Haircuts For Kids
Kids' haircuts can be a big deal for both parents and young children. Here are some valuable tips for minimizing struggles while making the experience both fun and rewarding.
Having a child's locks cut can be a sentimental event for parents, but an uncertain and possibly scary time for babies and toddlers. That first trip to get a haircut deserves special attention—because when it comes to your child getting his or her first haircut, planning can make or break the experience.
When to Get the Cut
Have you been trying in vain to brush your son's bangs from his eyes or clip your daughter's hair back, yet it's still unruly? It's likely time to take action. Kids usually have their first haircut before or around age one, though stylists have cut the hair of babies as young as two or three months.
Choosing Your Salon
While some parents opt to trim their baby's or toddler's hair themselves, many find it's too difficult to safely hold a squirming child while wielding a pair of scissors.
Parents want their children to have fun in the salon, and by checking it out ahead of time, you can ask questions about the place, the cost, the stylists, and the selection of videos.
Most kids love the opportunity to play with toys and games before a haircut. The 'choice of seat' can be important too... the yellow sports car, the red fire engine or the airplane. My kids get excited about picking out a balloon or a lollipop when done! Many salons will offer the kids a choice of video to keep them entertained during the haircut.
Find a salon that will fits your needs... and that includes finding stylists trained in working with kids. The number one thing that stylists do is to get on a child's level and converse with them ... then the kids know the stylists are interested in them. Kids love for someone to learn about them, especially toddlers.
Timing is Everything
Once you've chosen a salon, schedule an appointment. Your best chance at a good, fuss-free experience is to schedule the haircut for after nap and snack time. Lollipops are also a great way to entertain the children during the event, but bring your baby wipes!
Easing Fears
Because getting a haircut is outside of the normal realm of a child's usual experiences, it can be stressful for the child. It is normal for small children to fear the unknown, explaining why it's not unusual for children to be wary of "the stylist (usually a stranger) at the hair salon who comes at them with a spray bottle of water and scissors.
Sometimes it's just concern over the scissors and strange-looking instruments that bother little kids. Allow the child a chance to handle or at least touch some of the instruments—comb, spray bottle, etc.—and demonstrate the noise that the scissors will make.
Preserving the Memory
For many moms, a baby's first haircut is a milestone to be documented in photos, baby albums, and scrapbooks—so don't forget to take your camera. For fun, parents can buy frames touting "Baby's First Haircut" or even "photo cards" specifically designed to share a picture from this special day. Many salons even offer a special certificate to commemorate a little one's haircut.
Don't forget to take a small envelope with you to the salon so you can salvage a ringlet of that soft hair and tuck it away in a scrapbook, baby book, or even in your dresser drawer; the lock is a precious reminder of your little one's beautiful baby hair. Some gift shops offer special keepsake containers for preserving that treasured wisp.
Accentuate the Positive
Don't forget to praise or even reward your child for a job well done (this is where the lollipop comes in handy)—or for acts of bravery—once the haircut is finished. When your child is proud of himself, he's more likely to be receptive and enthusiastic about future haircut adventures.
