Has your little one’s hair grown a little out of control? You may be considering taking them for their very first hair cut!

Understandably, many parents feel a little apprehensive at the prospect. It’s such a big milestone, we think, and one with so many factors to think about…

Will my child sit still long enough?
What if they get upset?
Are there any good ways to distract them?

Luckily for us, our online parenting community is always forthcoming with sound advice; we asked them for some insight, and they helped us out! We hope that this guide helps you to feel less nervous about baby’s first haircut.

Getting Your Child To Sit Still During The Haircut

This is one of the biggest sources of parental anxiety – we need our little one to be as still as possible to stop any potential mishaps! As we all know, small children rarely stay still for long, especially in a new environment.

Chantelle Lee told us:

“I took my little boy when he was 18 months, he was amazing he loved it, he sat on his daddy’s knee so he felt safe and secure. I kept getting told from people in my family ” he needs a hair cut it’s too long now” I told them I would do it in my own time when I was ready to and that’s what I stuck to.”

We’d also advise looking around for hairdressers who are experienced with and used to small children as they’ll have developed their own techniques for a problem-free haircut, even if your little one is a wriggler!

Helping To Keep Your Child Calm & Happy During The Haircut

It’s understandable that in such a new environment, your child could become overwhelmed and upset. No one wants to see their little one unhappy, and I’m sure the hairdresser will appreciate you calming them down to avoid any head thrashing or sudden movements that could hinder the haircut.

Nikita Charalambous told us:

“We took her to a specialist children’s hairdresser, and honestly it was a fab experience. They had chairs shaped like a plane and a car, and plenty of toys for them to play with, and would work around the children fidgeting.”

Lisa-Lou Johnson told us:

“I work in the salon so shes in there a lot so it helped that she knows everyone lol… and we bribed her with chocolate!”

Specialist hairdressers are one we’ve never considered – this sounds amazing! We’d also advise using distraction techniques to keep your child calm and content; we’ll take a look at some suggestions for this next!

Best Distraction Techniques To Use During a Haircut

Distraction techniques are incredibly effective in so many areas of parenting, I’m sure many of you will agree! Distraction could make that first trip to the hairdresser (and subsequent trips) so much less dramatic than anticipated.

Becky Burton told us:

“I took my iPad for him to watch cartoons on to distract him while he sat on my knee and he was given a sticker afterwards which he loved and after cuddles and lots of attention from the staff he finally slept.”

Bethany Collings told us:

“I found the best way to aid calmness is Youtube, or snacks.”

So that’s a solid YES to videos on your phone and tablet – screentime, whilst a hotly contested topic, certainly has its benefits. Don’t be afraid to resort to Peppa Pig!

To conclude…

The best tried and tested tips for making a hair cut more fun for a little one are;

Provide distractions such as toys, videos and snacks.
Consider having them sat on your knee for comfort and to keep them still.
Don’t be afraid to provide bribes!
Take them in before their actual hair cut to let them get used to the new noises, smells and people.

We hope that this has been helpful insight to all you new mummies & daddies!