Babies first haircut

Sooner or later you will need to get your child's first haircut. The
choice is up to you as to when you decide to cut those lovely locks off,
there is no specific age. I have written a few helpful tips that I
found worked when I got my child's first haircut.

- Take your child into the hairdressers with you when you get your
haircut and do this a few times before your child gets their haircut,
you want them to get used to the noise and the salon.

- Plan the haircut, work out what part of the day your child is most
happy and relaxed, early morning or after your child has had a sleep
or eaten.

- Role play - kids love to mimic what we do, pretend to play
hairdressers with your child. Set up a pretend salon, use a water
spray bottle if you have one, wrap a towel over the shoulders,
pretend to cut your or your child's hair or your child's dolly with your
fingers.

- Choose a hair dressers that you know and if you don't, well choose
a child friendly one - hairdressers that have been trained to cut children's hair.

- When your child is getting their haircut, stand back still in view
of your child so the hairdresser can work. If this is not working,
entertain and distract your child by talking to them or give your
child one of their favorite toys. You may even have to sit in the
seat with your child on your lap.

- Our hairdressers use a toddler booster seat on the barber seat and
usually have a Wiggles or Thomas cape for the child to use. Very handy
if the hairdresser wants your child to tilt their head they can simply
draw attention to a place in the cape and the child will look.

- If you have other children, get their haircut done as well. This
will encourage the youngest one to have their haircut to keep up with
their older brother or sister.

- If you want to capture this special occasion as a memento and you
are going to use a video camera or take photos, make sure you're not in the way of the hairdresser and your child is calm and enjoying the
haircut. Bring along a friend to take the video of the before and after shot. Also keep a little hair sample for the scrapbooks.