“Don’t touch my hair!” Toddlers are most likely to display such stubbornness when it’s time for their haircut. Your kiddo may shriek hysterically at the sight of scissors, scream his guts out when you try to hold him still, making you wonder how to deal with his haircut trauma. Taking your tot to the salon, however, doesn’t have to be such an arduous task.

Here are some do’s and don’ts to get kiddo ready for his haircut:

Say ‘trim’ not ‘cut’

Your little one may have all sorts of notions and aversions to a haircut. He may fear the scissors, associate a salon visit with a dreadful doctor’s visit, or simply hate having to sit mute as his hairdresser goes chop-chop without his consent. So, avoid using the word ‘cut’ because he could associate it with ‘pain’. Instead, use the word ‘trim’. Introduce him to haircutting with a game of ‘haircut’, where you pretend to cut his hair with kitchen tongs instead of scissors and use falling shredded paper to mimic hair falling. For his initial few haircuts, you could even ask him to call daddy for a haircut, which will arouse his curiosity and make him want to try it out himself.

Make prep fun

Allow your tot to sit on your lap during the haircut. Before the hairdresser takes over, you can allow him to touch and feel the hairdresser tools, like the comb, water spray, and scissors. Let him know they will be used to groom him into a handsome boy, making it sound like an adventure to come. You can even pretend your fingers are the scissors and sing away, “This is how the scissors goes€…”€ so that he knows what to expect when he sits on that special chair. Drum up enthusiasm by telling him to spray you in the mirror with the water bottle, or describing the clippers as a bee that will ‘buzz-buzz’ and tickle!

Allow him choice

Allowing your child to pick out his favourite big boy hair gel or comb colour will lighten the situation. He will begin to see the stylist as his friend and won’t create such a ruckus.

Distract attention

Nothing works better than this! Toys, video games, lollipops, or getting him to pull off stickers from his gown are distractions worth trying out. He will be so immersed in the activity that the stylist will finish his haircut in a jiffy.

So, go ahead. Follow these tips and the trim won’t be a hair-raising experience for either of you.

Happy hair-cutting!