Toddler haircuts...how?

[belindarose]

DD is 2.6. She needs a haircut. However, she is 2.6. She doesn't agree she needs a haircut. We have read books about haircuts, watched 'Same Smile' on repeat with haircuts in, played dolly hairdressers, seen me have my haircut. She thinks this is all great. But she still does not want a haircut.

Now, we use gentle persuasion, playful techniques, picking our battles and are not averse to stronger insistence on the necessaries (like teeth brushing and car seats). However, brute force and scissors don't seem like a good mix.

Any ideas gratefully received. And yes, we could put it off another year, but she really does need it cutting now!

Stick it all in a tight topknot on the top of her head, sit her in front of Beebies, grab your hairdressing scissors and snip! Takes about 10 seconds. Best to mug up online first though to position the topknot carefully- when it works right you get a fringe and layers all in one snip. She may not even notice you doing it.

Alternatively there's bribery. Packet of jelly tots?

I gave up and we go to a specialist kids hairdresser. Costs a bit but it's bloody marvellous. Good luck!

I put DD in her high chair in front of the telly and give her chocolate :-). The novelty of her chair being in a different place and chocolate keeps her still enough for me to get it done. I have to be quick though as as soon as the choccy is gone she gets the fidgets :-)

chocolate buttons.

Oh you all make it sound so easy! We'll make a plan this weekend and p something. My mum's coming next weekend so maybe she can do it!

We took DD to our local hairdresser across the road. It helped HUGELY that DD knew the hairdresser as she had been in there several times watching CM's DD have her haircut. DD has VERY curly hair and washing/combing it is a weekly trauma but she was good as gold for the hairdresser.

The 2nd time she went we washed her hair there (first time I washed it at home) and that was a small trauma but I held her hand and all was fine.

They charged £8 which I was happy to pay :) There are fancy kids only places not far from us but I can't see that they would do a better job and would be at least 3 times the price (Kensington).

OK twice the price - its £15 at Trotters

Take her to the hairdressers. I do that with my DDs and they love it being like a grown up. In fact they keep still better than I do! Plus if I'm honest I can tell the kids a mile off at preschool whose parents have cut the child's hair themselves.

Take her to he hairdressers. My DD1 2.5 was so fascinated first time they managed to her her hair into a lush bob in about 5 mins as she was still and staring at everything

Stick one of their favourite dvds on and cut it while they're watching the dvd - if anything like my toddler, they wont even notice!

Ds1 - bribery with lollies/sweets

Ds2 - we had to wait till he was asleep in the buggy. Cut one side and half the back. adjust his position without waking him! and do the other side/back. The fuss he made otherwise would have anyone thinking we were going to chop his head off not just his hair.

Now they are older they do it with the hair trimmer/shaver thing when dh does his cos they like being like daddy. :o

DD (2.4) is coming with me in a few weeks to have her hair done, I'm hoping that doing it with me at the same time will make it a less painful experiance, I have trimmed her fringe a few times at home, but DP is adament that she needs a proper cut.

I've never taken her to the hair dresser with me before (as I've not been myself for almost a year [shame])

I'm really hoping the bigging it up the night before will get her excited and a bit of bribery will help her sit through it.

DD was terrified of hair-dryer noise and hand-dryer noise, and this was very evident when she accompanied me for my first post-having-her haircut. All was well then screamed the place down when a hair dryer started up, so I had to just run out with wet hair , throwing the cash behind me back onto the counter to pay. Not the nice relaxing treat/time I had hoped for.

But I was then recommended a local mobile hairdresser who was brilliant so little one could watch me having mine done, and we could have cbeebies on and snacks and then I could help distract her when she had hers done. Has worked well so far and now DD is no longer afraid of hairdryers, so that isn't an issue. Also after a hair wash night, we play "hair-dressing salon" and I mimic things like "where have you been on holiday?" and "do you like your newly styled hair madam" etc and sometimes it is sing-along night and we sing songs into hairbrushes and blusher brushes, whilst I dry her hair.

Bribery, speed and dry hair.
I have a lovely girl who comes to my house and cuts all of our hair. She is quick, cuts hair dry so no fussing with dryers and DD gets a lolly at the end of it. She is moderately co-operative.

I would recommend wetting hair using a spray bottle, my DS goes nuts is he gets tickly bits of hair on his face, wet hair is totally acceptable!

I take him to my hairdressers and he sits on my knee good as gold. If I try to take him somewhere cheaper else he screams the place down. He's a hairy toddler too, to we have to go at least every 6 weeks!

DH took DS to a specialist hairdresser last week. Costs the same as the local barber's (barber gave up after 2 mins and still charged £10). A bag of chocolate buttons helped too.

Also, I find the less said the better before attempting things like this. If we make too big a deal of something it puts DS off altogether.

DP sits in the bath with DS and snips away while DS is busy with his bath toys.

DS goes to my hairdresser and loves the fact that everyone makes a fuss of him.

Chocolates are always good, and the iPad is a godsend - he watches Fireman Sam and it's over before the end of the episode!

iPhone!

Ds hated having his hair cut until I put on mickey mouse on my phone now he sits still just long enough to have it done!

He will still only let one hairdresser do it though!