There's nothing quite like the joy a parent feels when they see their child feeling confident and secure in who they are. But sometimes, you just don’t know where to start—especially when your child’s hair type or texture is different from yours. 

That’s where Stylez 4 Kidz comes in, an organization that provides hands-on education for transracial adoptive families to ensure parents have the proper education to care for their children's hair. 

“For the past 10 years, we’ve gone to the Stylez 4 Kidz salon every three to four months to get my daughter's care done,” says mother and longtime member of the organization, Amy Kruska. “Their salon services are the number one thing for us, and then the stylists themselves are a wealth of information and knowledge to help care for my daughter’s hair if we have any questions. 

This Mother’s Day, we chatted about how Kruska found Stylez4Kidz, the impact their services have had on her family, and the magic of seeing your child feel their best after an appointment.

“Black hair needs its own special care”

We have two adopted kids and three biological. My oldest joined our family when she was about three and a half years old, and I had some women at her preschool who asked, “What are you doing with her hair? You might need a little help.” I had no idea. I was doing the best I could, but I didn't know everything her hair needed.

They connected me with the founder, Tamika—before Stylez 4 Kidz existed as it does today—and she came to my house to walk me through everything. Black hair needs its own special care, and that was a big learning curve for me. Having Tamika and her stylists in an open place where you can ask questions has been huge. 

To this day, Tamika hires such amazing people who truly have the heart to help the parents and the kids learn how to care for their hair in a judgment-free way. I really appreciate that. I also appreciate that they suggest things to try at home, so the education doesn’t end in the salon. They’ll say, “Why don't you try this and see how it goes?” So, you have something to work on until the next time they see you. They do it in such a way that it doesn’t make anyone feel bad about not knowing, just gently guiding and genuinely helpful.

an evolution of personal style 

When she was little, I would just tell the stylist to do whatever they thought was cute. When she was young, like five, they’d put little beads or snaps in her hair. She loved shaking her head and feeling the beads clink together. It was always fun for her to pick out the bead colors that she wanted.

As my daughter has gotten older, she’s added extensions, which look great. Lately, she just wants her hair to be long, straight down in braids so she can still pull it back into a ponytail if she needs to. This summer, she really wants to get box braids and is excited about that—I am too!

Every single time after my daughter gets her hair done, she's just always got a little extra confidence and sass. She just always feels so beautiful after her appointments. She's 14, and feeling good about yourself in middle school is hard enough. I love that I can give this to her.