Mixed-Up Moment:Cutting Hair Becomes a Family Affair

As the kids grow, the price of a hair cut grows with them. My teenage daughters’ hair trims cost as much as my own.

An enjoyable way to save money on hair cuts and encourage sibling/family bonding time is to organize a family hair cutting day every few months. It’s a great way to build trust between siblings.

Use your own judgement when deciding the time is right to let them brandish their first pair of cutting scissors and get to work; I find 8 a good age to start them in the rotation. Let Mom or Dad trim the hair of the very youngest family member (for safety reasons as little ones tend to squirm during hair cuts).

Gather the family and arm each family member with a water spray bottle, sharp hair-cutting scissors, a wide-tooth comb–put on some energetic cool tunes and away you go!

My older daughters take turns cutting each other’s hair. It is beautful to watch the siblings bond through ultimate trust and confidence in the other. Each family member places their head in the trusted hands of the other. Often, they are not disappointed and the stylist delivers a relatively attractive hair cut.

I don’t recommend using electric hair cutting clippers during family cutting time. Your tweens/teens will plead, beg and assure you they are ready to handle the clippers in a mature and competent manner–but it is imparative that you ignore their pleas. Do Not Give Anyone Under the Age of 18 Electric Hair Clippers.

I found this out the hard way. I agreed to let my tween try out the electric clippers. Unbeknownst to me, the girls had a disagreement prior to our family hair cutting time (involving a book borrowed from the other without permission).

The results were not pretty and took a year to grow out.

However, the lessons learned from a bad hair cut (by both the stylist and recipient) are immeasurable. My daughters learned the limits and boundaries of trust, respect, forgiveness, how to let go of vanity and  when to say,  I’m sorry.

The family bonds that are formed (and only once in a while torn apart) coupled with the money the entire family saves (by cutting our own hair) makes it all worth while–you can stash the money you save away for a family vacation!