My Son Is Scared of Haircuts!

My son was exactly the same he is now 4 and just recently I found a barber with a silent buzzer he still cried but was not out of control like a crazy child. Normally, it takes two of us to hold him. After the haircut we took him for ice cream which he loves and that made it easier after years of out of control tantrums. You couldn't even mention a haircut and he would freak out. I had taken him to several different haircutters. Find one with a silent buzzer, first take him in a store and show him a toy or ice cream and then tell him, after the haircut. Good luck.

Hi C.,

As a former hairdresser I can tell you this is not uncommon. I can also say most barbers will have less patience then a hairdresser would. I do have a few suggestions not a guarantee. Have you tried taking him when you get your haircut and have him observe you or daddy getting a haircut without trying to cut his. Maybe if you or daddy take him for your haircut and let him see that there is nothing to be afraid of then it will ease his fears. When children have fears at that age it is really difficult to reason with them, but sometimes if they have a visual it can help. If he sees nothing bad happens then maybe it can calm him. While you or your hubby are getting your haircut have him watch from a distance and keep reassuring him that you and daddy are okay. I wouldn't try to cut his at the same time take him a few times and let him get used to the idea. Second suggestion is buy a buzzer yourself. If you put the safety clip on a #3 and just buzz yourself or have your husband do it he can move all he wants and you can't hurt him or mess it up. He may scream but at least he is with you, and you can't cut him. He will have a short haircut but until he becomes confident you will not have to cut it as often and you really can't mess it up. The safety will act as a guide to create an even haircut. Good luck but just so you know this really is not uncommon.

I have twin boys - 27 months old and one is the same way. NOTHING settles him down. His brother - no problem. I take him to Fun Kutz and they are great with him. There are always boys around his age screaming as well. It is very common. There is nothing I can do - new toys, lollipops, balloons. It doesn't matter. So he sits on my lap and screams and kicks and then when it is done he gets his lollipop and goes off to the toys and plays as if nothing happenned. I don't even stress it any more. It is what it is and I know he is not being harmed. He'll outgrow it eventually!!!

I clipper cut both my boys and husband at home and on and off have problems with the boys. My little guy (17 months now) gets distracted and wants to turn around and look at the clippers. I make an event of it and spread towels on the living room floor, wear yucky clothes since the hair will get everywhere, take their shirts off, put a cartoon on, and tell them that we are sitting there to get our hair cut. If one gets too distracted or upset, I do them in stages (so if we had an emergency and had to leave, they would look pretty silly). I also first let them hold the clipper so they can feel it running on their arms where they can see that it is not going to hurt them at all and they feel more in control. Usually they get a little bored and just watch the cartoon, especially if I remind them that that is the only reason it is on. I have never taken either to a barber, so can't compare the experience. My 3-year-old is a little harder sometimes because it tickles so he hunches up his shoulders giggling.

Also, my older son's first haircut was around 13 months old and I used scissors at the time while he watched a cartoon. It was not as loud and I used one hand as a guard in case he turned his head suddenly. It was not the easiest haircut but it looked fine and he was able to zone out since there was no sound from clippers. Good luck! I totally understand wanting to get it cut. :)

my son holds a balloon or gets lollypop and it keeps him distracted. he now loves haircuts . plus no buzzer because he does not like that-just scissor cut. some people take their kids to kiddie places where they sit in fire engines etc. maybe that would be fun for him.

Hi, I had the same problem with my son(who is now 6) he has Autism and everything you experienced we experienced times ten. We finally bought clippers and my husband and I started out by letting him see me cut my husbands hair then we worked our way up to buzzing his hair.My husband has to hold him on his lap while I cut his hair but I talk him through it and I let him know how close to finished we are. The crying NEVER stopped but it became less frequent. What helps is that we use Fruit Roll-ups(his favorite snack) as a bribe. We only pull out the fruit roll up in dire emergencies (like haircut time) I hold it in front of him and tell him "First haircut THEN fruit roll up" Don't get me wrong he still cries but it's not as violent or traumatizing as before. You have to keep at it, don't give up cuz then that's a "learned behavior" and he will think that everytime he has a meltdown he gets what he wants. That's what I've learned with my son's Autism.I hope this helps..Good Luck!!

My sons are both like this... They very much dislike the clippers... you may want to try trimming his hair with scissors. When I was younger, I remember my landlord and I cut her sons hair by waiting until he was asleep and the I'd hold him somewhat sitting and facing me, and she would cut the longer bits of hair around the base of the neck.

Kids are funny aren't they? Wait until they grow up and become obsessed with their hair, you'll be laughing at this experience! My mom laughs at my brother for the exact same thing!!!

One possibility that no one has yet to mention is that he might be afraid of losing part of himself. Imagine that wicked man is cutting your son's body and throwing it away!!!Thats HIS!!Lots of kids have this problem with bowel movements too. They are scared to flush it. It sounds gross, but try putting some of the hair in a baggy and let him keep it. At least till he forgets about it. After his hair is cut let him pick it up himself.
At any rate he will outgrow it sooner or later...or he will be a hippy. LOL

hello there,

my son was the same way! I took my son to see the hair cutter
a few times before we actually cut his hair. I also request
1st appointment, so that if he did cry there was not much going on or too many people. It is best to try to find someone that you
know and you are comfortable with, if your at ease it will help. I take my son to where
my husband gets his hair cut, so they know us well. In the beginning he cried no matter what. But, over time his crying got better.
Just keep going, keep the hair cut short in time, even though
you may not get the cut you want, but, slowly he will get use to getting his hair cut and keep the same hair cutter too. Also, I trid to distract him as he got his hair cut....Toy, etc.....I would also bring a new shirt to change him so that
the hair did not bother him afterwards. Now my son
does not cry anymore...he wiggles around but that is it.

i hope this helps....good luck.....

Hi C., Some children at 2 will have a tantrum for every thing. Can his dad go with him or can he see another little friend having his hair cut? I remember having my second son sit on my lap for a haircut. I was a little messy in the end but his hair was fine! Grandma Mary

My oldest longs to be in control and as a result she hated things like haircuts. Lollipops during the haircut and watching a video during the haircut would help. The biggest factor that helped was getting older. When she turned 4, the screaming and crying stopped. Hang in there.

Have you tried using scissors instead of clippers? Maybe it is the buzzing that bothers him. It may be a little more time consuming, but it could be worth a try.

My son doesn't like haircuts but no full on tantrums so far (he is almost 4). I have never tried the buzzing clippers. I would think a little kid would be scared of the sound. I use scissors at home and he is pretty good but wiggles some. We tried taking him to a hairdresser and let him watch Daddy's haircut then get his. It worked but he said he likes me to do it. The hairdresser does a better job but I am improving (and his wavy hair is pretty forgiving).

Hi C.,
YOu can't reason with a 2 year old, he's a baby. No matter how smart he is, he isnt' capable of being resonable or having a discussion about terror.
Have you tried a scissor cut rather than a buzz cut? My son is 10 and has always had scissor cuts. I don't love super short hair on boys. Even if you prefer the super short hairstyle, if the terror is of the electric clipper, I'd try getting him a scissor cut instead. Boys don't absolutely need clipper cuts.