I have no excuse for my extraordinarily, ahem, punny title other than…Monday?

Sure. We’ll go with that.

Anyhoo, I think I’ve talked about this before (but six children is slowly but surely turning my brain into sludge so…) here’s the deal:

I love DIY. I will happily DIY practically anything that I think I can pull off instead of paying lots of money for an already done deal.

Anything except haircuts.

I know there’s this magical thing called Youtube, which could certainly give me more than enough information to fake it through a few little boy haircuts and a bob or two.

But…I just haven’t been able to make myself pull the trigger on that one.

Partly because I feel like I am missing the hair-cutting gene. I have the hair-styling gene for sure. I’ve always been able to braid/elaborately style my own hair without having to look in a mirror, and I’ve even been recruited to do styles for special occasions for others a time or two.

But put a pair of scissors in my hand, and I’m all thumbs and elbows and overflowing potential for one of the worst chili-bowl cuts since 1994.

If I were forced at gun-point to open a hair salon (because that’s what it would take), I would probably name it, “Weedwhackers R Us,” just so everybody would know what they were getting going in.

Which brings me to my wonderful friend, Hollie (who would be a good egg in my book just for being a fellow “ie” name-speller but who also happens to be the best hair-stylist I’ve ever been to, so that’s a nice bonus).

I’ve been going to Hollie for…I’ve lost track. But something like 5 years? I think? (I really have lost track). And besides that one time that she accidentally grabbed the cutting shears instead of the thinning shears and lopped an impressive chunk off the back of my hair (yes, we laugh about it now; no, we weren’t laughing at the time), she’s never steered me wrong. (And let’s face it: I have enough hair for three people, so that one chunk was practically enough for Locks of Love, and I didn’t even miss it that much…once I learned to hide it when I styled my hair. :/).

Add to that the fact that she lets all of my kids cram into her studio to do cuts assembly style, and I couldn’t imagine a better friend/stylist.

That assembly-style situation is exactly what we had going on a few weeks ago when every single last one of my kids (minus Della, since she’d already had her birthday cut) got a trim (or more) on the same morning.

I would love to say that I was the least bit emotional about the twins’ first haircut because that would make me sound like a better mama (I guess), but I wasn’t. I was ready. Della didn’t get a haircut until her 5th birthday, but her hair has natural curl and never looked scraggly or weedy.

I could not say the same for the twins.

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{Getting ready for her big chop}

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{Duck lips and downcast eyes; oh no! Already her bob has aged her to teenagedom!}

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{Oh, phew! Back to being little girls!}

And the boys only get about 2 haircuts a year and were looking more than a little Hobbitish.

Even little mister’s Theodorable curls were starting to frizz and hang down in his eyes.

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Clearly, he was a huge fan of the process.

I would also love to say that I lined all the kids up and took a group photo of all the freshly shorn sheepies. But…I didn’t. #momfail #bloggerfail #seenoteaboveaboutsludgeforbrain

I give, as my excuse, the fact that all 7 of us headed to the grocery store to buy Shaun’s birthday dinner ingredients immediately following an hour and 1/2 of haircuts, and keeping 6 children a) alive b) happy and c) out from underfoot of fellow shoppers WHILE remembering all the things on your list kind of drives the thought of group pics straight out of your head.

This was not taken on Haircut Day, nor does it showcase any of their haircuts in any sort of clear way.

But it IS a group pic (and rather compelling evidence that my husband is a hoss). So, there’s that.

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Do you guys cut your own kids’ hair? (Go ahead, make me feel like a fraud as a mother; I can take it).

Any great (beginner) Youtube videos to share? I’m all eyes!

 

 

0 Comments

  1. I made the choice to cut my children’s hair after two really bad haircuts in a row at the barber shop, it looked he cut steps in the side of their heads, very uneven. My sister saw them and told me don’t be cheap, take them somewhere to get their haircuts, don’t hack them yourself. I told her those were done at the barbershop. My mom said they looked rough, but their hair will grow back. I was done paying for bad haircuts. I asked my then boyfriend who had been cutting my hair since we first started dating to help. We got a child sized cape and watched some YouTube videos. He helped me with the technique using the clippers on the sides, but I had him take over with the scissors for the top and blending with the sides. I was nervous and afraid I was going to screw up, but I was very pleased with the finished results. We didn’t just buzz them bald. When my mom saw them, she fawned over them as they looked so handsome. She was surprised when I told her I did them (with a lot of help) and she said that she hoped that we continue to do them as it will save a lot of money. I did part of their haircuts a couple more times until my eldest son said he didn’t want me to cut his hair and his younger brother followed his lead. So my husband took over doing their haircuts as they said he does a better job. I felt slighted, but relieved as using the clippers was quite nerve wracking for me. I think I would get better doing their haircuts with a little more practice, but I’m ok with my husband being the family barber as well as my stylist. I still save a lot of money, I figure close to a thousand a year between their monthly haircuts, mine every other month, tips, and transportation costs. I think that is definitely a significant savings, my boys get nice looking haircuts and I don’t miss getting my hair hacked at the salon either.

  2. Love everything about this. Used to cut my own hair when it was super short and had crazy layers and I could get away with it but now I let my own grow till even friends are begging to cut it and then let them go for it. I just can’t stomach spending $30 to have someone else cut my hair. I also cut my hubby’s (buzz #1) and boys (far more difficult given they hate buzz cuts and they wiggle). There is always a 2 week window after I cut my boys when I think, ‘never again, grow faster…grow FASTER’! And then the two weeks is over and I forget how crazy it looked and it starts to get shaggy and I go after it again. Crazy? yes, thrifty? definitely, for everyone? not even close! I dream of taking my boys to someone and letting them deal with the wiggles but don’t know someone cheap and good so I just keep hacking away myself. 🙂 My daughter, she is tricky. I have cut it (straight trim, pretty easy) but she has it in her head for something with some layers next so I think I’m going to beg a friend and pay her in coffee and conversation.

  3. After much trepidation, I finally started cutting my husband’s hair. Since we live in the country, getting to the barber was becoming a big production just to get a haircut. For my 4 daughters, another mom of 4 girls told me about the “ponytail haircut” on Pinterest. I did my round of pinteresting and did 3 haircuts in 15 minutes or less. That’s what I’m talking about! Cute layers and little cutting. They love that it doesn’t take me an hour to do! I then ventured into the ponytail cut on myself this last time. My husband was impressed and loved the layers. So, here’s my message, moms aren’t failures bc they don’t DIY everything. We just choose our battles based on what we’re willing to take a stab (snip?) at. It’s taken me 12 yrs of married life to get brave enough to do my husband’s hair. Hopefully I’ll just get braver as the yrs go by. And yes, I do pray (fervently) before I snip. 🙂

  4. I have one daughter and two sons. My sons make it easy for me by totally going along with buzz cuts (except a few months back when they decided to grow mohawks!!) and my daughter (who is 7) has had three total hair cuts. The last of the three she has had was attempted by me, after looking at her messy nappy looking long stringy hair that she refused to brush. We came home from the grocery and I grabbed a pair of scissors and started cutting! I would like to say that I only cut two inches off, but by the time I got it straight and (halfway) decent looking, I cut about 4 inches off! So, no I do not normally cut her hair and after the fiasco this last time I will not again! Ha

  5. Good to know I’m not the only mom whose boy gets chopped a few times a year. I will give the bangs and back a little trim if it gets in his eyes or starts to look a little mullet-like, but the big cuts I leave to a professional.

  6. Haha, I cut all 10 of the other heads of hair residing in my house, but as of almost 2 years ago, I do go get my own professionally done (my husband did mine before, not me!). …I’m pretty sure hair cutting isn’t a requirement for motherhood though! : ) I use clippers on all 7 (one more coming up soon, he just needs to grow hair faster) guys, so that’s pretty much a cheat. I can’t imagine being able to get away with 2 cuts a year! My crew are hair machines- they MUST put out more than the standard 1/2 inch a month, more like 1 1/2 – 2 inches a month. I’m raising haystacks… noisy haystacks.

  7. Sydney was born with a massively full head of black hair. It was ridiculous. So I had to learn early how to cope with that. I’ve always cut her hair, mainly because we were poor as dirt and paying someone to cut hair was out of the question. I’m great at bobs and okay at layering. I am NOT good at styling. Emma, on the other hand, had a few hairs when she was born and then went bald as a cue ball for months. Now I mainly give trims as both girls are aiming for Rapunzel-esque hair. Sydney does visit a stylist since we had a purple streak put in her hair (she’s 14 and had her heart set…it was one of those “pick your battles”), but Emma is still a resident of my Scissor Kingdom. I don’t watch YouTube videos. I go by how the hair feels and falls.

  8. Nope. It takes years for them to actually grow hair after being born bald, so we’re leaving well enough alone for now. My husband cuts his own hair…and mine! 🙂 I guess he’ll take over the girls’ haircuts when they are old enough. I just can’t justify paying 50-60 dollars for a haircut I probably won’t like (I rarely like professional cuts on me), and it’s just that expensive here in Switzerland!

  9. Part of being a good mom is knowing your strengths, weaknesses and skills. Cutting hair isn’t your jam but can we talk about all the things you do do (do do-ha!)?
    I feel strongly that it’s better to keep yourself sane by embracing other people for their talents than to pretend I can do it all and make myself an overwhelmed stressed out mess which makes me less of a good mom.

  10. This post is great! Group pictures of freshly cut hair are not required for good mothering…and depending on the attitudes of those involved, might be the opposite!
    The baby carrier for cutting Theo’s hair is sheer brilliance! I’ll have to remember that (even though most of my babies haven’t had hair to speak up at that young an age).
    My mother-in-law taught me how to cut my husband’s hair shortly after we got married. But, since it is curly and we keep it short with clippers, I can’t really ruin it. (plus, you can’t beat the convenience of a haircut at midnight or early on a Sunday morning) I’ve cut my son’s hair a few times when it was out of hand, but again, curly hides a multitude of errors. Tip for cutting little boy hair: do it outside so they can run around occasionally.
    My six-year old girl’s curly hair is another story…considering taking her to a salon soon. I figure I’ve saved enough on the guys’ hair at my house to justify the expense.

  11. Naw, I get people’s hair cut by professionals. I have done some buzz cuts but the coaxing and wrassling is a bit much. My husband and I have 7 children all of whom need haircuts except our little 3.5mo. I wonder often if I would make even fancy beauty school tuition back in savings on cuts and my color!?

  12. I was blessed to have a Mum who taught me how to cut hair and 5 awesome brothers that didn’t mind me practicing on them. 🙂 So, I do cut my husbands (he doesn’t like other people doing it!) and 3 kiddos hair but I will admit that I do always get mine cut by a professional. 😉 I don’t have any recommendations for YouTube videos, sorry! But that’s awesome that you have a friend who is so amazing at it! Does she own a beauty salon?
    ~Hannah

    P.S. Love all the pictures! Especially the one of all your kiddos riding horseback on Shaun – They look like they are having a ton of fun!

  13. I cut my girls hair and g daughters. Still do however it always more of a trim to get rid of stragglys. Never tried my boys. Their hair was so wiry and stubborn

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