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Tackle It Tuesday – Haircut

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Some things are better left to a professional…

Cutting boys’ hair has always been a mystery to me. I have watched the hairdresser’s fingers fly around, grabbing hair, snipping, picking up more and snipping again, until finally all the hair is evenly trimmed. How it all works out in the end mystifies me.

Girls’ hair seems to be a simpler project – cut in a straight line. My mom always cut our hair growing up. But she was doing a basic straight hair, straight line approach.

So since Jackson’s hair first needed to be cut, I have let the professionals handle the job. I would have been lost trying to figure out how to do it myself.

But after six years of having a son, I have discovered that boys’ hair needs to be cut very often AND the cost of all those haircuts adds up.

After his last hair cut, I was fed up. I was so unimpressed with what she had done that I figured even I could have done a better job! Besides, I have been watching her do it for years. I think I might have figured it out: Grab hair between fingers. Snip. Grab more hair. Snip again. How hard could it be?

So, I bought some scissors and I decided to tackle cutting Jackson’s hair.

To start off, I could have prepared a bit better. But I am a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl. I wanted Jackson to have a haircut before the Ultimate Blog Party. So, the night before our party, while babysitting Julia, I decided it was now or never.

I told Jackson I was going to cut his hair. He was thrilled – he thought it was a fantastic idea. (I appreciated his support – even though it was terribly naive.)

I didn’t even get the poor boy a stool to sit on. I had Julia in the bath, Olivia in her bouncy seat and so, standing in the middle of the bathroom, I started snipping.

I quickly learned three things:

  1. Don’t cut hair in socks.
  2. Cutting hair takes a lot longer when you have no idea what you are doing.
  3. I have no idea how to cut my son’s hair.

Jackson’s original enthusiasm, (“This is the best haircut ever!”) started to fade as the haircut slowly went on. Eventually, Julia whined to get out of the tub and Olivia started to howl.

I hollered for Phil to come rescue the girls and I tried to pick up the pace. When I got to trimming near his ears and neck, Jackson started to scream, “You are going to cut off my head – I don’t want to die!”

I still had more than half of his head to go – I would have called off the mission and headed to the nearest hairdresser if it wasn’t seven o’clock on a Saturday night.

This was definitely a tackle that couldn’t be left unfinished! So I just kept going…

Finally I was able to answer Jackson’s wails of, “Are you finished now?!?” with a, “YES! I am actually done!”

In the end, Jackson was pleased with his haircut. (Thank Goodness!) And even I was impressed with what I accomplished.

But if you look closely at his hair – it is the most uneven, shaggy, jagged haircut you have ever seen. (I decided to go with a disheveled look – LOL!)

Next time, I will head back to the hairdresser.

tt-jackson-haircut.jpg


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Comments

  1. I’ve been putting off haircuts for several weeks now. I know it’s past time because one of the ladies at church offered to do it for me last week! Problem is, 3 of the boys really want longish hair. Sigh. Boy #4 likes his buzz. Good boy. Boy #2 wants a “Padowan braid” (how in the world do you spell that?). Boys #2 and #3 don’t really know what they want…but they don’t want it cut. I gave them till Monday to decide. Then they’ll become my “Tackle it Tuesday” for next week! ;^)

    Thanks for the inspiration to tackle some problem areas in my house!

  2. You did a great job for the first time. I have three boys and decided about 5 years ago, with a friend, to learn to cut their (and daddy’s) hair. We got a video from the library and with a little practice and clippers and a good pair of scissors, it is SO worth it. We have to save at least $40 a month since they need a cut about every 5 weeks. And yes, cutting hair in your socks is aweful. And wash your bra afterwards too! 😉

  3. The cut looks great. I have just decided that I am no longer going to cut my 2.5 yr olds hair anymore. It takes way too long and he is just too wiggly for me. And if I do…it will be a nice short crew cut.

  5. That is hilarious! I cut my son’s hair too, but he’s only 11 months old and needs a hair cut about every 6 weeks. I’m so not taking him to the hair dresser. At first it was just a trim across the bangs to keep them out of his eyes, but now he needs a full on hair cut. It takes forever because he won’t hold still, but eventually I get it.
    I think the trick is to watch a “professional” cut short hair (like mine). Yes, you pull it up between your fingers, but you have to pull up some you’ve already cut to get it all roughly the same length – a guide, if you will. then on the sides and back pull it straight out and cut vertically. This will make the hair fall nicely in layers. Don’t fret, it just takes practice and I don’t think it looks bad at all!

  6. Looks cute to me! I think you did a great job! We haven’t given our 18-month-old daughter a “real” haircut yet, but my husband was the one “behind the scissors” for her trims. He has “the skills” in our family when it comes to haircutting. 🙂

  9. I’m laughing so hard I choked! I think the cut looks great! I take the electric trimmers put on the number 4 edge and just shave my son’s head! No muss no fuss! My tackle it is up!

  12. That haircut looks pretty good to me. I have a 2yr old boy & I cut his hair … only because i’m afraid a hairdresser will end up cutting HIM as he just will not sit still. My son’s hair looks like I cut it but at least it’s not in his eyes (or ears) LOL!

  13. I never was very brave and to cute my boys hair.
    When I was younger I was very vain about my hair and my mom never cute my hair.
    Looks like you did a good job.

  14. LOL! It really isn’t bad Janice! You really just need a good set of clippers for the back of their head and all the “edges”. And scissors for the rest. Just bring him over sometime and I’ll show you how LOL!

    Hugs,
    Shera

  17. He actually looks really nice. I love the wavy hair. He looks very stylish. Good job! Throughout the years I have done both, cut it myself and taking them to a stylist. Sometimes the stylists were awesome and at other times awful. It is always hard to tell.

    Have a great day! Hugs!

  19. Cutting hair really is a bigger tackle than many people think. My daughter has very long hair and has me trim the bottom. I have a hard time keeping it straight and it always takes me longer than it should!

  20. LOL! That’s why I always just buzz off my son’s hair with the clippers!! (But he’s two.)
    Have no idea what I’ll do when he’s older!!

    Actually I don’t think it looks that bad, though. You did a good job.

  21. You are soooo brave. I’d never touch my boys’ hair. They move around too much and I’d be afraid that I’d scar them for life!

    PS: This is my very first Tackle it Tuesday. I was supposed to tackle the shoe mess in my closet, but I’ve chosen to move to WordPress instead!

  22. That is too cute! I have seen MUCH worse…Let me be honest, I have DONE much worse! 🙂

  23. I don’t think the hair cut looks bad at all. As with all things, it takes time… as you continue to do it, the better you will be.

    I shave my son’s hair for his haircuts. Its so much easier than snipping. 🙂

    A+ for trying!

  25. OH you did fine don’t give up so easy. I have been doing cuts on everyone for years it really is not that big of a deal. Hang in there

  26. The picture looks great! My hubby buzzes our boys’ hair now. I tried using scissors with my first son, but didn’t do a good job. I’m glad I don’t have to do the haircuts anymore! 🙂

  28. I bought some clippers a while back to cut my husband’s hair and now I cut my son’s too. It was definitely worth buying. For the cost of one or two hair cuts we have used it for 3 years! I think the clippers are less scary than just using scissor. I would be too afraid of getting it even with scissors. You should try clippers! 🙂

  29. There is no way on God’s green earth I would do haircuts with Scissors. I cut mt son’s and husband hair..two different types of hair. Hubby’s hair is thick and curly…Tornado’s hair is straight and coarse..We use hair clippers. Most people think that if you use them then you give buzz cuts but that is why they give you multiple lengths of guides…..Start with the longest one and work your way down to the desired length…and it doesn’t take that long either!..remember that the hairdresser probably went to school to figure out how to use scissors to cut hair!

  30. He looks adorable! I was just thinking about cutting my own son’s hair. Years ago I invested in clippers (if you call 20 bucks an “investment”!) and they are a dream to use. I’ve even managed to give him short cuts instead of completely shaving his head! It sure does save a lot of money to do it myself:)

  32. I had to laugh at Jackson’s comment that he didn’t want to die! Sounds like something my son would say. You did a great job and he was happy with it. And it does get easier with practice. I do my son’s hair a lot, but I started with clippers. A buzz cut is harder to mess up. 🙂

  33. the haircut looks wonderful! delurking to say that i started cutting my husbands hair when we got married 9 months ago… only one major mistake has happened, and he kinda looked like a skater kid for a day or two.. which wouldnt have been so bad if he werent an attorney and had to go to court the next day – but whatever. I have also begun to cut my own hair – a much scarier process for me – but I am learning!

  35. My preggo girlfriend is 6 months along & just out of the hospital on COMPLETE bedrest until delivery! I’m trying to organize practical help for her in our circle of friends/choir to keep her off her cutie feet. Sometimes it’s not enough just to pray for blessing…sometimes you have to BE a blessing!

  39. Girls’ hair isn’t always easy either though! Curls and waves make it hard to cut in a straight line that still looks straight once it ‘bounces’ up… Which is why I don’t cut my girls’ hair either – and the cost is why none of us have had a haircut since September… I really need to remedy that! 🙂

  41. I have THREE boys…yes those haircuts do add up. I laughed at your description because I went through the exact same progression of thoughts. So, I went out and bought a haircut kit..clippers and all. There definitely was a learning curve =) and there are pictures to prove it! I estimate the $$ we’ve saved over the years to be in the thousands. And as a bonus, I am getting so good that hubby trusts me to cut HIS hair now too!

  42. The hair cut doesn’t look so bad. Disheveled is in now isn’t it 🙂 Mine’s up, more of the same – laundry & painting!

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