When holidays roll around, family pictures are sure to follow. Those pictures will be keepsakes for generations, so you don’t want your kiddo immortalized in the family scrapbook with a wild and unruly mane. Some kids don’t have any issues with haircuts, but many more throw some notorious tantrums at the mere mention of a “cut”. How can you make it an easier experience? We’ve compiled some recommendations to help children stay calm and occupied through a haircut. If you run a hair salon and are looking for a way to reward well-behaved kids, call us at Treasure Tower World to learn about our token reward system and capsule toy vending machines.

-Give Them Some Control

One of the biggest things a kid wants, but rarely has, is control. Let them choose what type of haircut they want to get — within reason of course. Another smaller bit of control you can give them is a choice of what colour comb they want to be used. Giving a child the feeling of choice and control helps them stay calm. Especially when they choose their own style, you can use that as incentive. When their behavior is tied directly to something they want, they will often behave better.

-Incentivize Them

Outside of giving them control over their choice of haircut, colour of comb, etc you can incentivize them in other ways. With our Treasure Tower, your hair stylist can reward good behavior with a token, which your child can use to choose their own toy after the haircut is completed as a reward for good behaviour. That gives them control over their reward and the power to choose.

-Distractions

Finding something that can hold your child’s attention can take their focus away from the haircut. A favorite toy, a movie on a tablet, putting stickers on the gown they can pick away can all help them stay calm and still enough for the haircut to go off without a hitch. Some kids find music comforting, so try singing a song with them to give them another thing to focus on.

-Alleviate Their Fears

A lot of kids get scared of haircuts simply because of one word — cut. They associate cuts with pain and it immediately freaks them out. You can avoid this just by calling it a trim. Kids don’t have the same association with a trim, so a lot of the time this is a simple fix to keep them calm. Some stylists have demonstrated what they’re going to do on a doll with plastic hair, which shows there isn’t anything to be afraid of. Another idea is for one of their parents or sibling to get a haircut first, while they watch on. Most of the time this makes them more curious about the process than scared.

-Get Them Ready

Try sitting your child down to show them what a haircut is like. Use your fingers as scissors and go through the motions. Add in a spray bottle, comb, and hair dryer to complete the scene. Help them understand how everything works and they won’t have the fear of the unknown that can bring about obstinate behavior.

If you’re a hair stylist and looking for a great way to reward well-behaved kids in your hair salon, call Treasure Tower World today! We’ve got tons of options for toys kids love and will work had at behaving in your chair. 877.889.5439 x 87.