Hair cutting drama

Jennifer - posted on 03/18/2012

whats PPD? cause my sons adhd lol and I just told him you do this and you can get a ice cream or a toy or get to play a game and this was like 8 years ago lol and taking the kid to a real barber dose seem to help cause most kids dont want to act different in front of other have you tried a OLD BARBER not the new aged ones???

Ellen - posted on 02/09/2011

My seven year old has PDD as well, and HATES to have his hair cut. He is fixated on letter and numbers, so all during his hair cut I call out words, and he tells me what they start with. It's the only time we play this game, and it's the only way to get him to go without a huge physical battle.

Amy - posted on 01/24/2011

any childrens salons in the area??...if you can get him into a movie or game he likes ...makes it alot eaiser

Annam - posted on 11/08/2010

hi! ever tried having your hair cut at the same time as your son? it might fasinate him enough to sit still!

Sita - posted on 11/04/2010

Hi I've been a barber for over 35 yrs, can you get him into a car seat something soothing he enjoys and then find someone who is really good with shears and children. I really wish I could do it for you. good luck

Donna - posted on 11/04/2010

my son has autism...and he's 17 now..what we used to do is sit him up on the counter so he could watch thru the mirror and see what was happening...and give him a choice in how long he wanted his hair...whether like dad which was 1/2inch or his brother which was an inch....helped alot...now he tries to do it himself...lol now that is an adventure..and he is shaving now...time sure does fly.

Katie - posted on 11/04/2010

We have just had our first haircut without tears and screaming (DS aged 5 3/4 yrs) - we went to a new barber, and let him play on his Nintendo DS whilst it was being cut. It helped that the barber was a friendly man who showed an interest in what my son was doing, and stopped cuttting the hair from time to time in order to talk to him. At the previous salon, my son went into melt down when someone else was having their hair dried with the dryer - clearly the noise distressed him as he calmed down significantly when the noise stopped (though still cried by the end).

Tegan - posted on 11/03/2010

We got ours to do it by telling him he would get a reward afterward, and then doing that every time - something he REALLY wanted. For the first few times we also put a smartie (chocolate) in his mouth every time he put his hands on his knees and sat still for a moment. He now looks forward to hair cuts, although we do still have to reward him every time.

Missy - posted on 11/03/2010

I too had this happen...hair cutting and fingernail clipping was a nightmare! I just couldn't understand until our first visit with our DAN Dr...she told me to put the clipper away and use scissors. We've now come to understand that he has auditory processing issues along side his sensory issues and the noise was overloading his system and driving him crazy. He will now sit for a cut but tells Jackie (his "haircutter" as he calls her!) "No loud buzzer!". To get him to where he is now, we used many reward items...lollipops, watching his favorite movies, using his dS, one on one time with dad...whatever it takes to get him to go to the salon. Best of luck!!

Julie - posted on 11/02/2010

As you can see, a lot of us have the same problem! I also have a 4 yr. old son with PDD-NOS. I dread haircuts. I took my son to the lady who has cut our family's hair for many years. She has worked with several children with autism. She said the key is consistency - cut his hair every 3-4 weeks, so it is not such a new and scary experience every time. I've found this to be true with clipping my son's finger/toenails as well. He used to scream and fight whenever I would try do it. I got in the habit of cutting his fingernails every week and now he will just sit quietly on my lap and watch a movie while I cut them (toenails took a little longer because I don't cut them as often). Haircuts are still difficult, but getting a little better each time. Hang in there and keep at it! My son is basically non-verbal and can't tell me why it bothers him, but I figured out a lot of it is the hair falling on him. I wrap a towel around his shoulders and try to keep the hair off his face, and this helps a lot too. Everyone has good suggestions, just keep trying them and see what works for your son. Good luck!

Rebecca - posted on 11/02/2010

My Son is still going through the diagnosis stage but I know what u mean when with the haircut tantrums Im sure the neighbours thought I was killing him with the noise he made! But we have found as long as we don't cut his hair and we take him to the hairdressers he is ok! We tried at home again a year later but got a huge reminder why it's best at the salon!

Jennifer - posted on 11/02/2010

My son has a fear of sharp objects, and he doesn't like the feel or sound of clippers, so I have been cutting it while he sleeps for years. One word to the wise on this though: start early when he is still asleep in the morning, or at nap time if he takes them, that way if you can't get it done you can finish it during his next sleep. EXTREME WARNING: do not attempt this on a day when you need to take him in public! You will get lots of stares if only one side is cut while the other is still shaggy.

Melissa - posted on 10/30/2010

Haircut = Chuck E. Cheese

Try to identify what is making him uncomfortable and address all of those issues if possible. Some issues may be the lights, the buzzing of the clipper, the feel of the chair, and especially being held down.

Jocelyn - posted on 10/30/2010

Thanks ladies :) You've given me some great suggestions; I'm sure one of them will be the ticket!

Ashley - posted on 10/30/2010

My 4 yr old son has PDD as well and the only way I found to keep him still is to give him something he loves to hold onto, for my son he loves lollypops so when in sport clips the hair dresser will give him a lolly pop and he sits still. If he gets upset we give him a min to calm down and then continue. Good luck!

Kathleen - posted on 10/30/2010

not razor it s clipper duh my mind..

Kathleen - posted on 10/30/2010

sugggest you to go haircut for kids like video tv or sitting on animal to calm him down It happened to my son he was freak out to have haircut. The hairdresser show my son for razor or comb or water spray to let him know what she s doing while he watch tv

Trudie - posted on 10/29/2010

my son bit the hair dresser the first time, so we now have to do it our selves and yes it was easier and quicker using the clippers. husband cutting and my daughter and myself holding him and he screamed blue murder, but it was done quick. cutting while sleeping didn't work - a very bad hair cut had to shave his head after that attempt anyway. good luck

Lisa-Jayne - posted on 10/29/2010

First thing I would do it put the clippers away. That noise is irritating for most of us, so it would be horrific to a child with heightened senses. Then, gently cut his hair while he is asleep. That way, there is no trauma and when he is old enough you can attempt a day time cut again and see how it goes. Hope this brings some peace to your day.

Stephanie - posted on 10/29/2010

I have 5 year old Autistic twins and the only way we get haircutting done is sat outside with the clippers - then they get the clippers and do most of the job themselves! I get to tidy the last bits up when they get tired of the game :)

Kristen - posted on 10/27/2010

I remember going through this and it was HELL. It took myself, my husband, and our therapist to get my son to have his hair cut. When he was under 2, it was no problem, then everything changed. When I took him to the salon, they refused to cut his hair, so we had to take over doing it at home for a while. We used his high chair until he was like 5 or 6, then we strapped him in a kitchen chair with his dad's belt. We gave him lots and lots of rewards and used oodles of patience. Around age 8, he was so calmed down at home that we decided to take him out to get his hair cut again. We lucked out the very first time with Patty and he continues to go back to her. He doesn't even wiggle anymore and absolutely no verbal outbursts in the last year. He is 11 now. So-hang in there-you can get through this. And research Sensory Processing Disorder. You'll understand a lot more about your child.

Brandee - posted on 10/26/2010

I just had to bribe my son with ten dollars to cut his hair. it had been about 6 months since the last cut. While bribing may not be the best way to do it, it worked just in time for school pictures.

Theresa - posted on 10/26/2010

My kids loved to suck on the spray bottle that was used to wet his hair down for the cut. Fill it with fresh water and let him suck on it, or spray it. Does he have sensory issues with the cutting? ie, the noise the clipper makes or the feel of it on his head. I know PDD kids have lots of sensory issues. See if you can get to the bottom of the why. Maybe turning some music on that he likes could help him overcome if it's a sound issues. If you think it may be how the clipper feels you could try giving him a piece of satin or the soft side of velcro to rub while cutting the hair. You could also pop him in front of the TV and let him watch his fav show or movie. Good old bribery might work too. If he's good he gets a candy bar, sucker, sticker, whatever motivates him. Experiment with different things. If he can express himself well ask him to tell you about what he feels when you try to cut his hair. Maybe you can get the bottom of the why which will help you figure out the how. Good luck.

Jenny - posted on 10/26/2010

What I've found works for my five-year-old is to hold a couple of tissues just above his eyebrows. It stops the hair from falling on his face. You could even let him hold the tissues, as this would give him more of a sense of control. Before I came up with this I was having to almost kneel on his chest to get him to stay in the chair. Now he tells me when he needs a haircut, and when I go for a cut he hands me tissues to take with me...

Lynn - posted on 10/24/2010

MMM my son is same age same situation.. i continue to cut his hair myself. I do it while he is in the bathtub while his hair is wet get the scissors ready where i want to cut . i start with the bangs because once he realizes what i am doing well you know.lol then i snip the back and the sides and when it dries try to sneak up and repair. I am lucky because his hair is wavy and my imperfections dont show to much. Do you have to shave him or can you just trim it is the question. good luck with everyone s tips ! i feel your angst ! lynn

Christina - posted on 10/24/2010

Consistancy with it. Turn the hair clippers on every day and let him get use to the noise. Also, give him something to distract him during hair cutting sessions. If he is obsessed with a certain cartoon character, buy him a figurine and only give it to him right before the hair cut. If he tries to get up, he has to give the toy back and can't keep it until the hair cut is finished.

Cathy - posted on 10/24/2010

i let my son watch daddy get his hair cut. that helped some but he has told me the reason he had trouble setting still for clipper cut was the clippers were loud and they tickled.

Mauri - posted on 10/24/2010

I'm lucky in this situation to have a girl so she can have long hair. Cutting her bangs is usually bribing her or making a deal and letting her feel in control of this situation.
My 3yr old son though, he screams bloody murder so we have to shave it quickly. We just buzz him because he just can't stand any of it so at least withit being super short it takes longer to the next meltdown

Stacy - posted on 10/24/2010

My son used to not like to get his hair cut either. At first I would take him to my beautician and I would hold him on my lap and try to comfort him while she quickly cut it. Then my husband started taking him to the barber shop and they would get their hair cut together. After a while he trusted them and now he has no problem. If that wouldn't work I would suggest the "reward" system. Find something he really loves to do and reward him for doing such a good job and praise him for being such a big boy. My son is now 10 and he now insist on getting his hair cut about once a month and he will not even let me go in the barber shop with him anymore. I give him the money while I wait in the car (we live in a very small town) and he does it all by himself now!!

Jocelyn - posted on 10/24/2010

Thanks ladies; you've given me some good ideas. I really hope one of them works! Oh how I would love to give my son a mohawk :P

Sheila - posted on 10/24/2010

Hi Jocelyn,

Used to cut his hair while he slept...might seem like a cop-out, but the trauma was way too much. the last time I took him to Melonheads at the mall, he was screaming and screaming. A woman came in from the hall area and said someone was going to call "Child Protective Services" (which led me to believe she was American, since we don't have any agencies with that name in Ontario). The hairdresser, who was wonderful, took the woman right to task and let her know her thoughts on that course of action...but I never took him back.

He is six now, and we negotiate "SNIPS"....so over the course of four or five days, ten snips a day and we keep him hair tidy (helps that it's curly and forgiving!). I figure, by the time he is eight, we will be at the salon again...maybe sooner. So many other things take precedent that I decided not to keep up the haircutting battle.

Good luck,

Sheila

Heather - posted on 10/24/2010

Hi Jocelyn,

My son, he has PDD-NOS, HATED to have his haircut. We took him to a place that caters just to kids. It has shows playing to distract them, they sit in Thomas the Train or Lightening McQueen designed chairs. The hairdressers are GREAT! Here in Canada it is called "Melonhead". They have a website you can Google. If you have something like that where you live, I would suggest trying it. My son sits still the whole time and does great everytime! Good Luck! All the best! :) Heather

Judi - posted on 10/24/2010

Get someone to take him to a hairdresser - someone that isn't you, that he trusts, not dad either. I do this with my Respite worker. My mother in law has also done it - but it's ok it's growing out now.
Midnight barber - you do it in the night when he's asleep.
In the bath
and I would avoid noisy things

Megan - posted on 10/23/2010

Couple of suggestions. One is my husband will hold a tootsypop and my son can't have it, he can only suck on it while my husband holds it. That will get him to sit still for a little while so I can get most of it done. I also do my husbands hair at the same time, so the "being just like dad" thing kicks in as well. Finally, if neither of those work, I put the clippers in the kitchen and get a strip buzzed as I can over the course of a weekend afternoon, i would rather there is hair everywhere than have to pin my son and make it more traumatic for him.

Marta - posted on 10/23/2010

The only way we can get our five year old's hair cut, is promising he can stay up late ( 10pm on a Saturday) and play video games without having to share with his brother.