'I want it to look like her mum did her hair'

A group of dads on the Isle of Man are hoping to send their daughters to school looking "like mum did their hair".

Aaron Stewart-Gillespie, who is among a group of parents attending the "dad's ponytail club", admitted when it comes to his daughter's hair styling he just "can't do it" and he needed guidance to finesse the perfect plaits and bunches.

The sessions have been set up by hairdresser Sophie Corlett, who said she had been asked for years by dads, who perhaps do not have any experience practicing on their own locks, to create an event like this.

Corlett said it was "amazing" they wanted to "step up for their kids".

One of the first to give the sessions a go, Stewart-Gillespie said the goal was to send his daughter to school "making it look like mum did the hair, that's what I want".

While his daughter is only 16 months old, he said he wanted to be ready before her hair became harder to manage.

"I tried doing her hair not long ago… I can't do it," he said.

"And when it's getting longer, it's just going to get worse."

For many of the dads attending, the motivation was practical as well as personal.

Karl Boyle, whose three-year-old daughter attends nursery, said the rush of getting ready in the morning had exposed his limitations.

"There's a few times I've sent her off… with less than ideal hair," he joked.

As the parent who was first up with his daughter in the morning, he said, the hair styling responsibility often fell to him.

"Why not do something better?" he said.

The idea behind the sessions came from Corlett, who as a parent herself, said she had noticed a pattern among children arriving at school.

"You know which children have been with the other parent," she said.

"I just wanted to make sure that the dads are getting the help that they need."

She said many fathers had been asking for help "for years" and she wanted to "give back a little bit".

"I'm amazed at how many have come on their own," she added, describing it as "amazing that they just want to step up for their kids".

For others, the sessions were about being prepared for any situation.

Dominic Murphy, a father of five-year-old twin girls, said the idea had been on his mind for some time.

He recalled a story about a widowed father who struggled with everyday tasks like styling his children's hair.

"Little things matter," he said, adding that if his wife went away for the weekend, "I can do ponytails now".

Some also highlighted the emotional value of learning the new skills.

Stewart-Gillespie described it as "a bonding session" between dad and daughter.

This was echoed by Corlett who said it offered a chance for parent and child to connect and meant "less pressure on the mums".

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