5/12/13: In honor of Mother’s Day, here’s an oldie but goodie ;)! Love my mom! She is the definition of SuperWoman. She raised 3 intelligent, successful, respectful and God-loving daughters, went back to school after the third daughter to get her degree and became a teacher while working full-time and running behind my dad to help take care of his farm and many horses (I’m talking, cleaning stalls, walking horses, building fences, etc.). My sisters and I still marvel at how she did it all. I hope one day to be 1/3 of the mom that she is and am so blessed and grateful to call her Mommy!!!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY MOMMY!!! LOVE YOU MUCH!!! 

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Yes! You read that right! Mommy Hairscapades is in the house! LOL! I meant to do a natural hair interview with her on December 18th, when I saw her at a family get together. But, it got hectic and I never got the chance. Then, CurlyNikki re-blogged a post, Is There a Natural Hair Generation Gap? by Jor-El of Mane Man. I commented on the post using my mom as an example. That little exercise got me off of the pot and on the phone with my mom … and now and I have her hairstory to share with all of you!

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Describe yourself in 100 words or less.
My name is Florence and I’m a child of God, 59 years young, a wife, the mother of three great daughters and grandmother to a sweet and silly granddaughter. I was an elementary school teacher in the public school system for 28 years and retired in 2010, but will always be a teacher. (Shelli: I answered this for my mom because she skipped this question! *lol*)

How long have you been natural and why did you chose to go natural?
I have had natural hair so long that I don’t remember when I went natural. I had a Jheri Curl for about 20 years before I went straight for a short time (too much maintenance). After that, I think I just had an Afro.

My mom is on the couch in light blue. That’s baby Shelli on my Mom-Mom’s lap!!

Did you transition from or big chop?
I wore a Jheri Curl until my hair would get too long and heavy to hold the curl. Then, I would cut my hair down to new growth. It would usually be cropped in the back and sides and longer on the top. My daughters would always ask me why did a get a curl when my hair was naturally curly. I have no idea.

What is/was your biggest hair challenge/obstacle?
As I have gotten older, gray hair is difficult to keep moist.

How did you overcome it or what are you doing now to try to address the problem?
I make sure that I don’t over wash my hair. I use a deep conditioner and change my products every couple months. My hair seems to get used to one product and it will no longer moisturize. My daughters also gives me advice on what products to try.

What do you love most about your natural hair and/or about being natural?
I am really not a hair person. I get up in the morning, look in the mirror, pick it out with my fingers, put in a little moisture (if necessary) and off I go. I am not a hair person. If you don’t like your hair, buy a wig, get a weave, add extensions, you can even glue some in.

What is your current regimen? Has it changed in any major way since you first went natural?
I don’t do much of anything as a regimen. I wash, deep condition and moisturize about every two weeks in the winter, a little more often in the summer.

What are your Holy Grail and staple products?
What ever is CHEAP or what I can get from my daughters for FREE!!! I am now using Eco Styler Gel with Moroccan Argan Oil and S-Curl Moisturizing spray. The cold air causes my hair to dry out more than normal. The gel coats it and it stays moist for a couple days and holds the curl pattern.

What is your “go to” style (share a picture of it, if you have one!)? Do you wear protective and/or low manipulation styles? If so, how often and why?
NO!!! (Shelli: lol! She is a WnG type of lady. When it was longer, she’d wear it in a pony puff. She’d also pop on a fake curly ponytail in a minute! She had a bunch of them!)

How often do you cut/trim your hair? How do you cut it (salon, DIY, straight, curly, in twists)?
My hair was recently cut very short in the back and sides, longer on the top. I hadn’t had my hair trimmed in over 3 years. I think that, due to the fact that I don’t handle my hair a lot, I don’t develop split ends. My hair is still thick and full. Of course, the gray doesn’t like color. I have tried henna, but it was not for me. The process was very timely and I could not get the color right. I didn’t like looking like a carrot top.

Has going natural impacted other areas of your life (i.e. health & fitness, style, environmental consciousness, etc.?) If so, how and in what ways has it affected your lifestyle?
I think my hair reflects the no-nonsense attitude that I have. It is not controlled and neither am I. It is free and I am free-thinking. People are used to me having uncontrollable hair. They either like it or they don’t. It’s their problem.

Do you have a “hair crush?” If so, who?
No!

What advice would you give someone who is contemplating going natural and/or becoming discouraged with their natural journey?
Going natural is no big deal. Many older women (50 and up) now wear their hair short and natural. If you decide you want a change, just flat iron it straight, style and go. There are many options without always using chemicals.

Anything else that you’d like to add?
Try something new and different. You won’t know what you like until you have tried it. Don’t let your hair define you, define you hair.

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Thanks Mommy (yup, that’s what I call her ;))!! You’re the best! Love you much!!

You know, this is the second parent interview we’ve had on Hairscapades. The first was Wei’s interview with his dad. I’m loving reading these and I got a kick-out of my mom’s answers. I hope that you did too :)!

That being said, is your mother natural, transitioning, contemplating transitioning? Is/has your father watched you and/or your mother, siblings go/stay/be natural and has some opinions of his own? Well, why not grab a pen and pad, laptop, iPad … whatever … and send in your mom’s HairStory and/or your dad’s In His Eyes Interview?!

(p.s. I hope that this goes without saying, but if you’re a 50+ natural and Hairscapades follower, I want your HairStory too!! Just find the HairStory interview that works for you. However, if you think that I need more specific questions that speak to the 50+ naturals/transitioners/big choppers, drop me a line! I’m open to all suggestions!)