Summer Cut

Aaron is not a fan of haircuts.  He never has been.  For his first haircut he screamed and cried his eyes out.  It took me and one of the employees in the hair salon we went to in Stafford together to hold him so our hairstylist could cut his hair.  Up until just recently, I've had to hold him on my lap while he got his hair cut because he would squirm and bob his head.  While he has been much better--he's been able to sit by himself for his haircuts since we've been here--he still is not a fan.  A few months ago, on a whim, I bought a Wahl haircut kit that came with clippers and guides, a pair of scissors and a comb.  It was only $18 so I figured I'd try to see if Aaron was more amenable to having his hair cut at home.  Boys' haircuts here cost $7 + tip so I figured it would only take two haircuts to break even.

Long story short, I've given him a few haircuts.  The first one was not good.  The next couple were better but there's no mistaking that I am not a professional hairstylist.  (I will say compared to some of the haircuts I've seen at school--many boys here obviously get their hair cut at home--Aaron's haircuts are not that bad.)  So I've worked it out that every third or fourth haircut or before special occasions (picture day, etc.), I take Aaron to the barber.  Personally, had I known how messy the whole process was (even with short hair cutting it with clippers leave tiny bits of hair everywhere!), I would have never bought the clippers and just stuck with trips to the barber. 

One strategy I have been using the last two years is having Aaron get a "summer cut," where he gets his hair, which he prefers to wear long on the top, buzzed off very short.  Then I let him go the entire summer without a haircut.  He and I have been talking about the summer cut for a while and he had chose today as the day for his haircut.  I had asked him if he had wanted to have the barber do it or me and he said me.  My gut instinct was that was a little over my head, that I should just stick to trims but I decided to try.  It seems really easy to just take clippers and cut a bunch of hair off and it is.  The skill part comes in the trimming around the sideburns, ears and neck as well as blending it so its not either the "bowl" look or the "Q-tip" look.  Again, I did OK but I told Aaron going forward for future summer cuts, I am going to take him to the barber.

Before

After