What are some tips for giving a toddler a hair cut?

Question

Tips on doing it yourself or going to a barber would be greatly appreciated. If I go to a stylist I have to hold my 1 year old and we both end up covered in hair. If I do it myself it doesn't look horrible but it doesn't look great, on the plus side he is the only one covered in hair. I can't clip a towel around his neck because he will rip it off.

Answer 1

use an experienced hairdresser and never expect perfection.

Answer 2

I have a 2 year old boy and my husband fills up the bath with water half way and cut his hair with electric hair clipper while he plays in the water. The most important thing is to keep him occupied. A new toy or no tears bubbles work best for us. Whoever is not cutting the toddler's hair cut needs to entertatain.

  If that doesn't work, I lay a big beach towel on wherever my son takes a nap. Once he's asleep, I cut his hair with a scissor. The mess stays on the towel, and I use packaging tape to clean off little hair pieces that get on to the bed.

  I hope this helps.

Answer 3

When I tried doing it at home, but when I took him to the big boy barber he did wonderfully! He and his dad both go together now every few weeks for trims. If you are using an electric clipper one trick I have noticed that their barber uses... touch your child with it on his arms, his back, his neck, wherever to get him used to the hum and vibration of ti before you put it to his hair.

**ETA**Please don;t do it in the bathtub like one answerer claims to do.  Using ANY electrical item near water is asking for disaster.

Answer 4

i live in Augusta Maine and we have this place called fun cuts and there is only one guy there and he is really funny. the whole room is just all about games and nothing about hair cuts they have TVs going all the time and they don't get the kids hair wet he just used a little squirt bottle and got it a little wet. my 2 year old loved it

Answer 5

My son just turned two, he has been going to the stylist to get his hair cut since he was 10 months.  My husband and I tried giving him a few haircuts at first but they didn't turn out very well and then we would end up shaving his hair.  

After those didn't work out, I just always take him to the stylist.  I still hold my son so he will sit and get a good haircut.  Yes, we both end up with hair on us, not so much though, they put a cape around me and try to put one on my son.  When I take him, I just put an old shirt on him and then take him home and give him a bath.  But I do all this so he gets good haircuts.  My sister cuts her sons hair and he always has nicks in he hair.

As he gets older though, it will be easier for him to sit still through them.