Sixteen father-daughter pairs have bonded over buns, braids and ponytails through two hairstyling workshops held at the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT).
Led by EIT Hairdressing Lecturer Courtney Cook, the Daddy Daughter Hairstyling Workshops that were held in April and May were so successful another session is now planned for October 18.
The two-and-a-half-hour workshops taught dads how to create ponytails, buns and beginner braids, while giving them an opportunity to spend quality time with their daughters.
EIT Hairdressing Lecturer Courtney Cook (left) observes Shaun Simpson doing his daughter, Willa’s hair.
Courtney said the response had been fantastic.
“It was so amazing. The dads were so supportive of each other, and they all did amazingly well. The girls enjoyed the class too and you could see how proud they were of their dads doing their hair.”
One father later wrote to her, saying: “The workshop was amazing. She made something perceived as complicated achievable and enjoyable.”
Courtney said the workshops were about more than learning practical hairstyling skills.
“Yes, it’s about learning the hair, but there’s a deeper side to it. It’s about dads understanding how important their role is.”
The idea came from Courtney’s own childhood, when her father used to do her hair. The braids were so tight they stuck straight out from her head, but that was never really the point.
“People don’t remember the perfect braids. They remember that dad did it.”
Courtney had expected bookings to come largely from mothers signing their partners up. Instead, the dads got in touch themselves.
“One of them said, ‘I can do a bad ponytail really well’. A lot of dads want to learn, and it’s awesome to see they’re keen for that.”
The workshops welcomed fathers and daughters aged between four and 10. Each pair received a take-home pack containing brushes, combs, clips and hair products, along with activity booklets designed to encourage them to continue spending time together beyond the salon.
“I don’t think dads realise the significance of their role in a daughter’s life. Taking five or 10 minutes to do her hair and ask how her day’s been can make such a difference.”
The workshops were supported by three sponsors: Wella, which donated hair products for participants; Kmart, which contributed funding; and EIT, which provided its Hair Salon as the venue.
Courtney is planning another Daddy Daughter Hairstyling Workshop and is also considering future workshops for mums, as well as a potential collaboration with a local barbershop for a lads-and-dads cutting class.
Paula Morris, Assistant Head of School, Health & Sports Science, said: “Courtney’s workshop is a wonderful example of how our staff bring together professional expertise and community engagement to create meaningful learning opportunities”.
“The overwhelmingly positive response from participants reflects Courtney’s ability to identify a genuine community need and deliver an initiative that is both practical and personally enriching. We fully support her continued development of this programme and the positive impact it is having on families across our region.”
Dads interested in attending the next workshop can contact Courtney at dadshairworkshop@gmail.com for details.