The Hair Solution - I wish I had one

Confession time.  I've been a mother to daughters for 8+ years now, but I still haven't figured out how to get everyone's hair done in the morning tear free.  The oldest believes she can do her own hair, and that works out a lot of the time.  If she just goes for the pony tail it usually doesn't turn out too bad, but when she tries to get creative it gets crazy fast.  Sometimes we have at least 3 different kinds/colors of bows going on, none of which match her outfit.  Other times she has multiple pony tails going on at random across her head.  She has just recently discovered braiding, but since she hasn't gotten the hang of it yet it mostly just looks like a series of knots.  I'm trying to let her experiment and be herself, but sometimes I have to step in and fix it.  That doesn't go over well.

The youngest has given herself haircuts twice now.  There was no saving her latest attempt so she is sporting a short pixie cut.  It's actually pretty adorable on her if she will leave her headband or flower in. Not likely:)

My 6-year-old is the trickiest.  First of all she is very emotional, so it doesn't take much for the tears to come on.  Second, she has slightly curly, frizzy hair.  It's not the worst I've seen but definitely hard to handle, and it tangles like crazy.  Friends and family have been giving me advice on the topic for years.  Of course, if they are doing her hair she is on her best behavior and doesn't cry as much. That is always irritating because they feel so pleased that they have solved our problem, but when we try the same methods and products with just the two of us at home it usually ends in a flood of tears again.

I'm still looking for that miracle product that de-tangles her hair and leaves it soft and manageable.  In the meantime, we keep at it every morning, our five minutes of crying time in exchange for a hairstyle for the day.  Most mornings I try to keep it as cheerful as possible by playing games or talking about her favorite things.  Most mornings that doesn't work, but the other option is to give up and that really isn't my style.