Working With Kids 101

VOLUME 6

 

Working with children can be challenging, but also very rewarding! Here are some tips on how to cope with little ones in the salon.

Typically, parents bring youngsters into the salon for their first cut between the ages of 1 year to 18 months. Keep these "do's and don'ts" in mind when you work with children (and parents) of all ages.

Do's

Work quickly: While some stylists advise showing the scissors or clippers to the child beforehand, this takes time. Further, it could actually make a child fearful.

Keep hands close to the child's head at all times: Children frequently make sudden moves, and if your hands are out and away from the head, the child’s head could accidentally clash with the sharp edge of the scissors. Unless you are cutting longer lengths of hair, keep your hands in contact with the scalp at all times.

Keep smiling: You will be frustrated, but try to laugh it off. It will make the experience more positive for you, for the child and for the parent. Otherwise, you face an embarrassed and/or annoyed parent. Also, children can sense not being liked, so if you are not smiling and playing along, it can intensify the situation and make everyone more agitated.

Make it a special event: Keep a few balloons or candy at your workstation to give the child at the end of the visit (get the parent's permission first.)

Technical tip: When cutting children's bangs, use a long-toothed comb, such as a clipper-cutting comb. Hold the comb in your free hand with the teeth perpendicular to the child's forehead, just under the hanging length of the bangs. Now, as you cut the hair, it will fall on this "shelf", not get on the face, which can cause a child to jump and be frightened.

Don'ts

Don't expect children to sit still in the chair.

Don't worry if they cry. It's normal and some children might think a part of themselves is being cut away, while others are just not used to being confined.

Don't give them candy or treats until you are finished.

Don't try elaborate styles. Stick to basic cuts. Children do not have the patience to sit still for very long. If the child is particularly energetic, you may want to begin with the bangs. At least the hair will be out of the eyes, even if you are not able to complete the cut!

Good Cuts Gone Bad

What happens if the child will not cooperate and you can't finish the cut? Do you still charge for the cut? You will want to work with your salon manager on this, but here are two ways to look at it:

1. The stylist's point of view: You've booked the time. If you cannot charge for the .service because the child would not cooperate, you've lost income for that booking.
2. The parent's point of view: Parents do not want to pay full price for a cut that may not look good just because the child could not sit still.

On most cases, it is best to take the short-term loss by not charging the parent, in order to keep the family as long-term clients. Otherwise, you run the risk of offending (and losing) the parent as a client.

On a final note, remember that "little people" are clients. They are good business for the salon and for stylists. It's to everyone's advantage to make a child feel comfortable and safe, while turning a simple haircut into a fun event!