Can someone explain boy haircut options to me please?

[BettyButterknife]

DS is coming up to 3yo and has very thick straight hair that, until now, has been cut in more or less a basin.

Yesterday he got quite hot and bothered that I'm thinking of getting his hair cut shorter than normal. But I have no idea what to ask the hairdresser for! Can anyone shed any light on this mystery world for me please? (Pg with DS2 so I'll have to get up to speed soon I suppose )

'Short back and sides please.' This is what you need to say.

I do DS's and DH's with a clipper with a length comb on - 13 mm for us. Tis a doddle and looks just the same as when DH goes to the barbers because he has the same clipper!

Yup, short back and sides. It does grow into very lovely layers though if you leave it for long enough (yes, my son really needs a haircut)

I can't help you with styles but we go to a hairdressers that specilises in childrens haircuts so last time DS had a "short enough so we don't need a cut too soon but not too short so he looks like a thug" and she did a great job of short on the sides and back and then a big longer on top and front. She used clippers on the short bits and then cut the top with scissors so it didn't take too long and only took half a packet of smarties!!!

DS has used the Number 4 clippers on back and sides ('short back and sides') and asked for it 'a bit longer on top' for the last 13 years.

If you are like me and don't want to go down the clippered route of "short back and sides" just ask for it to be cut the same length all over, say 2 inches or 3 inches, to get rid of the pudding bowl look without resortig to clippers. They will still be able to cut the back and sides shorter if you want that, but with scissors, rather than clippers.

I do DS's hair myslef, alwys have done, much easier than explainging what I want to a barber!

We've recently started using a hairdresser I met at our toddler group. She has a wee one of her own and comes to the house, uses clippers first to take the length off and then trims it with scissors. First time DS has had a haircut that hasn't resulted in floods of tears, and she makes a reasonable job of my hair too. What's more she doesn't charge for doing DS if she's doing mine at the same time

I digress. Yes, get them to use clippers (with a comb) all over first, it leaves it short but not too convict-like