My toddler son has had many firsts this year. His first tip-toeing steps, first toothy smile, and the all-important, first bite of ice cream. Of all the firsts, the only one I dreaded was the first haircut. I wasn’t sure which one of us would cry first: me, watching his baby curls get snipped or him fending off the whirring and buzzing of the clippers. When hair started to grow directly into his eyes, and my husband bought him a Guns & Roses t-shirt to “complete his look”, I knew it was time to tackle the first haircut. Our first cut, wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I cried, he didn’t.
After several more trips, I compiled my top 5 tips for surviving the dreaded first haircut
1. Do go on a weekday. School-aged kids have limited afternoon or weekend time to squeeze in a cut. You want the stylist to spend time easing your toddler into his first cut vs. rushing to the next family waiting.
2. Do skip the barber. If you want to keep some of those locks intact, I’d skip the barber; Barbers use clippers (sound can be scary) and in my experience, tend to take more hair off. See our second cut toddler hairstyle here.
3. Do pull out all the entertainment stops. The first cut is a perfect time for the IPAD or phone or whatever distraction method works best. It’s new, it’s loud, and it tickles. Do what you can to avoid the tantrum.
4. Do allow for product. After the cut, we recommend using T is for Tame to calm and soften locks into place. You’ll want to make sure to capture a mommy and me first haircut selfie!
My favorite go-to products for styling my son's hair are T is for Tame. Check out their full line of hair taming products. They are natural, and work perfectly to allow you to style hair without it feeling sticky or stiff.
I hope these tips save you some time and tears!