How to make your salon child-friendly (without irritating other clients!)

If you're choosing to make your salon child-friendly it can be tricky to find the balance between keeping kids entertained, happy and calm, whilst avoiding irritating the child-free clients in the salon. Here three hairdressing pros share their top tips on how to create a child-friendly environment. Jonathan Andrew, Fudge Professional global brand ambassador "All stylists know that cutting kids' hair can be like trying to cut a moving target. Some children find the hairdressers a daunting experience or some children naturally just don’t want to sit still. Having little things in place to keep them interested and sitting still will help. A child’s seat will make them feel special like a grown up but will also help the stylist to be able to do the service. iPads are a great tool to buy you time, put on their favourite program and that should definitely give you 20 minutes to work your magic. Never underestimate the power of Peppa Pig! Colouring books are a great tool to keep them engaged or simply entertain them if mum or dad are getting their hair done. And let's not forget the sweet jar – this has to be a favourite for most children! There’s nothing better than getting their favourite sweet as a reward for sitting nice and still! (Only if and when COVID-19 restrictions allow, of course)."  

Lucan Salem, Director, Hari's Hairdressers for L’Oréal Professionnel

"Our advice would be to have or create an interactive area in the salon which children can utilise and offer entertainment whilst they are having their treatment, or whilst they’re waiting for their parents. When we opened Hari’s Fulham Road salon, we created the HARI's Hair Hub (an iPad at each section which includes e-magazine, treatment menus and an online shop) as well as a kid's section with puzzles, games and crosswords.  We also have the Readily Magazine subscription which offers a huge variety of magazines for kids of all ages.  These interactive activities help keep them busy whilst mum has her highlights done!  We also offer child friendly juices and healthy snacks which we all know is the best way to keep the kids happy!  Lastly, for the new mums, we always allocate enough space at their station so that they can bring in their pram and park it next to them.  Babies always find it easy to sleep in the salon thanks to the white noise from the hairdryers so it really is happy mum, happy baby!"

  Tracy Hayes, international colourist "This can be quite a debatable subject, as I'm sure many salons have team members that prefer not to do children, due to all sorts of reasons such as fidgeting, crying or even parents getting in the way. I suggest children should be encouraged to be booked with the newest member on the floor, who is most likely to have the quietest column. It can be an ideal way to start their clientele, which hopefully if nurtured, a few years down the line they will have a column of young fun teenagers. To encourage the child to have their hair cut make it an easy task on both parts of the stylist and child. Invest in a few brightly coloured gowns in children's size and a booster seat/bar will make the child feel instantly grown up, rather than wobbling around on a pile of towels. I’ve yet to see a child that doesn’t want their hair washed professionally, most children are fascinated by water, so pick somebody equally playful to wash their hair! One last mention, in these COVID-19 times masks and visors can be intimidating to children at such close contact. Invest in a few fun masks, maybe animal or cartoon themed that will relax and possibly even make children smile while they're in the chair." Anne Veck and Keith Mellen, Anne Veck Oxford  "We actually started out being child-friendly and had special seats, drinks, products and so on but more and more kids in the salon unfortunately irritated too many clients, which of course we don’t want to do! So we still offer child cuts but the parent has to be in control and with the child at all times. At the moment, with social distancing, we are not accepting children because we don't allow clients to bring anyone else into the salon with them, simply not enough space. So not a no child policy in normal times but we don't promote the fact that we provide child cuts. "