The start of the day as a mom is never easy. As soon as our feet hit the floor, there is a multitude of things that need to be done . . . and almost everything on the list is for someone else! Between preparing breakfasts, packing backpacks, checking the daily schedule, getting everyone where they need to be on time, and in tip-top shape, the last thing on our mind is our own hair! We spend our mornings catering to the needs of those who depend on us, and sometimes that ends up quite obvious in our appearance. But if you can manage a simple and easy hairstyle, it can change your day!
Fun and Easy Hairstyles for Busy Moms
I always fuss over getting the right ponytail, with matching bow to boot, on my girls. They always arrive at school clean and stylish! I feel particularly strong about this aspect of parenting. They are, of course, wearing hand-me-downs and are less than thrilled while I am scooping up their hair and looping elastic around it, but it makes me feel better as a Mom. Put together. Thoughtful.
I take pride in how my children present themselves because I take pride in caring for them. But, with all of this effort put into them, it is taken from some other place. That place: my hair! Here are a few easy hairstyles to do on yourself in the morning so you can feel confident in yourself and your appearance! The only thing you will need is a brush, your favorite dry shampoo, and some small rubber bands for most of them.
Thick Braid Trio
Pull-out, or thick-looking braids, are simple and easy while being stylish. They give off a very carefree vibe! You can choose if you want to do one braid (think Elsa-style) or two (Anna’s look). This is my go-to hairstyle for a park playdate, trip to the zoo, or anything outside and fun. It’s simple enough to throw a hat or headband on yet elevates your look from the regular ponytail.
This style is perfect for day 2 or 3 (or even 4!) hair. You just need a good brush, your favorite dry shampoo, and I prefer to use small, clear rubber bands to hold them. They give the style a more mature look, and they tend to hold on stronger for all of the runnings around Moms have to do! This technique can be turned into three looks: classic braid, double braid, or a braided headband.
Classic
To start, pull out two face-framing pieces of hair that you can leave down. You can hold them with an extra rubber band or clip to make sure they don’t get braided back. I tend to leave a few pieces out around my face to slim my cheeks and soften my appearance. Choose which side you’d like to have your hair on. I always choose my braid to go over my left shoulder because I consider that to be my good side. But, your choice!
Brush your hair, and then spray your dry shampoo all over, even past the root. I like to spray the most towards the bottom of the hair. Braid the hair in the classic way, sectioning it into three equal parts and lifting your outside pieces over the middle strand. End the braid and add your rubber band or hair tie about ¾ of the way down. Try to leave about 2 inches of hair out. Once that is tied, give the newly formed braid a spray of dry shampoo. Then you will gently tug on the outer loops of the braids, creating thicker loops and giving an overall fatter look to your braid! I like to find smaller pieces after and pull them out completely to give a really messy look to the style.
Double
To create this style as a double braid, you will section the hair into two parts, left and right, and do the same steps for both sides. These braids will have less hair in each, so you may not be able to pull as much hair out of each loop.
Headband
To construct this style into a headband look, you will follow the same instructions, but you will need to use a few bobby pins, as well. This look is a little more sophisticated and put together. It can be a trendy look for family photos or a daytime get-together! If you have long hair past your shoulders, you will create this look with one braid. If you have shorter hair, shoulder-length or above, you will likely need to have two braids to get the look.
Once you follow the previous steps and have your thick braids ready, you will lift them and place them across the top of your head to tuck behind your opposite ear. Pin in place with two bobby pins. Repeat with the second braid to the opposite ear and pin in place. You can also choose to leave some of your lower hair out to create a half-up, half-down look or put the rest in a ponytail! Either way, it’s super cute and fun!
The “I Woke Up Like This”!
This hairstyle is my absolute favorite. Consider it the grab-and-go of the hair world. Since we barely even have time to shower between the laundry, bath time, groceries, work deadlines, and general Mom duties, this hairstyle requires no effort after our quick late-night rinse-off.
After my shower, I like to add a sea salt spray or mousse into my wet hair. Then you tightly braid your hair into as many strands as you want. I have very thick hair, so I like to do 3 or 4 different braided sections to optimize all of my hair to dry. If you like a looser look, just do one or two braids. The goal is just for your hair to dry while you’re sleeping in the pattern of the crisscross sections. It leaves you with lightly waved hair that can be easy to leave down, throw into a top-knot (pictured here), or tuck under a baseball cap. It’s an effortless style that helps you look like a put-together Mom on the go! Practice makes perfect, and after a few times, you will find exactly how many braids you need to get that perfect beachy wave!
Plus, you can wake up like this AGAIN! Is there anything better than looking cute two days in a row?! It makes me feel so put together to nail my hair twice in a week. Using the cute and easy waves you’ve created the day before with your salt spray and braids to dry, you can get a new look the next day by just changing it up a little bit by adding a top bun!
This half-up, half-down hairstyle is great for a girl’s night out or a concert in the park. When your hair is wavy, it means it has more volume, so it isn’t as close to the scalp as it usually is. To create the top bun, separate your hair behind your ears and tousle it around to “mess it up” a bit. Loosely sweep it back and loop the elastic around the hair once, creating a ponytail. Then wrap it around again, only pulling half of the hair through, creating a bun look. Pull strands out and tuck into the elastic for a messier look!
Earth to Mommy
Do you ever feel like you crash-landed on a different planet since you entered motherhood? I find some days I am so out of sorts trying to keep all of my little aliens in line! Space buns are the perfect addition for an out-of-this-world look! I love these cute little buns for a mom’s lunch at school or a work-from-home day you know you’ll have to turn your camera on. They are young and stylish, and no one will know they only took a few moments! For this hairstyle, you will need hairspray, a comb, and elastics.
Remember Baby Spice from The Spice Girls? You are going to start out looking a bit like her. Once again, choose one or two pieces of hair from around your face that flatter your profile. I always take a rather large piece from my left side to give the allusion of a soft side bang. Then you are going to part your hair in the center and make two very high ponytails.
You want to make sure they are only about 4 inches from your forehead, as they will slide toward the back a bit from the weight of your buns! Secure both ponies with your elastic. Spray the ponytails with hairspray to make them “sticky.” Wrap each section around the elastic you’ve secured, like a cinnamon bun! Then secure that new shape with another elastic. Gently pull on the section, as they will be tight-looking, and it will give them a messy circle shape! Spray again to keep in place.
Feel Like the “Old” You With These Hairstyles
Our minds and bodies are now occupied by so many other’s needs and wants. It can be hard to remember that even the smallest pleasures can make the biggest impact. Throwing on some lipstick, wearing a new bra, or doing our hair can help us feel more like the old us. It can help us welcome back the girl we may have forgotten about . . . or at least have been neglecting a little bit.
The old me was a cosmetology teacher and stylist, helping others feel beautiful daily. This job required me to look my best, wearing hair and makeup almost daily. When I left my career to become a stay-at-home mom, the hair and makeup have taken a backseat. These simple hairstyles have helped me break the cycle of feeling stuck in motherhood. Feeling like my hair is in-tact for the day brings me such confidence and comfort – so I can focus on all the daily madness . . . and love.
