[Parenting] The Post-Bath Hair Dryer Battle

Well then

Introduction

My usual parenting notes often focus on my own personal realizations, but this time it's just a story about drying my child's hair after a bath. If you're okay with that, please read on.

Before using the hair dryer

After taking a bath with my 4-year-old child

My child, high-spirited after the bath, puts on pajamas in the changing room and dashes to the bedroom! Off to the futon! They show off somersaults and are super excited, mood way up.
Even though it's time to use the hair dryer, they won't sit still. Or rather, aren't they already sweating again right after a bath?
Are they wiping their hair on the futon?

So, I prepare a special item: a tablet.
I urge them, "Watch YouTube Kids, okay? I'm going to dry your hair, so please sit and face forward."

"YouTube, watch!"
They sit quietly here... Thank you, thank you.

Hair dryer, switch on.

I turn up the volume on YouTube a little and start drying from the back of the head.
Maybe because their hair tips are so fluffy, they flutter away when the warm air hits them, so it doesn't dry easily.
Even if I wipe it beforehand in the changing room, it's tough.
But the difficult part is from here on.

"Papa, look, look! Drawing! I want to draw too!"
(Paraphrase: Watching a drawing video made me want to draw too, bring me some drawing paper.)

Once they watch the video, they turn around to face me or suddenly stand up.

Man, it's great that they are curious about so many things.
But calm down for now.

I'm holding a hot hair dryer, so I'd be in trouble if it led to an accident or injury.
What if the air nozzle was right in front of their eyes when they turned around? There's a possibility of hurting their eyes. They don't understand that danger yet... yeah, I'm the adult, I should be the one being careful.

So, I handle it with a technique that is only useful here: "changing the direction of the hair dryer instantly to match my child's movements."
It's not that I have amazing super-reflexes; it's a matter of heart.

"Papa (whoosh)"
"Look at this (whoosh, whoosh)"
"Get me some barley tea (whoosh) (barley tea, quick)"

It's like this.
If I were to compare it to a game,it's like being able to react to Teostra's no-motion tackle (I don't get it).
In reality,it's like Saori Yoshida's no-motion tackle...no, let's stop.
Anyway, I'm using the hair dryer from a distance, so I can react to their movements at a safe distance without strain.

Afterword

So what was the point of writing about a skill that isn't even worth bragging about or suddenly talking about tackles? I'm sorry, but I just wanted to convey that mychild is cutewhen they are fidgety while I'm drying their hair.

Once you finish drying your hair, it's time for dinner.
Please eat your udon while watching your favorite weather forecast with Kihara-san and Sorajiro.

Good night.