This single dad is helping fellow fathers by giving free lessons teaching them how to do their daughters’ hair and nails
Philippe Morgese knows how difficult doing his little girl's hair could be - so he decided to set up classes to help others
LAST year a single dad decided to set up free classes to help fellow fathers with tricky tasks like doing their daughters' hair and nail - and one year on, he's still going strong.
Philippe Morgese, a dad from Daytona Beach, Florida, knows all too well how hard those fiddly things can be, so he decided to set up the Daddy Daughter Hair Factory.
Now, one year later, the one-off event has turned into a series of classes and they're proving popular for other dads on Reddit.
In this week's class, 23 dads, stepdads and a grandfather were taught how to perfect doing both hair and nails.
Philippe told that he first thought of the idea for the classes when he struggled to do his daughter's hair.
"I can remember being clueless with Emma’s hair in her younger years," Philippe explained.
"As time went by, I learned so many things that made life easier for the both of us. I knew starting a group like this would help make it more acceptable to reach out for help."
But Philippe believes there's more to his classes than just trading braiding tips, his lessons also help dads bond with their daughters.
"Fatherhood involvement is very important for childhood development, this is well known already," he said.
"Hair and nail maintenance is part of life for everybody.
"Doing your daughter’s hair is another way to connect, but it’s more intimate than many of the other activities us dads normally do.
"This provides excellent one-on-one time which gives us the opportunity to discuss our day ahead and our dreams."
Dads who attend the classes aren't judged for their lack of knowledge and the welcoming and friendly environment ensures everyone feels comfortable to ask anything they want.
The free classes are really beneficial for anyone who attends because they're learning practical skills as well as building of their relationship with their little girls.
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The open environment can result in quite emotional experiences, "One story that always stands out was about a dad and his adopted daughter," says Philippe.
"They came in to an event I was doing last December and he requested before the class if I could hang out afterwards and show them how to do a French braid, which I was happy to do.
"So him and a few of the dads hung out after our basic maintenance class to learn the French braid and although their first attempts weren’t that pretty, they picked it up pretty quick.
"The daughter, who was 12, began to cry. Immediately her dad began to cry as well.
"Before I knew it, the remainder of the fathers who knew this man were smiling with tears in their eyes.
"That’s when I learned that his wife had recently passed away.
"The French braid was something the wife knew how to do and would do it for their daughter before every dance or cheer competition, it became a tradition for them.
"I believe that her father learning to French braid brought them one step closer to feeling normal, which helps greatly after the loss of a loved one.
"That story still brings tears to my eyes, it was powerful."
Philippe hopes to continue growing his Daddy Daughter Hair Factory and is in the process of trying to work with libraries, local churches and campuses.
But in the meantime, he's created , including guides to braiding, washing, brushing and more.