ATLANTA, Georgia (WANF) — Askia Fountain may be an expert now, but says styling his daughter Brooke’s hair took lots and lots of practice.
Three years ago, Fountain remembers putting Brooke’s hair in a messy ponytail before school.
Turns out, it was picture day.
“I didn’t know what I was doing,” said Fountain. “I think, you know, we watch sometimes and we see the motions of how it works of just what a ponytail would look like, but I didn’t know we were supposed to put products in or nothing.”
Fountain wanted to improve his hair styling skills, but says there weren’t many books out there to help fathers to learn.
So, he decided to create his own.
“I think we have to take the masculinity part out of it too and realize that this is for our daughters and it is more about support and I think a lot of us look at it as it’s too masculine for us to do,” he said.
Today, the father of two has published a book called The Girl Dad Manual.
From buns to braids to pig tails, the book provides step-by-step instructions to educate fathers in different hair types and textures.
“I’ve had some of my friends who are Jewish and other cultures and they have mixed kids and they didn’t know how to do their hair at all. And this is coming from women too. And they were telling me like I wish I had this when the kids were younger,” said Fountain.
The book has an activity section for dads to practice and develop their skills. Fathers and daughters can even write down affirmations to say to each other to strengthen their relationship.
“Some of the [affirmations are] proud, kind, worthy, things that are going to empower them too,” he said.
Fountain says his book is meant to be educational, but it’s also opportunity for fathers and daughters to bond and spend some quality time.
That’s what Fountain values most. And his daughter couldn’t agree more.
“When he learns how to do something new, it like brings us closer in a way,” said Brooke Fountain.
