My boy wears product

I was, oh, maybe sixteen before my mom broke down and bought us some nice shampoo and conditioner from the salon. Until that point, the bathroom was stocked with Prell in the unprocessed hair years to Thermasilk during the perm years, aside from Dad’s bottle of Head and Shoulders.

Dippity-Do was my mom’s hairsetting gunk of choice when she rolled my long hair and put me under the drying cap when I was a toddler. Later, we didn’t stoop to Grandma’s Aquanet during the era of moussing, upside down hair-drying and ratting for “volume,” but I’m sure it was close.

J, though, won’t be using Prell or Dippity-Do. Nope. He’s already moving on.

A few Fridays ago a big brown box arrived from New York–from Carol’s Daughter to be specific. He now does his damnednest to grab at the following bottles and jars on his changing table:

• Black Vanilla Leave-in Conditioner
• Lisa’s Hair Elixer
• Hair Balm
• Mimosa Hair Honey
• Unscented Hair and Body Jelly

Should I be using it all? No. I’m sure I shouldn’t. He’s just a baby. Am I? Not all at once, but man, it’s SO nice to 1.) enjoy taking in the luster of his beautiful brown skin after an application of the body jelly 2.) feel how soft that once rough, dry fuzzy hair at the back of his head has become and 3.) smell that the gorgeous smells of the scented hair products.

Yeah, I’ve gone overboard. At least it’s not like the time I’d decided I’d cloth diaper and bought all that breathable waterproof fabric at eighty-billion dollars a yard only to realize I wasn’t going turn out to be crunchy after a full week of disposable diapers in hotel rooms.

This time, at least, I’ve spent a bit less money and will at least use what I bought. Oh, and free shipping. Free shipping is good.

Seriously, though, I know why I’ve gone overboard. I remember how my mother made sure we were always very presentable with nice, clean, neat clothing even though she herself never got new clothes. She wanted people to look at us and know we were loved and valued.

It’s the same for J, but I take it further. His clothes are mostly name brand, aside for what he wears at home away from prying eyes. I comb his hair to make it look fresh every time we leave the house. I work and work and work to try to keep those cheeks from getting too rashy. His outer appearance is a visual indicator of how important and valuable he is to our family–and that’s why we now have $75 of product sitting on a changing table.