learn to french braid

We have a lot of heads of hair in our household and, while I’m not very good at it, I love it when my middle school girls ask me to French braid their hair. I love it, not because I miss the days when they were little and I would shampoo them under the bathtub spout, but because this is when we stop and have a moment to catch up. This is when my eighth grader will tell me about her classmates and who broke up with who and which teachers annoy her the most and which teachers she absolutely adores and why. This is when my sixth grader will vent to me about the frustrating thing that happened in math class or will tell me about the boy she thinks is cute or the ideas she has for a birthday present for her friend.

But, this is also a time when I can be in their world. Usually, they are on the phone while they chat with me so I can watch the videos they are watching. They show me their silly Snaps with friends (and, sometimes we snap one together). Over their shoulder, I can read their text exchanges with their friends and help them think through responses, if needed. I’m also able to see what is going into their minds through that little device. I’m thankful that their phone time mostly consists of baking shows, the Gilmore Girls, how to make slime, makeup tips, and nail art.

So, if you don’t know how and you want just a few minutes to connect with your tween/teen, learn to French braid. Their whole world will eventually open up to you and you can open up to them. It may seem like such a small thing, but I have learned that those small things matter big time as we raise young women today.