Think sensory issues, for instance being touched on head/face/hair. Shampooing finally gets done (more easily, quickly) when ds (5) can be convinced to have a bath. But no combing, brushing, actually harder nıow on him than whjen littler. Hairdryer: he doesn't like it much but accepts it as part of the routine untill hair is partly dry.
Ds never got a haircut in a saloon, and I can assure you that is not going to work (may already be luck to have him wait quietly while mom has one). Often not comfortable with strangers, people touching him /head, trange/unsettling environments. And trouble is people are ALWAYS touching his head/hair they find him cute and this is the way they want to show that but this is something my son absolutely LOATHS and I can't blame him. I have to tell people all the time and over and over again, they don't get it. And strangers, you never know when they'll do this in passing by...so I just cannot avoid this every single time.
So, about the hair, I personally like longer hair on (my) boys they've actually had it half long for most of their toddlerhood/pre-schoolerhood. It's really cute on them. Ds1 now got a shorter haircut since he started primary school (hairstyle policy) he's still very cute and he likes it (only not the cut, but he can at least 'stand' it.
The main issue is that he now attends a pre-school he likes, he's used to the school and the routine, but school regulation requires 'traditional model', namely short and neat hair for boys (they've been pretty tolerant about little longer than that I must say) and for longer hair (on girls) to be styled neatly, and preferably held together, as well. This is also a cultural factor (bit oldfashioned, but still school policy). People tend to joke about putting ribbons etc. in boys' hair if it is, in their opinion, inappropriately long for a boy (yes even on such small children!). Of course we do not like those type of remarks, but it just seems to be inavoidable when boys have longer than average hair.. we have our coments ready when needed, and definitely our feeling of self-worth and pride about our 'hair'.
My 5yo son also likes his hair the way it is, and according to him it's not long at all in spite of him wiping it away from his eyes all the time ;-).
His 'excuse' for not needing a haircut is now that adult's hair grows but children's (or at least his) does not.
The last time I tried I actually tried over weeks to find the 'right' moment and mood (and without creating much pressure) but put the ultimatum that either dh would do it or he would take him to the barber and (hopefully) have it done there. I swore I would never want to try and cut it myself again because of the stress/fuss about it. That time my dh succeeded to have him have a haircut (but it was difficult!) but that was the very last time it could be done, now 4 months ago.
Ds also says/shows to be afraid (frantic! crying! screaming! trashing!) of having his hair cut, may it be scissors or any other tool cutting the hair. (last time I used little baby nailcutting scissors...which took very long and wasn't very effective in cutting)
He's 5. The ONLY way I see it happen now is cutting it while he sleeps, as I do with his nails. But very afraid he would wake up (realistic scenario, knowing him and his 'antenna's). And he's actually FIVE now, not two, even if he wouldn't wake up during cut or clean-up, he WILL realise what happened. And te worst: he may get afraid of going to sleep AS WELL (and that's much worse) and loose trust (also much worse)??? And even if he does not really realise what was done, he will deginitely understand what happened when people, the ones mostly commenting on his unstyled longer hair, remark on his new 'haircut'... sigh
Forget about bribing with sweets or anything, I do not lijke to do such (bribing, rewarding), and it is not something that would be effective - at all - rather create more/new issues.
And yes, people judge parents, and yes I try not to care, but yes, I am tired of comments on weirdiness, and so yes, this situation does create stress.
HOW do you, wonderful mothers and fathers, deal with sn, sensory issue, haircutting?
The same issue we ha with headphones. Hearing test could NOT be done because of this. This also really concerns us. So also for this, all tips welcome.
Ds never got a haircut in a saloon, and I can assure you that is not going to work (may already be luck to have him wait quietly while mom has one). Often not comfortable with strangers, people touching him /head, trange/unsettling environments. And trouble is people are ALWAYS touching his head/hair they find him cute and this is the way they want to show that but this is something my son absolutely LOATHS and I can't blame him. I have to tell people all the time and over and over again, they don't get it. And strangers, you never know when they'll do this in passing by...so I just cannot avoid this every single time.
So, about the hair, I personally like longer hair on (my) boys they've actually had it half long for most of their toddlerhood/pre-schoolerhood. It's really cute on them. Ds1 now got a shorter haircut since he started primary school (hairstyle policy) he's still very cute and he likes it (only not the cut, but he can at least 'stand' it.
The main issue is that he now attends a pre-school he likes, he's used to the school and the routine, but school regulation requires 'traditional model', namely short and neat hair for boys (they've been pretty tolerant about little longer than that I must say) and for longer hair (on girls) to be styled neatly, and preferably held together, as well. This is also a cultural factor (bit oldfashioned, but still school policy). People tend to joke about putting ribbons etc. in boys' hair if it is, in their opinion, inappropriately long for a boy (yes even on such small children!). Of course we do not like those type of remarks, but it just seems to be inavoidable when boys have longer than average hair.. we have our coments ready when needed, and definitely our feeling of self-worth and pride about our 'hair'.
My 5yo son also likes his hair the way it is, and according to him it's not long at all in spite of him wiping it away from his eyes all the time ;-).
His 'excuse' for not needing a haircut is now that adult's hair grows but children's (or at least his) does not.
The last time I tried I actually tried over weeks to find the 'right' moment and mood (and without creating much pressure) but put the ultimatum that either dh would do it or he would take him to the barber and (hopefully) have it done there. I swore I would never want to try and cut it myself again because of the stress/fuss about it. That time my dh succeeded to have him have a haircut (but it was difficult!) but that was the very last time it could be done, now 4 months ago.
Ds also says/shows to be afraid (frantic! crying! screaming! trashing!) of having his hair cut, may it be scissors or any other tool cutting the hair. (last time I used little baby nailcutting scissors...which took very long and wasn't very effective in cutting)
He's 5. The ONLY way I see it happen now is cutting it while he sleeps, as I do with his nails. But very afraid he would wake up (realistic scenario, knowing him and his 'antenna's). And he's actually FIVE now, not two, even if he wouldn't wake up during cut or clean-up, he WILL realise what happened. And te worst: he may get afraid of going to sleep AS WELL (and that's much worse) and loose trust (also much worse)??? And even if he does not really realise what was done, he will deginitely understand what happened when people, the ones mostly commenting on his unstyled longer hair, remark on his new 'haircut'... sigh
Forget about bribing with sweets or anything, I do not lijke to do such (bribing, rewarding), and it is not something that would be effective - at all - rather create more/new issues.
And yes, people judge parents, and yes I try not to care, but yes, I am tired of comments on weirdiness, and so yes, this situation does create stress.
HOW do you, wonderful mothers and fathers, deal with sn, sensory issue, haircutting?
The same issue we ha with headphones. Hearing test could NOT be done because of this. This also really concerns us. So also for this, all tips welcome.