Take out hair ties

About this visual support

The scalp is more sensitive than it looks, and in the evening it is often at its sorest after a day of tightly pulled bunches. A hair tie yanked out at the wrong angle takes strands of hair with it and can make your child flinch the next time someone comes near their hair. At the same time the ties need to come out before bed, both because they rub against the pillow and because hair does better left loose overnight.

The pictures show girls looking after their own hair: one stretches a red hair tie above her head, one pulls the tie out of a bunch, one loosens the end of her braid and one lets out both bunches at once. Seeing the moment done by someone else, calmly and without hurry, makes it more predictable. And when your child sets the pace, there are fewer surprise tugs.

A practical tip is to keep a small bowl or jar in the bathroom where the hair ties go straight away, so the step has a clear end and the ties are still there in the morning. Show the picture after pyjamas and before toothbrushing. In Routined you can add Take out hair ties to the evening routine with a picture, and the app can be tried for 14 days at no cost.