My child hates haircuts. How can we get him to relax?

Prepare him.

To get him comfortable with clippers, pretend to use them several weeks before going to the barber. Make the buzzing noise.

Role Play.

Buy him a toy clipper and let him give you pretend haircuts. Act out the entire thing – from having him call your name to be seated, to giving you a lollipop at the end.

Give a distraction.

Before starting, give him a squirt bottle that he can shoot at the mirror while he’s getting his haircut. He’ll be so busy enjoying himself that he won’t worry about what’s going on.

Put on the tube.

Let him watch a portable DVD player. Put on his favorite cartoon or movie.

Go kid-friendly.

Some salons specialize in kids and have car, boat or airplane chairs for kids to sit in while they get a haircut. It makes the experience special and fun rather than a scary chore.

Give him a preview.

Let him watch Daddy get a haircut first so that he can see how much fun it is. If the hairdresser and Daddy are willing, maybe you could let him sit in Daddy’s lap while he’s having some “fun” of his own.

Bring a treat.

Pack a cup of his favorite drink and easy-to-eat snacks like fruit chews. Tell him if he’s good the whole time, he can have a special treat afterwards. You need to go easy on this one, however, because you don’t want him to start learning to use food as a comfort.

Get some control.

Ultimately, your child needs to be under your control, however. Not the other way around. If you let him have temper tantrums he will later rebel to what’s good for him and he will be too big to physically control. He will not be able to listen when God tells him what is right either. If you let his fears control him now, he will be under the thumb of his emotions and phobias for the rest of his life. Don’t be afraid to discipline his behavior if he loses control.