came home from a play date crying and saying she wanted her hair to be straight and yellow. I knew my girls would likely struggle with insecurities at some point in their lives, we all do, but I never imagined it would begin so soon. At age three my precious child had already found something in herself that she felt wasn’t good enough, something that needed to be fixed. To say that that broke my heart would be a gross understatement. And so the search began. I searched high and low for books about absolute self love and acceptance. The problem is that these books are hard to find for three years olds. Even harder for three year olds who look like mine. A year and a half after that incident I took matters into my own hands and wrote, illustrated and self published ” I LOVE my Cotton Candy Hair!”

Guest Post: Little Boys with Kinks and Coils

One of my favorite bloggers, Afrobella, was kind enough to allow me to repost this EXCELLENT article on boys with natural hair. It was originally posted in March of 2010 as part of her “Ask Afrobella” series.

Please take some time to read the article and visit Afrobella’s site by clicking the logo below.

“You guys. I am terrible and I ask for your forgiveness. I haven’t done an Ask Afrobella in WAY too long. Instead, I chose the immediacy of Formspring and even there I’ve been letting questions just marinate. SMH at myself.

Mea culpa, and I’m back to answer a question all about raising little kids to LOVE their natural hair.

Today’s question comes from Lucie! (To view a photo of Lucie’s son please click HERE. I didnt want to repost the photo without her direct permission.)

Hi Bella!

First, let me say I adore your site. It’s such a great resource for natural hair care and I love the positive attitude you bring to everything you post about.

Here’s my question – I have been pouring through your archives reading up on your posts on taking care of your child’s hair. I have a son (what’s the word for a boy bella?) who is about to turn two. He is biracial (I am white, his father is Black) with thick hair that is a mixture of tights little curls and some kinky locks. He has never had a haircut – I usually keep his hair in twists or let him rock the curly fro. Both of his older brothers (my step sons) and his fathers wear their hair in dreadlocks (well, one just cut them off and he is now rocking the short fro, kind of like Jay Z was for awhile). Keeping his hair natural isn’t as big of a deal because, being a boy, a lot of the hair pressure is lessened. BUT most people we know (family, friends, etc) scold us about how we should just keep his hair short. We get a lot of grief about him looking “like a girl.” It doesn’t help that a lot of the best products I seem to find for hair like his smell kind of girly. I don’t want to cut his hair – when he is older I will let him decide if he wants to keep it long, braid it, lock it up, whatever he wants to do – it’s his hair.