Hello everyone, I hope you all had a great Mother’s Day! Summer is starting and so is the hot weather. I need to get an AC recharge for my car soon. Even then it gets toasty in there!
Anyways today I thought I would give you some tips on how to keep your kids calm and not scared when they get a haircut. I know when I had my first haircuts I was a bit upset. It was a strange place to me and I did not know what to expect.
Take them with you when you get a haircut
So here are some general tips on how to keep your kids calm and relaxed during their first haircut or two. Letting them watch you get a haircut yourself is a good way to show them there is nothing to be afraid of. Bring them with you a few times as you get a haircut.
Put on a happy face and let them see you are enjoying your haircut. Introduce them to your barber and have them talk to your child a few times before their first haircut. That way they are not a stranger and will be happy to see them.
Of course try to use the same barber as yourself once they get their haircut. All of our barbers at Conway Village Barber Shop have years of experience cutting kids hair and know what to do. They know how to talk to them and put them at ease.
So choosing a barber good with kids always helps. Take them with you a few times if you can so they get more use to the sights and sounds of the barbershop. They may actually look forward to their first haircut that way!
Start at home
Talk to them at home before their first time. Explain how they will get their hair cut and they will feel and look better once it is done. Pretend to cut the hair on a stuffed toy so they see what to expect. Have them sit in a chair and brush their hair a bit.
That way they will get use to sitting still for a haircut. When the day comes bring their favorite stuffed toy, blanket or anything they feel close to that will calm them down they can hold and keep them at ease.
Take a tablet so they can watch their favorite show or movie to keep them distracted. Or maybe they can play a game on it. Anything to keep them occupied and happy while they get their haircut.
At the barbershop
Finally the day comes when they will get their first haircut. If you have done the above they already know the barber and are use to the place. Try to do it on a day you will get your own haircut and do yours first.
That way they see you are relaxed and everything is fine. If you have a toddler or small child let them sit on your lap. That will help them a lot with separation anxiety and you can sooth them with hugs and pats.
If they sit by themselves the barber will put a booster seat in the chair to help raise them up to the correct height. Kid friendly barbers like at Conway Village Barber Shop will have cool kid themed capes like trucks, dolls or cartoons on them to wrap around them.
Distraction time
Give them their toy, tablet or whatever else you brought for them so they can keep busy and feel secure. Bring some non messy snacks for them to munch on. Like M&M’s, Skittles, fruit or crackers. Avoid pure chocolates, lollypops and other sticky snacks.
If your child becomes scared hearing the razor, ask your barber to use just scissors the first time or two. I was always afraid my barber would cut my ears with the razor! He did nick them a time or two! 😀
Sometimes if the barber ask your child to hold the comb or a water bottle, they feel more in control and are helping with the job. Good kid friendly barbers have lots of ways to keep children relaxed!
Don’t force it
If after trying everything your child still panics, thrashes about or starts to cry, please don’t force them to sit or hold them down. Take a break, give them a snack and drink, let them walk around a bit and talk to them.
You don’t want to escalate the situation and have them become scared of getting a haircut. Worst case keep it a short, trim only haircut and try again another day. Don’t mentally scar your kids!! 🙂
After haircut reward
Hopefully everything goes well and your child gets a good haircut without much fuss. To keep them looking forward to their next haircut reward them after with a stop to get ice cream, pizza or take in a movie or something fun after.
Once they have gotten a haircut a few times they will relax and be fine each time they go. They may even look forward to seeing their favorite barber and become lifelong friends as they go back for years. Good luck and see you soon! 🙂