1st haircut = horrible experience

[FAB mama]

I took LO to a cute hair salon today that's made for kids. They had cute vehicle shaped seats, Disney movies, a train table and a playroom. LO loved it… until I tried to put him in the cute firetruck seat. Honestly it was as bad as when he had to get blood drawn. It was horrible. It took 2 people to hold him still. He never lets me do anything to him… cut his hair, his nails, brush his teeth etc.

I know kids get upset at their first haircut sometimes, but please please tell me this gets better?? I almost cried.

 

[NoodleSnack]

Try to cut his nail when he's asleep.

I find distraction, like tv, is better than restraining. It's instinstual, when people try to hold you down, you fight to get free. I also trim while he's dustracted or sleeping.

For brushing teeth, I find a cloth works better, it's a game where he tries to bite my finger, hurts like the dickens. My husband insists on holding him down to brush his teeth with the brush and it's not a pretty sight I can tell you. It's funny, cause he asks for the toothbrush every morning and when he gets in the bath at night.

 

[FAB mama]

As I said, they had every distraction possible in the shop. Also, I've cut his hair in his sleep many times. This was just the first attempt in public. I don't think cutting it while he's sleeping will get him used to it and I'm not very good at it.

 

[NoodleSnack]

There are plenty of time for him to get used to hair cuts. I'm sorry, I don't understand why you worry about that now. I just think he's acting his age and will learn to accept hair cuts in time. I would be fighting too if someone hold me down and use some metal thing to cut my hair, it might become a bad experience and he learns to hate it, my younger brother did.

 

[DCS]

Ds had his first haircut around 1 years old. The hairdresser handed him a bit of chocolate ( he didnt eat it very often so was a huge treat for him) and got to work, she talked to him the whole time. He didnt actually eat any of his chocolate he just watched her. This was in our kitchen. Our hairdresser comes out to us.

After that we always told him in advance, and we always snuck her a kinder egg to give him once he was done. We told him about how he must sit still because scisors are sharp. And it worked. He doesnt care about a treat after now, he just chats away to her the whole time.
Like i said our hairdresser is mobile. She is so great my entire family use her, so he often sees us all having our hair cut etc and its always in the comfort of his own home or a house he knows. I would deffo suggest a mobile hairdresser.

Just to add my kid hates his hair being touched, he wont let me comb it, wash it or even move it.

 

[Eleanor ace]

There is no way I could take my DS to get his hair cut even now! I do it at home, luckily he has curly hair so y botch job isn't so obvious .

 

[AngelUK]

No way would Sebastian sit in one of those little cars and trains! We have a salon like that too. He usually sits on my lap facing me while they cut his hair. First time we took him he was just over a year old and he cried throughout. Second time was better and from then on no more problems as they had the tv on with peppa pig which he doesn't know but he by then liked watching tv and that helped a lot. But he still won't sit in one of the little cars or trucks. Maybe try and see how he does while sitting on your lap too?

Eta: Dominic has not had a haircut yet as it is so tightly curly, he doesn't need one.

 

[Kay_Baby]

With DS1 I got my haircut at the same time. My hairdresser started with me and after watching mine be cut for a bit he was sat on the chair next to me and had his cut. He's great at having his haircut still now. My hairdresser books a slot half the length she would for other children his age as he knows stays still and will chat to her.

 

[sheebee]

Totally agree that you don't need to worry about him getting used to it yet. He's still small, as he develops emotionally he'll find it easier to understand.

Speaking as a hairdresser I find the most effective method is distraction on TV whilst sitting on mums lap. I'm a mobile hairdresser and I do lots of kiddos hair in their own home which helps massively as they're already familiar with the surroundings. Might be worth getting a mobile hairdresser next time? Less pressure on you and your lo!

 

[jd83]

DS1 has always been really good with hair cuts, never cared in the slightest. DS2 acts like you are trying to cut his head off, not just his hair. He screams like a banshee. It's awful. But it needs done, because his hair gets really awful looking. I tend to wait until I can't stand it anymore because its so awful every time. We just took him Sunday, and its also now the worst hair cut he ever had too, because he was shaking his head back and forth in anger, so his hair is really uneven. Not that I blame the hairdresser; she did what she could with such a difficult situation. Sorry, no advice, but you aren't alone!

 

[Kate&Lucas]

It hasn't got better for Lucas yet. He screams the place down and demands they put his hair back on his head (he loves his hair though it's his 'thing').
I've taken to sitting him infront of the TV with a few sweets while I trim it myself.

 

[SmileyKez]

My LO hated it too, and he's got wild curly hair so it needs to be done, I've started using oh's clippers at home to trim it and after a few attempts he doesn't mind it so much now, esp if he sits on ohs knee!

 

[Palestrina]

We cut LO's hair at home with clippers until he was 2.5yrs. Then we took him to a regular barber, I didn't take him to a kids' place because I didn't want him to be distracted by toys etc. He was fine with it and really enjoys it.

As for the nails, just have patience. It wasn't until a couple of months ago that my LO would allow me to cut his nails. About 6 months ago I started bribing him with stickers, one for each hand and foot. It didn't work at first, but then when he started to understand it did. He loves grooming now, hair, nails, ear cleaning, blow drying, combing, getting slathered with lotion, you name it.

 

[ruby09]

My lo HATES having his hair cut. I'm terrified to take him to the barber shop bc I know he will scream, so I've been doing it myself. It takes 2 of us about an hour, and we have to sit him on his tricycle while one person plays winnie the pooh on the ipad and feeds him cookies. Most of the time, it takes several days of this to do a full hair cut. It's really a terrible experience.

 

[d_b]

I'm not brave enough to attempt a haircut in public! I cut DS1's hair while he watches TV and I bribe him with chocolate. Fingernail cutting is the same and toenails is a two-man job for sure, and rarely gets done due to the freak out