If you have children, you have probably come home from your local barber with tears and a desperate need for a nap. For toddlers, haircuts can be memorable, or they can be traumatic. Having a barber who knows how trim kids’ hair the right way can make the situation less stressful for both the child and the parent. At Hinsdale Barber Shop we go out of way to take the anxiety out of toddlers’ haircuts.

It makes sense that many toddlers have a negative experience when they go in for a haircut. They are in a place they are unaccustomed to, they have to sit still, and a stranger is touching their hair and coming close to them with scissors. All of these things can cause stress to little ones.

We go out of our way to make kids’ haircuts fun and exciting instead of scary. Our barbers actually like being around children, and they know how to make them feel comfortable and at ease. 

Most toddlers are wiggly by nature. Having a distraction in place helps ensure the child remains safe during the haircut, while also minimizing stress. We give kids lollipops to suck on to help distractions. Television and tablets also make great distractions. They won’t worry as much about the haircut if their mind is elsewhere. 

It also helps to talk to them. We provide them with encouragement and positive feedback. We want to involve them in the process and show them that haircuts can be fun. We might even sing a song with them to make the experience more memorable, as many toddlers respond favorably to music. Music can also help relax them.

We cut hair section by section. Even with toddlers who have short hair, cutting in sections makes trimming their hair easier, especially when dealing with squirmier tykes. We use clips to fasten back the hair we’re not cutting, so we can focus on one area at a time. One of the most important aspects of properly trimming a kid’s hair is to cut at an angle. We typically cut at a 45-degree angle. We start with the front because it is usually the hardest section to cut, and then work our way back. Toddlers become more restless  the longer they have to stay still, so it helps to get the hard part out of the way. We also trim around the ears early on for safety.

We snip slowly. The key is to be tender and very careful. We never want to cut them or get hair in their eyes, because then the experience will truly be traumatizing, and they will never want to come back.

Haircuts can be scary for little ones but they’re also important milestones you want to remember fondly. At Hinsdale Barber Shop, we want toddlers to have such a fun experience that they look forward to their next haircut.