These "toys" are pretty much plastic cockle-burrs!
Like many toys, these too come with instructions on "proper use," but for little children that can be optional. While I will not be naming names here since this is going on the blockchain and I don't want to give any of the @little-peppers any ammunition to use against their siblings forty years from now, I'll still be sharing the story.
SUDDENLY, OUT OF NOWHERE, THIS!
Not all that long ago, Red-Pepper walked upstairs with some sort of crazy, messy "updo" and a sad look on her face. It appears that her hairstyle was caused by one of the other @little-peppers allowing some heinous "toys" to come in contact with the top of her hair...
Upon closer examination, this was not going to be fun. I've seen things like this before, mostly in the form of cockle-burrs getting caught in someones hair, which could pretty much be marketed as a "DIY dreadlocks kit." While the natural burrs produced by the burdock plant are more biodegradable and somewhat easier to remove, these "toys" are industrial strength plastic...
Created to be disastrous little round balls of velcro, this is the type of toy that can really mess things up if they find their way into the wrong place, which, of course, is exactly what they did. While simply giving Red-Pepper a flat-top hair cut would have been easier, it's not exactly the look that we are going for on the head of our little girl, so, reluctantly, I dove in and got to work.
When dealing with a mess like this, there is not easy way. For gum, you can use peanut butter, but as far as I know, there is not life-hack for this. It just requires patience and hard work. Though it can be frustrating, enough hair is probably already going to be ripped out, so the frustration must not be allowed to be manifested.
The longer I worked, the more work seemed to be awaiting me. It was hard not to lose hope, but Red-Pepper is worth it. If the culprit would have been deemed capable, it would have been their job, but alas, the responsibility tonight fell on my shoulders.... as if I didn't have enough to do anyway...
Finally, the end was in sight. My hard work was paying off and Red-Pepper was not going to be bald. While it remained an unfortunate situation to be in and a labor intensive, time consuming task, my efforts we about to pay off. There were 23 of those wicked little velcro balls in there! Never again!
LATHER, RINSE, REPEAT
This is the before photo of Red-Pepper, and obviously she was not happy. However, even after all of my hard labor and the removal of 23 horrible "toys" we still had results that looked like this.
I'm going to recommend a separate conditioner on this, and maybe even the old "lather, rinse repeat." Normally, we wouldn't bother with the "repeat" but desperate times call for desperate measure. In the end, it's just another day in the life of the parent, and I'm sure that some of you can relate.
As always, I'm @papa-pepper and here's the proof:
proof-of-the-toys-that-are-stealing-my-life