DO IT YOURSELF TODDLER HAIRCUTS

Written by Caroline Meyer

You’ve basically been washing and brushing your little one’s hair for some time and besides putting it in a ponytail or braid, you haven’t done much more than that. You aren’t a hairdresser and may not have any idea of the latest hairstyles, but that doesn’t mean you can’t trim or cut your toddlers hair at home. 

Besides saving you money, a haircut may be a little traumatic the first time. Cutting at home means that your toddler is in a comfortable environment with people that she trusts. Make sure you have a sharp haircutting scissors and get ready for the first cut of many. 

Start off by making sure you have a chair that is high enough for you to comfortably handle cutting your toddlers hair. Get together a comb, towel and barber shears. A chair that can be moved easily will also help so you can position it in front of a mirror (or the TV as a distraction).  Put some newspaper under the chair to catch the cuttings. Place the towel around your little one’s shoulders and clip with a peg or hairclip to keep it in place.  One of your old shirts could also work to keep the hair off your toddler while you cut. Your little one will probably not want a shampoo before the cut so you will need something to dampen the hair before you start. You can either use a comb dipped in water to comb through the hair and make it damp or you can try a spritz bottle. Make sure that you let her spray it a few times herself so she can get used to the idea of the spray before you start spraying her head. 

Make sure you have a few clips so you can section the hair as you go as it is unlikely your toddler is going to sit perfectly still through the whole process. This way you can keep track and get one section done at a time. Don’t go overboard with the sections, just keep it manageable. Four sections will probably be adequate for most little ones. Your toddler will probably sit still for the first few minutes before they get bored with the process, so use the opportunity to cut the front section while they are calmer. Use one hand to gently hold your toddlers head so you have better control and trim the front from one side to the other. Cut from just outside the one eyebrow to the outside of the other if you are cutting a fringe. 

Hold each small division of hair between your fingers and cut in small snips. Run your hand down to where you want the hair length to end and then snip below your fingers.  All cut off less than you think you want to as you can always cut more off if you need to. Once it is snipped, you can’t glue it back on.  Cut each section and then check that they are even.  Trim off any pieces that are longer than the others until everything is neat and tidy.  For boys, you can slowly get them used to the idea of using an electric hair-clipper if you prefer a short, neat cut that doesn’t need to be trimmed or neatened up quite as often.  This may save you a lot of headaches for future trims as well. It’s also a lot quicker and simpler to use.  Praise your toddler about how well they have behaved and praise their new look.  Giving tons of positive reinforcement will mean that they will be more willing to co-operate the next time you need to cut.