Why You Should Let Your Son Choose His Own Haircut
When you were a child, it's possible that your parents made a point of telling your barber how they wanted him or her to cut your hair. This may have been something that bothered you, especially when you and your parents had drastically different points of view on what hairstyles were appropriate. When you have a son of your own and you begin taking him to your local barbershop, it's worthwhile to think back to your own barbershop visits early in life.
Instead of telling your child's barber how to cut the child's hair, consider the value of letting your son have his own say. Here are some reasons to take this approach.
The Child Feels Empowered
The biggest reason to give your son the ability to choose his own haircut is to feel empowered. When you pick how your child's hair will look, this is disempowering for him — and the child may even take some teasing or flat-out bullying at school if you ask for a hairstyle that isn't popular at the time. You can bet that your son will be happy when you inform him that he can choose his own hairstyle, and he may spend a lot of time leading up to the barbershop visit looking at images in magazines and on the internet to find the right look.
It Can Be a Learning Experience
When you allow a child to make a decision, you might worry that he won't make a good one. Try to avoid worrying in this way when you give your son free rein to choose his haircut. It's absolutely possible that he asks for a haircut that you don't like, or that he eventually won't feel good wearing. That's okay because this can be a learning experience. The learning experience is much in the same manner as giving a child permission to choose how much dessert he or she wants to eat — and having the child overeat to the point of feeling ill, but then learning not to make the same mistake in the future.
You're Showing Trust
Children often want to feel as though their parents trust them, but when you're selecting what haircut your son will wear, this isn't exactly demonstrating a high degree of trust. Giving your son the option to choose his own hairstyle shows that you trust his choices, even if you don't necessarily agree with them. As your son gets older, he will feel confident about how you trust him, and may frequently make decisions that don't break this trust.
To learn more about haircuts for children, contact local barbers for their insight.
