When Annis Waugh started Braid Maidens in 2021, she didn't expect her most eager students to be dads with daughters. Her popular two-hour classes, where fathers learn how to braid their daughter's hair, are always sold out, and there's currently a waitlist for the following schedule of classes.
Waugh, based in England, decided to create the braiding class initially as a fundraiser for a local school. When she set up a specific session meant just for dads with daughters, which she dubbed "Beers and Braids," she was surprised that it had more participants than the classes reserved for moms.
Speaking with The Washington Post, Waugh said that she thought dads shouldn't be intimated by learning to braid their daughter's hair. As most women also know that it takes practice to master a perfect braid thus, she figured fathers could learn this special skill.
Read Also: TikTok Dad Shares Lessons from Mother's 'Husband in Training' Program to Teach Sons to be Gentlemen
What Happens in a Braid Maidens Class?
Waugh's classes have an average of eight students who practice braiding on plastic heads. She starts by teaching the fathers how to properly brush their hair with its different textures. After teaching how to do a ponytail, the mom then transitions to traditional braid, French braid, side braid, and fish style braid. She ends the session by teaching the fathers how to do the princess-style braid to impress their daughters.
Waugh said that the dads are "super-engaged" and really into learning during the sessions. Some of the fathers are quite perfectionists and take their classes seriously.
One dad said that Braid Maidens had been a helpful solution because he's now taking care of the kids while his wife has returned to her in-person duties at work. He has four girls between the ages of four to 10 years old, and they all have long hair, per the Philly Tribune.
The dad said that he likes the fact that he can share the load with his wife by braiding his daughters' hair when they go to school. He believes that their braiding sessions create a good rapport with his girls. Aside from learning how to braid, the fathers have also formed a friendship beyond the class.
Hair Braiding Class in Cleveland, U.S.
Across the pond, in Cleveland in the U.S., hairstylist Tieya Riggins has also conducted hair braiding lessons for dads with daughters since 2019. As with Waugh, the hair expert also observed that fathers are engaged with what they are doing, which makes her very happy, per News 5 Cleveland.
Riggins, however, paused her classes during the pandemic, but she is slowly returning to private workshops with single fathers who have custody of their daughters. She will soon return to hosting classes at schools and libraries. Her classes also allow the daughters to attend with their dad, making her more enthusiastic about teaching.
Both hairstylists agree that this "braiding legacy" will be the special bond between these dads and their daughters that they will remember as adults.
