I hit a milestone as a mom last week. I survived made it through my first baby haircut.
After going through this experience, I wanted to make a list of helpful tips to survive baby’s first haircut for those about to make the journey I just made.
In the 4.5 years I’ve been a mother of two, I’ve never had to cut my children’s hair.
My daughter has beautiful hair. In fear of somehow ruining it, I’ve never had it cut.
My son’s hair is a different story. Over the past year his hair has been getting a LOT longer.
One day, The Hubby pulled me aside and said “I’m sorry to say this honey but…he’s got a mullet.”
He was right.
I’d say this picture proves The Hubby’s point.
A mullet is when a person’s hair is short in the front (business) and long in the back (party).
Both The Hubby and I LOVE his curls. We probably would’ve kept them if his hair was longer in the front. Because of the mismatch, we decided the beloved curls had to go.
{Insert sad face and tear going down my cheek}
We decided the time had finally come and my son was going to get his first haircut.
Here’s a helpful list of how a parent can prepare for baby’s first haircut. These tips will help if you’re planning on cutting the hair yourself or bringing baby to a professional.
1) Before you do anything, take some good “before” pictures. Believe me, you’ll want to capture what baby’s hair used to look like because you might miss it when it’s gone. Another benefit to having before pictures is it really points out the difference a haircut can make.
2) You might want to think about having someone there for moral support. This can be an emotional time. My good friend Megan helped me slowly go through the process as she taught me how to cut his hair. She and I both have sons about the same age so she was an awesome support for me.
3) Give the baby something to capture his/her attention during the haircut like their favorite video, book, or toy. Have several different options available in case one doesn’t work.
4) Bring along something to keep their hands busy. As baby’s hair is getting cut, it will be really tempting for the baby to put his/her hands on their head since this is a new experience. If baby’s hands are busy then they won’t get in the way. Food always keeps my kids busy so we went with that.
5) Prepare for the emotional part ahead of time. As my trusted friend made the first cut, I felt my heart break a little. You may want to scream “stop!” That’s normal. Don’t back down from your choice. I’m glad I didn’t.
6) If you choose to do the haircut at home, find a chair that will somewhat contain the baby but still give you access to baby’s hair.
This is the scenario we used:
We put a blanket on the floor, a small booster seat down that gave us good access to his hair, sat him in front of the TV with his favorite show on, and gave him some snacks.
7) Expect that you might not like the first haircut. Usually babies end up looking much older after the first haircut. The more time goes by, the more thankful I am that we cut the curls.
What was your experience like the first time your child’s hair was cut?
This post linked to Moonlight and Mason Jars, Serenity Now, Link Party Palooza, Give Me The Goods Monday, Whimsy Wednesday, and Inspire Me Please.
Awww…that first haircut is bittersweet! Both of my boys had the mullet look going by their first birthday so we had to cut off those curls, ready or not. What’s funny is that my daughter just turned one, and as much as we’re ready for her hair to get longer, she’s the only one who hasn’t yet needed a haircut by this age! Your son is just precious before and after his haircut! I agree that the first haircut always makes them look instantly older…but just as cute. 🙂
Aww thanks Samantha! Isn’t it funny now that you’re ready to get it cut, your daughter hasn’t quite gotten there yet! Go figure! I guess that’s the way it works–when we’re prepared we get thrown a curve ball!
What great tips! I’ve got a 2 month-old son with no sign of haircuts in his very near future, but will definitely be keeping this in mind when the time comes. My little girl has never had her hair cut either but strangely enough, we took her to a friend’s house today so she could watch her while we were busy. Said friend is a hairdresser and apparently told my husband that it looks like someone has cut my little girl’s hair before. I’m still working on my list of suspects 😉
Well at least the haircut was good enough you didn’t really notice! I hope this is helpful for you when the time comes!
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Awww baby’s first haircut! I love the mullet “before” pic. 🙂
What a cutie! First haircuts are always hard. And with my middle child, it is still hard. Its about time to cut Ben’s hair, and I will have to remember some of your great tips here!
I’m sure sometime soon haircuts will get easier for the both of us!
Cute! We totally do the same thing – travel seat, tv, and snacks – a winning combo!
It’s a great winning combo, isn’t it? Thanks for stopping by, Brit!
He is so handsome with his new haircut. He will always be your baby, even without the cute curls.
Very true….he will always be my baby!
Thank you for these tips! My husband recently asked me when we are going to cut our son’s hair and I got really defensive. I don’t think we need to yet, but I will for sure be needing these tips when we do!
I’m sure the mommas are the last ones ready to cut a baby’s hair! I can safely say my son is just as cute–even without his baby curls! Good luck and I’m glad this was helpful for you, Chelsea!