Fathers learn to braid daughters' hair at Frankfurt "Dads do hair" workshop over beer
15 fathers gathered in a Frankfurt restaurant to learn children's hairstyling from trained hairdresser Anita Erdmann, whose "Dads do hair" course teaches ponytails, space buns and braids in a pub-like atmosphere with beer on the tables.
A workshop with brushes and beer
On the tables of a Frankfurt restaurant sit brushes, styling combs, clips, hair ties and beer glasses. Around them, 15 fathers try to give a practice doll a ponytail. The session is part of "Dads do hair", a course run by Anita Erdmann, a trained hairdresser who wants to break the routine she says still prevails in many families: that women handle the children's hairstyles. The Frankfurt workshop is already the seventh Erdmann has held. She started the series in her hometown of Munich and now receives enquiries from across Germany. According to the article's subtitle, the Frankfurt fathers outperform their Munich counterparts.
Erdmann says it is mainly fathers who sign up. She initially assumed many came for a relaxed evening with friends, beer and pub-table atmosphere, but was caught off guard by their attitude.
They take it dead seriously. That's really crazy.
Why fathers join
Many participants were signed up by their wives. Ali, 42, has a five-year-old daughter. His wife suggested the course to him, saying it would be cool if he learned it. He brought a colleague along. Marius, 36, from Frankfurt, discovered the course through an online fathers' group. His two-and-a-half-year-old daughter already has "very much hair". His goal is practical: a style that does not knot up after ten hours of wear.
Not every participant is there for a child. Chris, 46, travelled from Aschaffenburg and has two sons. He and his wife often attend festivals, and she would like to wear braided styles there. He said each time she cannot find anyone to do the braiding, and his own attempts only work "so-so". He now wants to learn it properly.
From ponytail to braids
The difficulty increases over the course of the evening. Erdmann begins with brushing, then moves to ponytails using colourful hair ties. From there the styles become more demanding: space buns (two high buns on top of the head), bubble braids and various braided hairstyles are on the programme.
- Erdmann starts with the basics: brushing the practice dolls' hair.
- Fathers learn to create ponytails using colourful hair ties.
- Difficulty rises with space buns, two high buns on top of the head.
- Participants tackle bubble braids and various braided styles.
Growing demand across Germany
Erdmann's concept has expanded well beyond Munich. She now fields requests from across Germany, and the Frankfurt session marks her seventh workshop. The article notes that fathers, not mothers, are the ones reaching out. Whether the attendees come for their daughters, their wives or simply to acquire a new skill, the pub-like setting with beer on the tables appears to lower the barrier for men who might otherwise never pick up a hairbrush.
