Taking your tot to the salon? 5 tips to preempt a first haircut meltdown
by Nicole Fonovich, co-creator
of the "Luca Lashes" app / eBook series
Will your toddler get
hysterical at the hair salon? There are plenty of reasons kids fear the
haircuts: sharp scissors, the buzzing of the clipper, the huge cape, and that
big metal chair, for starters. So many new sights and sounds at once, and baby's
first haircut can quickly turn south.
Getting a haircut shouldn't
be a scary "first"—it should be fun! These five pointers will help you avoid a
salon meltdown, so your little one can enjoy him/herself —and the new "do" too!
1. Find a salon that caters
to children.
Hair salons can be
intimidating places for children. Thankfully, the hairstyle industry has grown
with the times and helped parents by designing kid-friendly, family salons.
Children can sit in fun seats with special designs, even in racecar-style
chairs. Waiting rooms at family salons usually have children’s toys and books or
even a children’s movie playing. Finding a family salon, rather than relying on
your own personal hairstylist, will make your life easier when it comes time for
the first cut.
2. Be prepared.
Going to a salon a day early,
and just walking around with your child can be a great experience to help
prepare for the first haircut. This way, your child gets a chance to see what
the salon looks like, what tools are being used, and what the person who will
cut their hair looks and acts like. Going along ahead of time with family
friends or relatives on their positive hair cut experience can also really help!
There is nothing like seeing other kids they look up to having fun!
3. There’s an app for
that!
Take an extra step in
prepping for the first cut—enlist the help of an app, like Luca Lashes and his First
Haircut. In this app/eBook, kids join
Luca and his mom as they learn about the hair salon, meet the stylist, and see
all the tools used in getting a haircut. Let your child interact with each
illustration to become familiar with the sights and sounds they soon will
see!
4. Time it
right.
All parents can sense their
child is crabby. Whether anxious, overtired, or hungry, there are specific times
of the day that can be the best times to have a new experience. Haircuts are
events that can be planned with appointments; just be careful to plan the times
appropriately so your child is, hopefully, on their best behavior.
5. Make new
memories.
First haircuts are a major
life event for both parents and children. Make sure to have a digital camera or
smartphone ready to snap "before" and
"after" pictures, so you can show your child how awesome the new haircut looks
right away. Kids love seeing themselves on camera! Remember to keep that first
lock of hair for your “memories” book.
As with all of your child's
"firsts," ask them how they feel about the new experience both before and after.
These moments are great times to soothe your child and share the feelings and
excitement that all childhood discoveries bring.
Remember to have as much fun
as you can and revel in these moments together, before you know it, they grow
up.
Nicole & Damir Fonovich are co-creators of "Luca Lashes," an eBook and
app series that turns “fear of firsts” into fun. The series is aimed at kids ages 0–4 and is available in English, French, Italian,
Spanish, and soon, Chinese. The first
app, Luca Lashes: The Brown Eyed Boy
with the Magic Eyelashes, is free on iTunes, and the other apps can be
downloaded for $1.99 at all major marketplaces and at www.LucaLashes.com.
Nicole and Damir both have backgrounds in teaching,
writing and publishing. Together, they have 17 years of experience in the
education field, in both teaching and administration. They have a 3-year-old son
and live Chicago
