Braids and Sensory Processing Disorder

For most parents having braids in your little girls hair is not a big deal. Even a pony tail is nothing. Maybe you are trying to keep the hair manageable or maybe they just look so darn adorable with the hair up someway.

For a mom with a child with that has Sensory Processing Disorder this is huge. Bug has been asking me to put her hair up in pony tails and even braids. The funny thing is that you can tell by her facial expression that she is wanting to overload. Putting her hair up is challenging and I can feel her muscle tighten up and her eyes are shut like she is hurting. She tells me, "Mommy I want my hair up more than anything so don't stop."Brushing her hair in the morning can be interesting also.

 She is pretty proud of her braids.

She wanted 4 braids and she even slept in them. I had to loosen them a few times. I watched her all day deal with the sensation of the braids. Actually, I think it is more the rubber bands in her hair that create the issues. She has never been able to stand barrettes or her hair up since she was an infant.

She has actually been wearing jewelry a lot these last few months. When she puts it on she actually keeps it on most of the day not just for an hour if she even makes it that long. 

This is huge - I needed to celebrate this victory. Hey, its only been 10 years since I have dreamed of putting her hair up in braids. I even wrote about it in a book called, "Sensational Journeys: 48 Personal Stories of Sensory Processing Disorder" by Hartley Steiner's book. I even labeled it, "Ponytails."  You will see link of the book on my sidebar.

Maybe all the sensory related activities are paying off. Maybe this is just a short lived phase. Who knows but, it sure was fun seeing her so happy about braids.