Baby H has always had long hair. While she lost some of the thickness after a few months and didn’t have much going on in terms of bangs, the hair on the back of her head kept getting longer and longer! Her baby mullet became quite the spectacle! When we walked into one of Baby H’s swim lessons a couple of months ago, I heard one mom whisper to her husband, “Look at that baby’s hair.” Baby H easily had the longest hair in class!
And while the mullet was quite fun: we’ve been able to put her hair in pigtails and it was somewhat exciting to see just how long her hair would go, there were some negatives for a young baby having so much hair. She was constantly getting knots, especially as she likes laying on her back and wiggling her head back and forth. The Velcro from her bibs was always getting caught in her hair. Because the hair on top/in front wasn’t as full or long (hence the mullet), she generally looked very unkempt.
At around 10 months, I decided it was finally time to bite the bullet and cut her hair.
As I searched out the kids’ salons near my house, I realized that they were a little pricey. Yes, the commemorative certificate, photo and little baggy for the lock of hair was nice, but at around $20-$25 + tip, I wasn’t sure about making the investment at this point. I thought maybe the salon I went to would have a better deal on a kid’s haircut. But no, same price minus the “commemorative” elements of a first haircut.
So I decided to separate my wants and needs. I wanted the experience, photo, and a lock of hair for her baby book. But I didn’t need a professional for me to make this happen. She also didn’t need a particular style that comes from a professional haircut. Since the hair in front is not very long, she didn’t need that cut. All she needed was a trim in the back and she would be mullet-less.
Finally I determined that what we needed in this situation was a good old fashioned DIY home haircut!
I, of course, think hair stylists are amazing and I could never in a million years imagine doing their jobs. I should never in most circumstances be trusted with a pair of scissors near anyone’s hair, let along my child’s. But just this one time, taking it into my own hands (literally) and saving myself the money made the most sense.
After Mr. H and I decided to just go for it, we only had a chance to take some (poor quality) iPhone pictures before and after.
Here is Baby H at 10 months with her fabulous, fabulous baby mullet! To do the haircut, Mr. H had her sitting in his lap with her facing him (for the photos I’m holding her). I made a ponytail out of her hair with my hand and snipped across. After I was done, I snipped off a little bit more to even it out.
And here she is after! While the cut is very far from perfect, it served its purpose. Her hair is much easier to manage and we can actually put bibs on her without a Velcro disaster. And, I got exactly what I felt I needed from the situation: the experience with Baby H, a photo, and a lock of hair for her baby book.
I can’t find any good before and after photos of her from the front, but the shorter hair actually makes her look a little bit older. I love it!
And while I can’t wait for her first salon cut (where they will probably be secretly judging me for the sub-par job I’ve done), saying that I gave Baby H her very first haircut is a pretty fun memory!
Have you ever given your LO a haircut?
hostess / wonderful pumpkin / 16730 posts
Awwwh! I gave my LO the same haircut when she was 8 months old. Her mullet wasn’t as long as your daughter’s! :-)
olive / 58 posts
For my oldest we took him to the woman that cuts my hair as well as my DH’s. She is used to cutting kids hair as well and my DS was having none of it, she didn’t even charge us for it. (Yes she is a keeper and does great things for our hair too.)
So now DS rocks the weedwhacker style haircut. He just hates the sound of the scissors and thinks it is going to hurt despite us asking him if it hurts and he says no. So for now it takes my DH and I to cut his hair, one to hold one to cut, and the style well it leaves a bit to be desired. The more I do it the better I and he get at it. I hope to be able to take him to have it done professionally soon because I know my “skills” are lacking! :)
FWIW my DS is now just over 2.5 years old and his first hair cut was was when he was about 20 months old. He just didn’t have a lot of hair early in life.
pear / 1504 posts
Wow, I can not believe how long her hair is!! I have a little baldy so I’m jealous!
hostess / papaya / 10160 posts
Her hair was long! My mom gave my siblings an I our first haircuts at home.
apricot / 275 posts
We did a home haircut earlier this month and it was a semi-disaster. His hair was getting a little long over his ears so i just wanted a little trim on the sides. I did the first side and it was okay, but for some reason thought hubs would do better – because he also a boy cutting boy hair? i don’t know. Hubs was TERRIBLE and cut way too much and then started cutting more and more to make it better and I was freaking out. We actually gave him a mini-mullet. Its growing out now and I was going to take him to the kids salon for a $15 Easter haircut, but hubs thinks its fine. We’ll see…
pea / 9 posts
My mom cut my hair as a kid and would usually get distracted half way through by something and it would end up crooked. I’d have to go check it it in the mirror myself and come back to harass her to even it out.
I’ll probably cut my kids hair, but will start early so they’ll be too young to worry about the mistakes. :D
blogger / pear / 1713 posts
We did some of their first ones with the lady that cuts my hair. When we first cut their hair they didn’t have all their hair grown in. (ummm.. Still don’t at 3.5) so we had her help us shape it to cover some of the more bald spots. Now my husband does It with clippers at home. I just can’t spend money for three boys to get their hair cut. I don’t know what I ill do with my daughter, she is still pretty bald.
guest
I have been doing ear to ear haircuts at the back on my almost two year old since she was about 5 months. Hands down the easiest kids haircut experience.