hair cut

Sarah - posted on 05/16/2010

My son doesn't like the vibration of the clippers on his head, so we have to get it as short as possible with scissors instead and they usually give him a sucker to occupy him with the promise of a balloon when he is done.

Maria - posted on 05/13/2010

Wow, I'm sitting here bawling! I'm so glad I found this community on Circle. My three year old has not been diagnosed with SPD but shows all the signs. We're still working with Dr.s and Neurologist. Behavioral camp this summer. What worked for my son and hair cuts was a few things. We had to find a mobile hair dresser that only uses scissors, Sister and I get our hair done first, prep him and get him excited by telling him she uses a super hero cape, and getting a sun visor. He just couldn't stand the noise, strange environment, or the hair on his face. Also our hair dresser used a wash cloth to wet his hair instead of the spray bottle. His first few hair cuts were torture sessions with everyone in the family holding him down (or upside down) in the backyard!

Ginny - posted on 04/16/2010

My 8-year-old is great about having his hair cut now, but it used to be such a struggle! He hated the height of the chair, the feel of the scissors against his scalp, the clippers, the cape, EVERYTHING. Once a rather insensitive haidresser nicked his ear with the scissors and it took us nearly six months to get him back for a haircut. He's been visiting the same hairdresser for four years now and he loves her! She makes the cape loose so it doesn't choke him, turns him away from the mirror so he doesn't freak out about the scissors, tries to make sure he doesn't get too much hair down his back, always engages him in conversation to keep him distracted and lets him plow through her candy box when he's finished. She's such a fantastic person; I don't know how we'd' get through haircuts without her.

Valerie - posted on 04/05/2010

I had the same issue with my son when he was younger. At that time we lived in CT and I couldn't find someone willing to cut his hair so I was doing it. The noise of the clippers was the hardest thing for him to adjust to. So I took the clippers down stairs and left it running on the computer next to his toy bin all afternoon. He adjusted and blocked out the noise within a couple of hours. To continue the trend I sometime left it running on the bathroom counter while he was in the tub (which he loves). I found it much easier to cut his hair afterward. Now that we live near a big city I take him to a Snip-its. He still doesn't mind the noise, but he doesn't like unfamilar people touching him. One lady there noticed that the dum-dums help him to block out everything, so she just puts the whole container of dum-dums in his lap, and he will fuss a little bit, but he mostly concentrates on the suckers, he tries to eat as many as possible because knows when the hair cut is over the dum-dums are gone. I don't like giving him so much candy, but he only gets them during haircuts and it a small price to pay for a nice cut. Good Luck

Cedar - posted on 03/03/2010

Hi I have found out what works with my 4 yr old daughter with SPD we play and practice going to get hair cut or playing eye doctor or Doctor this helps her know that its going to be ok and with kids with SPD needs routeen so if you practice every night for 5 days im sure he will do great the next time I hope this helps
cedar

Kristi - posted on 03/02/2010

I am a hair dresser myself, and my son hates getting his haircut. I thought it was the noise also so I purchased clippers that make little to no noise. He screams about how gross it is the whole time and hits and kics. I think for my son its the touch of the hair coming off him. He actually needs his hair cut so bad, I am just not ready for the battle, as you know there are many other battles everyday

Katharine - posted on 02/22/2010

wow found someone else who doesnt like happy birthday being sung. dread that part of birthdays,and when its theres,oh god trying to not get anyone to sing it you would think they thought you had just asked them to whip your child . glad i found another person with the same dislike.x

Katharine - posted on 02/22/2010

my 6 yr old son is the same and always has been. cant even get him near a hairdressers and stopped trying ages ago. i cant his hair,its not as often as it should be as its still a performance but does get better. i put a large bowl of raisons or fruit bits or if really bad jelly tots and i just have to be quick and careful. i have cut my hair in front of him so he can see that it doesnt hurt and i laughed with every bit i took off so he thought it was fun. just try little bits at a time.took over 2 hrs the first time but now i can do it in 30 mins. may not be david beckham but least he looks like a boy. if all else fails just say that he wants to be a surfer so is growing his hair. i came close to using that one. good luck.x

Ave - posted on 02/16/2010

Hi guys

We have a mobile hairdresser come to the house and she only uses scissors. This has been very successful and of course a wee good behavour treat goes down well. It has been a bonus for me as well -it means I can get my hair done without having to take Mr 4 and Mr 1 out with me and then when I want some me time or an extra treat, hubby babysits and I get the full wash, cut and dry as my good behavour treat -lol!

Crecshia - posted on 01/29/2010

Hi. Yes, you are right on MOMMA-it IS the noise! It's the vibration of the cutters and the noise of the scissors. We struggle with my 8 year old son. All I can say is-pick your battles. If he hates it a while-let it go-or-compromise-have them cut some it-then let him rest a while. That's what we do with our son-the girl that cuts it knows-so she accomodates him.

Barb - posted on 01/28/2010

My son used to flip out with haircuts as well. When he was younger we purchased a "flowbie" the clippers that attach to the vacuum. It was loud, but gave him earplugs and it didn't cut/nick him at all, mostly it was FAST. Plus we could do it at home where it didn't create a scene.

When he got to be about 4 we took him to the barber shop. First Dad got his hair cut...so he could see what was happening and then he went. We instructed the barber to use scissors only, keep any water spray out of his face, don't raise or lower the chair without warning and no hair dryer to blow off the hair clippings. We'd also go at a slow/quiet time so there wasn't too much commotion.

He's 5 now and able to go to the kids' haircut places where they have the dvd players to distract them. We usually start prepping him a couple of days before we take him so it's not a surprise for him.

Janie - posted on 01/25/2010

hi! My now 7 year old had many issues with hair cuts but we discovered that he'll sit patiently if he has a lolli pop or peppermint candy to suck on...hair cuts have been a nonissue ever since!

Tami - posted on 01/21/2010

Both of our SPD kids love music too, so I agree that helps alot.

One has noise cancelling headphones too. And our oldest had 2 years of OT, her speech was good, she needed it for balance issues and fine motor skills. She is 7 and she still can't ride a bike and regular swings are difficult for her.

She also completed the Therapy listening program which helped her with the sounds that bother her.

Elizabeth - posted on 01/21/2010

Thanks i will have to try the mp3 player. He starts school next week, which includes OT and speech, but I need help with things now. I love all the ideas I have found on here and have read online and in books. Thanks for the great ideas!!

Carla - posted on 01/21/2010

Head phones... try to download some music he likes onto an MP3 player or something, and let him wear head phones or ear pieces for the hair cut! He will drown out the noise and stay calm! Music has helped my little man SOOOO much - for everything!! Shopping, hair cuts, even dinner time some days... rides in the car, etc etc.. I take it EVERYWHERE! :) Theraputic Listening is an OT program - I'm not sure if you've heard of it or been through it... but this is my little version of it at home! :)

Tami - posted on 01/21/2010

My daughter has the same problem with her SPD 3 year old. And his hair grows fast!



He will only let her cut his hair. I don't think it is the noise alone, it is also the unfamiliar environment. He doesn't want to sit on the strange chair, or let anyone else cut his hair.



He also does not like getting his nails clipped, the doctors office, and he even cries when we take him to a bookstore storytime. He also doesn't like the feel of lotion put on his hands when they are dry, etc. He has a bunch of issues like that.



And he hates to hear anyone loudly sing the Happy Birthday Song! And they do that as a group at Friendly's and he usually has a meltdown.



My daughter is the one cutting his hair right now. Maybe do it yourself or find someone he trusts and likes. There are also kids hair salons near us, and they have like a kiddie ride on chair, not your standard hair salon chair. Maybe call around and see if you can find a place like that.



Good luck to you! My daughter gave up that battle for now, and she doesn't force him to go get his hair cut. Hopefully he outgrows this soon!