Little Locks: Haircuts for Young Kids

While some parents opt to trim their baby's or toddler's hair themselves, many find it's too difficult to safely hold a squirming child while wielding a pair of scissors.

After struggling with at-home haircut attempts, Heather Arredondo, a mother of two in West Chester, Ohio, tried taking her older son to a kid-friendly salon with hopes of finding a "tantrum free" experience—but the attempt failed. "The salon was dirty, and the stylist was very quiet and did not interact with my son, Diego. He cried the entire time. We left before the haircut was finished," says Arredondo.

The family tried several walk-in salons with no success and had almost given up on a good haircut experience when they learned of Cookie Cutters, a new shop in the area. Arredondo decided to see the shop with her son before scheduling a cut. "I wanted him to have fun in the salon, and by checking it out I was able to ask questions about the place, the cost, the stylists, and the selection of videos."

Her efforts paid off, and the new salon was a real success. "My son loves the opportunity to play video games and play on the slide before a haircut. His 'choice of seat' is always the yellow sports car. He is also excited about picking out a balloon when he is done!" Arredondo now takes her younger son to the salon too, and he loves the slide and watching a video.

Swan-Mikich encourages parents to find a salon that will fit their needs, and that includes finding stylists trained in working with kids. "The number one thing that our stylists do is to get on a child's level and converse with them ... [then] the kids know you are interested in them. Kids love for you to learn about them, especially toddlers."

Arredondo echoes the importance of choosing a good stylist. "The staff is always friendly and energetic," she says of her local salon. "We have a stylist who focuses on the boys. The stylists capture their attention and somehow make them unaware of the haircuts they are receiving."