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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

My friends son freaks when he goes for a haircut

21 replies

casmumof3 · 15/03/2007 18:36

Wondering if you can help,my freinds 2.7 yr
ds cannot bear to have his haircut.

At first he just got angry but this time he got himself into a terrible state and was very distressed.

Any ideas please?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

paulaplumpbottom · 15/03/2007 18:37

Are there any kids salon's about?

You could also try letting your DH take him to his barbers.

Sassafrass · 15/03/2007 19:06

I have a hairdresser come to our house. That way I can stick my two year old in front of a telly with an icelolly. Works really well and is cheap.

ivelostmyboobsboohoo · 15/03/2007 19:22

does he have any special needs that you know of? my ds2 has high functioning autism and he cant bear it either- hypersensitivity to touch and its actually painful for him. not suggesting that is why just saying.

perhaps hes just exerting himself, or scared of the scissors or doesnt like the sight of his hair coming off or the smell or some other weird 2 yr old reason.

the only thing that works for us is sticking to same hairdressers, and talking about it incessantly before hand. oh, that and bribery of course and some buttons to eat when he's in the chair

HTH

PeachyClair · 15/03/2007 19:30

MM, a fear of haircuts is common with SN, but in kids generallya s well I think

Here there are (in Newport anyway) special hairdressersffor kids, they even have an SN specialist (ASD)

Have a look see in yellow pages for anything similar?

EllieK · 15/03/2007 19:34

my ds does the same, discovered he's scared of the clippers, his dad used to do it with some t home no problem, then suddenly ds starts to scream and cry when it's suggested. i think his dad has caght him with them. managed to keep him calm enough to take him to barbers and request that they only use scissors, and went when quiet so not many clippers being used around him.

he's not sn, just has a dozy father

EllieK · 15/03/2007 19:35

it worked, not great cos he was still nervy but if you can find out why he's scared it's easier to find a way round.

picklesandmac · 15/03/2007 19:39

Hi.

My DS1 (3.0) used to hate having his hair cut, to the point where he would scream hysterically and choke and heave on all the hair he was inhaling.

I gave up with hairdressers and did it myself (very badly). But did it as a game, to begin with not actually cutting, just combing, then gradually cut off bits here and there and suggested he tried to catch them etc. Anyway to cut a long story short, he went to the hairdressers today for the first time since tantrum days. He sat on my lap, as calm as you like and now has a fab haircut!! Made out what a big grown up boy he is and voila!!

Hope this helps!

ivelostmyboobsboohoo · 15/03/2007 19:47

we have a special kids only hairdessers and the hairdressers are `imo sooooooo rude to the kids. my son has been banned for kicking up a fuss (they insisted on keeping trying and after 45 mins they gave up. one of them said to my friends dd (who was 3 at the time) in a sneery nasty voice ' just because your gorgeous sweethaeart you dont have to keep gazing at yourself in the mirror'. how evil is that? needless to say neither of us have been back ( not that i'm allowed anyway!. why open a kids hairdressers when you clearly hate kids?!!!!!!
sorry for that. anyway good luck!

suzycreamcheese · 15/03/2007 19:54

i only do it twice a year as ds (2.11) cries and cries and screams...when its in his eyes its the time!
found good barbers near my folks and big ronnie (barber) says it very very common...and still claims ds is not the worst...

i sit on chair with him, and he snips quickly, deftly, and there is treat at the end...
then through all the tears he says thanks!

i also get it with shoes! i wonder if it is stranger touching them maybe..?

good luck tis nightmare!

KTeePee · 15/03/2007 19:59

Ds1 was like this too - so I just stopped going for a year or so, trimmed bits in the bath myself when I could. I kept taking him along when dd was having hers cut and eventually he allowed the hairdresser to do his too. Long hair on boys is fashionable now anyway!

Mercy · 15/03/2007 20:01

ds always sits on dh's lap when he has his hair cut - plus we go for a family hair cut so he can see that we are all having it done.

He has very thick hair and had to have his first professional cut done at about 10 months or so - he's now just 3.

He still cries and whinges but he's now old enough to realise there is a shop next door which sells chocolate! We usually go the park afterwards too and tell him that choc and park will happen after haircut.

Mercy · 15/03/2007 20:02

suzycreamcheese - just saw your post. ds has always been terrible with shoes too!

NoNickname · 15/03/2007 20:03

Ds is 3.4 and has been like this over haircuts for forever. I can't stand his hair long, so cut it quite regularly - about once every 4-6 weeks usually. I used to do it with clippers, but he has recently said he hates the noise, so now I cut it with scissors. It helps if he can sit on dh's lap, and if there are choc buttons at the end. There are still tears and it takes an age as he tries to duck away from every cut, but he is actually gradually getting better with it each time... with lots of encouragement, praise and the aforementioned choccy bribes!

(Suzy - we also get this with shoes too! And always have had. Can't get him near a shoe shop without tears, tantrums and hysterics.)

Tutter · 15/03/2007 20:04

agree - someone coming to the house far less stressful

Mercy · 15/03/2007 20:05

Nonickname - I sense a theme!

Love your (not) name btw

KTeePee · 15/03/2007 20:11

oh yes my boys hated getting new shoes at this stage too - whereas if I took dd to get her feet checked and she didn't need new ones she used to make a fuss!

Original poster

casmumof3 · 15/03/2007 21:17

Thankyou for your replies, my friend will be eternally grateful.
Its always good to know that other children
do the same things.
Hopefully she might join mn after seeing how helpful you can be

thankyou

OP posts:

suzycreamcheese · 16/03/2007 19:48

oh guys, shoes...he has only one pair per season and i have to rotate the shops we go to so not to get 'banned'...

do you get it with clothes too? or am i the only one on for a hatrick, hair shoes and clothes..

his pj's are so tiny just now its a laugh but drawer full of stuff that does fit..crikey gimme strength..

slowreader · 16/03/2007 20:41

Shoes, hair, dentist check ups, doc taking temp, it's strangers touching their bodies, isn't it?

rowan1971 · 16/03/2007 20:46

My son (4) goes utterly ballistic at hairdressers (tho lets me do it) and doctors. Haven't dared take him to the dentist yet. He had to have a general anaesthetic a while back and wouldn't let them so much as take his pulse. They had do blow some sort of sedative gas into his face in the end . I think he just hates people invading his space, or being forced to do things he doesn't want to do. Can't blame him, as I'm pretty sure he's learned it from me...

suzycreamcheese · 16/03/2007 21:45

slowreader..am sure it is the stranger element..

i'd forgotten about doctor, we have one now that he likes (knows where the toys are) but on one occasion - me at docs, not him- he screamed until normally poe faced doctor and i started laughing...it was surreal...thank the lord he is normally healthy...

clothes..anyone get it with new clothes??
have had new clothes til they dont fit and yeh, he did choose (some) them too...

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