Some of the reasons why parents would choose to cut their toddler’s hair are the reaction the child would create in the salon, some parents do it for financial reasons, and another reason would be the convenience. Choosing to cut your toddler’s hair can save you time and money.
Here is how you should prepare for this quest:
Table of Contents
1. Get all the required tools.
You are going to need the right comb and scissors. Good pair of scissors is crucial, and you don’t want to risk making a mistake with some bad scissors. Have the comb and scissors by your hands right before you begin.
What works the best, no surprise, are barber’s scissors. A booster seat is also a good thing to have, but we don’t expect everyone to have such a thing at home. And a comb with a pointed end will be helpful with sectioning the toddler’s hair.
Household scissors are not as sharp as barber’s scissors. Haircutting scissors can usually be found in beauty supply stores, in the local pharmacy, or you can get them online. In case you can’t find barber’s scissors, you can use multi-purpose scissors.
You are also going to need some magazines, newspapers, or towel to place under the chair, so that hair clipping doesn’t end up on your carpet or floor. Also, put a cape or a towel on the toddler so that the hair doesn’t stick to its clothes.
2. Find the perfect distracter
You should find a way to distract the toddler so that she or he won’t get wiggly. Pick a time for the haircut when the child is happy. Do not try to do this while the child is sleepy, sick, or tired. You could try giving him or her a snack or a lollipop to keep it distracted while you the cutting.
Another way to distract the child is to place the chair in front of the TV or a computer. This way, their focus will be on what’s going on the screen, and you can do the cutting without the destructions.
3. Keep a positive mindset
Keep a positive attitude throughout the whole process and talk to your child in a calming manner with a smile on your face. You need to do your best to make this whole experience a positive one so that the child won’t get frustrated and won’t get traumatized for any future haircuts. Still, prepare yourself that there is a chance your kid will get fussy at some point.
4. Spraybottle will be handy
Before you start cutting the hair, you need to wet it first. The best way is to have a spray bottle filled with water, which you can spray on the toddle’s hair before you start cutting. If your child has tangles in the hair, you can use a detangler. If you don’t wet the hair evenly, there is a big chance the cut the hair unevenly. Water bottles are fairly cheap, and you can get them in the department stores.
It would be best to use a wide-tooth comb, which you should wet down and run through your child’s hair before you start the cutting. This is a good alternative when you don’t have a spray bottle. Do not get the hair too wet, try to lightly mist it.
5. Now let’s do some actual cutting.
First clip sections in the back of the head. Also, do the cutting in smaller sections. This way, you will avoid making bigger mistakes, especially if your toddler starts getting fussy. Fasten the hair you are not cutting with a clip, and separate small pieces of the hair little by little. The main goal is to focus on one section at a time, and after you are done with that one, you can move on to the next section.
Separating the hair in the section makes the haircutting easier. It will be difficult to cut all the hair equally, but that is not really important. Just make sure that they are approximately the same length.
You will need to pick the right angle while you cut the hair. This is one of the most important things in the whole hair cutting process.
When you cut the hair, do it at a 45-degree angle. Angle the cuts towards the child’s neck as you go on. If you don’t cut the hair with way, you end up making the hair too blunt. Get a small section of the hair and hold it at a 45-degree angle. Keep the line straight with the help of your fingers.
By leaving the hair longer on the top of the head, you will avoid your child getting cowlicks. Also, the heaviness on the hair will prevent it from standing straight up.
Start cutting from the front. You should go like this mainly because the front is what people see first when they meet someone, and also your child will be the calmest at the start. He or she will likely get fussier as you proceed.
Firstly, cut the bangs. Do the cutting from the outside of one eyebrow to the other one. Place the bangs between your finger and pull them straight down and proceed by cutting them at the 45-degree angle.
6. Have someone around
Having someone around to help you would be very useful. The help can hold the child gently so that it won’t make any unwanted moves that can result in hurting them. Also, make sure that your scissors are not pointed towards your child’s eyes or skin. Sudden movement can happen, so be ready and careful.
The area around the eyes and the area around the ears is where you should be the most careful.
7. Take all the time you need
Do not rush the process; do the cutting slowly. The important thing with children is to be gentle but also to be firm. Snip piece by piece slowly and hold the pieces vertically.
This method will give you easier control over the whole process, especially in the case of a toddler’s sudden movement. With the piece of hair between your finger, make sure you are not cutting the hair parallel to the fingers, instead of do it at a 45-degree angle, as we mentioned above. This way, the hair will blend better, and if you cut it parallel to the finger, the hair will look blunt.
Determine how much hair you want to cut with the first section of the hair. As you move on, take a small part of the previous section to guide you on how much to cut from the next one.
Do the cutting below your fingers, and remember you can always cut more, but you cannot uncut what you have cut.
Tips you should remember:
Having a family member or a friend to watch your child while you do the hair cutting is a good idea as you don’t know how the child will react, and you might need little help.
Practice regular trims. This way, your child will get used to the whole hair cutting process, and also, the whole session will be shorter this way.
The chances are your child will be at his best behavior at the beginning of this adventure. Therefore start from the front.
Needless to say, that scissors, especially barber’s scissors, are very sharp; therefore, be extra careful when you cut near the eyes and around the ears. Little kids tend to make sudden and unexpected moves, so you must have fast reflexes and act quickly to move the scissor further from the head.
Good luck!
