PARENTS
1st Haircut Do’s and Don’ts
• Read the story I Was Brave For My First Haircut and play the matching game with your child to familiarize him or her with the idea of getting a haircut.
• Children should have their first haircut before age two, generally when they’re between 12 and 18 months old. Kids tend to be more open to new experiences and less frightened of them when they’re under two years old.
• Schedule your child’s haircut at a time of day when he or she usually has playtime. Don’t plan a haircut right before or after naptime or near bedtime, when your child is likely to be tired and irritable.
• Bring your child to the barbershop or hair salon before their first haircut to watch a parent or sibling get a haircut. This gives them a chance to get familiar with the place and the idea of getting a haircut so they’ll feel more comfortable when it’s their turn.
• Comb your child’s hair thoroughly to untangle knots before his or her haircut. Removing knots can be painful, which makes it harder for a barber or stylist to gain your child’s trust.
• Don’t ask your child questions that are likely to trigger a negative response. For example, don’t say, “Do you want a haircut?” or “Does it hurt?”
The parent or guardian should put the jacket on the child and secure them into the seat, it's better to have someone familiar do it instead of the stylist who is still a stranger.
• Let the barber or hair stylist offer your child a lollipop during or after his or her first haircut to make the experience more enjoyable. Although at Imagination Booster we don’t encourage small children to consume high-fructose corn syrup, a lollipop can be an effective way to pacify a child. The less often the child gets the treat, the more special it will seem during the haircut.
