It’s a necessary part of life, but also a great way to drive your toddler crazy: the haircut. From about a little over a year old to sometimes up to 5 or 6 years old, some kids find haircuts to be one of the worst, most torturous things ever. It may be the sharp scissors coming at them, it may be having to sit still in the chair for 15-20 minutes, or if you take them to a barber shop, it may be all the strange new sights, sounds, smells, people, etc. Whatever the case, a haircut, while it may be necessary for your toddler, may be one of the most excruciating experiences for both you and them.
But still, unless you’re trying to grow your own personal Rapunzel, your child will probably have to get their hair cut at some point. If you are the one to give them their haircut, it can save a lot of money, and can possibly make the whole experience easier for them to tolerate as well. If you do the haircut together at home, he may be more comfortable than he would be at a barbershop, in a completely new and different environment, with an unknown person.
Here are a few tips to help giving your toddler a haircut at home be a smoother experience for the both of you.
1. Gather the appropriate supplies
At the very least, giving your child a haircut will require a chair, comb, and pair of barber shears. You can certainly try with your regular pair of household scissors, but barber shears will be much sharper and cut more precisely. You can use any chair, but a higher chair will be kinder to your back.
2. Let them get in on the fun of wetting their hair
If your child doesn’t want to get his or her hair wet, you can use a spray bottle to dampen it while you cut. It may help to let him have a turn at spraying your hair first and maybe his own, so he sees how it works, and give him warning before you do it to him so it doesn’t startle him.
3. Do the front first
They’ll probably be more apt to sit still in the very beginning so do the part that people will actually see then. Start with the bangs, and go from the outside of one eyebrow across to the other to keep it even. Use one head to gently secure his head to remind him not to wiggle around and so you don’t accidentally poke his son or eyes.
4. Work swiftly, but take just small snips
Of course when working with a wiggly little one, you’ll want to do it quicker than slower, but if you take small pieces, you can fix any mistakes more readily than if you cut in large chunks.
5. Tell your child how great their new haircut looks
Some big (and genuine) oohs and aahs go a long way for positive reinforcement for both his cooperation and how great he looks in his new ‘do!
Happy haircutting!
