Baby's First Haircut!

 

Last Friday I finally pulled the trigger on Baby's hair. I was determined not to cut a single strand until after his first birthday because that was the typical "minimum" date to cut a baby's hair (unless they happened to be blessed with thick, unruly locks even earlier). Also, I loved Baby's long hair and his curls, and didn't want to risk losing them. That didn't mean I was completely against haircuts. I just wanted to wait until I felt it was the right time.

Then the pandemic hit.

So, I had an excuse for a couple of months to not take Baby in to a salon. They are still one of the riskier places to visit during covid times given the proximity of the stylist and the frequent contact with the patron and with other patrons from all over. No way was I going to risk my son's health that way when I already doing as much as possible to protect him at home. Like, he literally hasn't been held by anyone but close family. After months of staying home we finally started visiting two places indoors--my parents' house and a lobby to visit Hubby's mom. That's it. All other places Baby has ventured to since March (and the list is short) have been outdoors or safe and sound inside my own house.

But when August rolled around, I finally had to admit that something needed to be done about Baby's hair. Length I could handle, despite well meaning family who insist he get a "boy's" haircut. But tickling his ears, approaching his eyes, and sticking out in all directions just wasn't manageable. My son inherited my wavy hair and frizz, which meant I wasn't about to just buzz it with a razor. But, since he's too little for styling products, I had to find a way to keep it contained. The way I saw it, I had two options: find a salon that was super safe and risk the outing, or try to cut Baby's hair myself.

I wasn't super confident with the latter option. As much as I liked trying new things and feeling in control, the last thing I wanted to do was permanently mess up my son's do. I researched a few local salons for kids. The stylists had great reviews, but the locations themselves were super busy. Child and after child had sat in their seats. Which meant germs. Or at least a potential for germs. Plus, at 14 months old, my son wasn't quiet comfortable sitting still for long, especially in strange, new environments. I could tell he wasn't quite ready for Baby's first haircut, even if his hair was.

So with a gulp, I took matters into my own hands. I posted on a local Facebook mom's group asking for advice first. I expected the moms to suggest tutorial videos on YouTube or share their successes (or failures) in cutting their children's' hair. Instead, the most common advice I received was to be prepared for your kid to MOVE. Have distractions. Make sure he's somewhere familiar and comfortable. Move with him as you cut. One professional stylist even admitted to snipping her son's ear on her first attempt. Oh boy, my anxiety increased.

I found some YouTube videos on my own, looking specifically for babies and toddlers who were male with wavy hair, and avoiding anything with clippers because I knew that wouldn't work for our type of hair. My favorite video to learn from was "Cutting Wavy Hair" from MissMommyTV. It seemed easy enough to follow and was most similar to my son. Plus I liked the mom's gentle approach compared to other videos of tugging away at the poor baby's head. Then I purchased a kid's Haircut Set on Amazon in order to ensure I had any needed combs, clips, and--best of all--a barber's cape for Baby.

My plan was to try Friday afternoon, August 21. After 5 months of working from home this would be my first day back in person (just for four hours), and I wanted to both commemorate the day and focus on something other than the fact that my baby and I would be apart for the first time in 157 days. My brother also informed me that the day was Christopher Robin's 100th birthday and thus Winnie the Pooh's 99th birthday. So why not give it a try on such an important day? Winnie the Pooh was my baby shower and nursery theme, after all.

So after a quiet first day back at work, I came home, showered, and headed to my parents' house to greet my son. And...he was asleep. Not exactly the reunion I had planned, but within 15 minutes he awoke on his own and I got to shower him with hugs and kisses before turning my parents' living room into a salon.

I figured the living room would be the best location because it had the best light--lots of natural light especially right in front of the stairs--and because there was plenty of space for taking pictures and video. I laid out a floor mat I'd used for food spills at home before and placed Baby's high chair on top of it. Then I set up a tray table nearby and laid out all my equipment. Baby had no idea what to expect when I brought him over, and I grew more and more nervous about making a mistake or running out of time.

When I draped the barber's cape over him, Baby was fascinated! He pointed to the sharks on it, clearly recognizing them from one of his favorite songs. Thinking back on it now, I wish I had let him enjoy the sharks a little more, let him ease into the experience instead of rushing out of nerves. I grabbed my mom's spray bottle and proceeded to spritz his hair with water.

Oh Baby did NOT like that. I should have known, given his aversion to rinsing his hair at bath time. He kept pulling at my shirt to take him out of his highchair, but I had to let him give this a chance, I didn't want to risk a half-done haircut. I showed him the water wasn't scary by spritzing my brother's hair and demonstrating what I was about to do with a comb. He calmed down a little, especially when my parents brought a teething cookie distraction.

Then it was time for the first cut. I combed straight, put the hair between my fingers, and hesitated. I knew which parts needed trimming the most (the back and sideburns). I was trying desperately to remember the YouTube video. And, of course, Baby wouldn't stop moving.

But somehow, SOMEHOW, I worked up the courage to snip. And then kept snipping and kept moving with my son as I was told, doing my best to calm him, comb, snip, and be as even as possible, all at the same time. It didn't help that I had to be behind him for most of the cutting, and he wanted to see me for reassurance. So I took my time, pausing when he got nervous or fussy and coming out from behind to give him hugs. My mom, dad, and brother were an immense help with distractions and photos, and Baby nearly survived to the end. Just as his patience was reaching its limit, we pulled out Elsa from Frozen on my mom's phone and he happily watched her sing while I finished up the finally cuts my dad recommended and let him comb and part Baby's hair for the final look.

I know I didn't cut every section of hair that I should have. I know there were a few places that were slightly uneven. But when I stood back to look at the finished product, and compare it to his photos from before, I realized: hey, it's actually not bad!

It helps that wavy hair is more forgiving than straight hair with uneven cuts, and it helps that my son has an adorable face regardless, but I was pretty pleased with the final product and had to show it off to my friends online. It was shorter, neater, and I still managed to save enough on the top where it wasn't TOO short and would still curl up the way I liked it.

Thank goodness. Not messing up was an early birthday present to me as I planned to take some family photos at home the next week for my birthday (now two days away!). Baby is ready and as cute as ever!

I just hope I never have to do this again!