Happy Haircuts
It is amazing how a haircut on a toddler can make a "baby" suddenly turn into a "big boy." I experienced this firsthand last week. My 20-month-old, Jack, has had a few haircuts here and there — short trims but nothing drastic. We tried to taking him to a salon once and it was not a pleasant experience, so the past few times, my husband has cut Jack's hair at home.Last Monday we decided it was time to cut it again. We've kept it fairly long for quite some time, but warmer weather is just around the corner and it was starting to get in his eyes, so we decided to go for a shorter cut this time. I was nervous, but ulitmately, I knew it was time!
So we put Jack in the bathtub (without water of course, makes for easier cleanup), brought in his favorite snacks and toys, and broke out the clippers. This plan worked well the last time we trimmed Jack's hair, but this time was a different story. He was not at all interested in cooperating. He cried, screamed, and wiggled through the whole experience (which made this mommy want to cry right along with him). One of his wiggles caused Jason to take a fairly big chunk out of the side of his hair. We finished up as best we could, but Jack was making it difficult. So we gave up. (As a side note: I thought Jack would be mad at us for at least a little while afterward, but he bounced back quickly as if nothing had ever happend ... much to my relief!)
The haircut looked passable ... but Jason and I weren't happy with it ... especially with the super-short patch on the side. So Tuesday, much to my protest, we tried it again. This time, we brought the laptop into the bathroom and popped in one of Jack's favorite DVDs. He sat still and cooperated without a single tear this time. It was like he was a different child. Jason was able to shorten everything up and blend in the sides without any trouble.
The result ... my baby is now a big boy with a big-boy haircut. I was in mourning for a few days, but I got over it and realize now that it adds to his super-cuteness!
I don't have any deep insight or thoughts to share based on this experience. I'm just curious ... What was your child's first haricut like? What tips or tricks do you have that you could share with other ParentLife readers? Do you cut your child's hair or do you take him to a salon? We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a comment or e-mail us at parentlife@lifeway.com.
Comments (1)
After at home snips were no longer working, our first official haircut for our son was at a church member's house that was also a stylist. It was a wonderful experience. Then, it was time for the second haircut and we had moved away, so we journeyed to a salon. It was horrific. If people were just listening, they would have thought we were torturing our child. It ended in an absolutely ugly hair cut and a bleeding professional who snipped her own finger. Gradually, our son has progressed into just a little bit of tears and snot at each cut. We've found a new church friend with a salon at her house. She gives us, and him, such a personal service.....not to mention some cartoons and a sucker......,so a haircut t is not as dreadful. He will turn 4 this year and it is still a struggle for most things hygienic; we are still waiting for him to grow out of it :O)
Posted on March 29, 2010 10:25 PM