The first Christmas I spent as a married woman my mom gave me a gift that has proven to be priceless…
A set of hair clippers and lessons on how to cut hair from a friend of hers.
A few weeks later, with my husband dutifully propped on a stool in my mom’s friend’s garage, I took my first swipes at his head (brave man!) I didn’t do too bad if I do say so myself!
She only taught me one cut…high and tight (you military mamas know what I’m talking about), but that was all I needed to know. My husband is former military and a former police officer (both military and civilian), so knowing how to cut this one haircut ended up being an incredible return on my mom’s initial investment.
Now, you can quadruple that return since I now have not only a husband, but 3 boys
Saturday night, Super K was the recipient of my haircutting skills.
Usually, I put a towel around his neck to keep the hair off of him, but we were in a serious hurry that night, so I knew he wouldn’t have to deal with the yuck of hair being all over him too long.
I use Andis brand clippers (only because the lady at Sally’s Beauty Supply talked me into it.) They’ve been good clippers and have lasted quite a while.
You start by oiling the clippers. These clippers will actually shut off if the oil isn’t sufficient.
I use a 1/2″ guard on the top of the head first. My boys have a lot of cowlicks, so I have to run the clippers over their heads several times in several different directions in order to get it all (and on occasion I find a stray long hair while I’m sitting next to them in church or in a restaurant…”Note to self…cut that piece of stickin’-up-hair when we get home!”)
After I’ve taken a goodly amount off the top and down the sides a bit, I switch to an 1/8″ blade and work my way from the base of the hairline to an imaginary line on the side of their heads. Since I cut “high” and tight not “low” and tight, this imaginary line tends to be very close to where the head curves and becomes the top of the head. My sons have 2 cowlicks on either side of their foreheads which creates a bit of a widow’s peak. The imaginary line is level with the widow’s peak.
As you near the imaginary line, you rock the clippers out toward you ever so slightly so it creates a “fade” and not a defined line. My husband calls it a “shelf” if I don’t fade enough, as in,
“I have a shelf on this side of my head…could you fix that?”
Then, I brush off my victim son and whisk him to the shower (his least favorite part of this whole ordeal).
Lookin’ good, Laddy Boy!
(Thanks Mom for the gift that has kept on giving!)
Holly says
That’s great you know how to do that! I’d prolly ending up shaving all my husbands’s hair off. lol
Verna says
Not only did she teach you something that can make a lot of memories, but that can save you money in the long run.
Way to go mom!
Love the photos.
2feetonearth1inthestars says
Awwww What a wonderful memory and walk down memory lane. And the pics are just adorable and your mom sounds like a wonderful woman
Fruitful Harvest says
I too have the clippers with a video! They make it look so easy don’t they?
My husband let me cut his hair as well….not good! We got our our moneys worth with 4 boys and a husband!
The hair on the back….so funny! Poor kiddos…their back would itch and I would say sit still I’m almost done!!!! (messing it up)LOL
Oh the memories!
Warmly,
Georgiann
Amy @ Raising Arrows says
Well, you know he is 3 now, so hair on his back is just around the corner! lol
The oil came w/ the clipper…I’m guessing it’s just some small machine type oil.
Sarah Robinson says
whoa…he looked like he was growing hair on his back. 🙂 Maybe that’s our problem. We never oil it….lol. Is there a special kind of clipper oil?
Lilyofthevalley - Tanya says
Great gift!!
I also cut my dh’s hair and our youngest son’s hair. Dh cuts our 6 yr son hair. He can do a better job on him, than me. LOL 🙂
Sally-Ann says
What a great gift from your Mum. I think you are very talented and brave to cut hair!! My family would run if they saw clippers in my hands!
Michelle says
Very sweet!
I cut my son’s hair, too – (and I make him sit on a stool in the bathtub while I buzz him – It makes clan-up a breeze!)
I have never done a total buzz, though – both DH and DS like it a bit longer on top, so I buzz the sides and back and blend the top with a scissors – so as not to get a ‘shelf.’
What a great gift – and think of how much you’ve saved over the years!
Blessings,
Michelle
Linda says
Good Post Amy,
Lynnette used to line us all up and give us all haircuts. All of her family, plus grandpa and I. She does a good job too.
Your story reminded me of all of the haircuts my mom gave my little brother with the clippers. He always complained that they got hot and burned his neck. We used to call those haircuts the “bowl cuts”,…cuz she didn’t know about the “fade” proceedure!
Good picturs!
Linda @ Truthful Tidbits
Beth says
Momma haircuts are such a money saver! I cut my hubby’s hair as well as my 4 kiddos (and the dog’s hair, too!) It saves a ton of money, and besides, I think I do a better job than the local “walk-in” salons. 🙂
Lynnette Kraft says
Hair cuts – necessary but a pain – in my opinion. ha! I cut hair but I don’t like to very much.
Cute pics.
Lynnette
Deedee says
You do a great job! Well done and thanks for the tutorial.
I bought a pair of Winnie the Pooh clippers when my eldest was a toddler (he is now 9) and have cut their hair ever since.
With my two boys and foster children coming and going we do alot of haircuts! Dh won’t let me near his since he prefers it longer and I do short or very short! LOL!
We have saved a fortune over the years already and I have just graduated to cutting them this month with scissors so it wasn’t sooo short this time. This is the first time I was REALLY happy with the cuts! Not bad, only took about 8 years to get the hang of it! LOL!
Aleks Totic says
Home haircuts rule! Faster and cheaper. Since we are not talented with scissors and clippers, and are able to give only military haircuts with them, and one of our boys throws temper tantrums about cut hair & itchies, we use the Flowbee. Remember the funny late night commercials in the 90’s featuring haircuts with something that looked like an offspring of clippers and a vacuum cleaner? That’s the Flowbee. It might be a good choice for any readers that are intimidated by scissors.
Amy says
We have friends who love their Flowbee! I was skeptical until I saw how well it worked. Thanks for sharing.
Natasha says
Oh, the memories. My mother-in-law taught me to cut my husband’s hair right after we were married. Now every time I cut all five of our boys’ hair I think, “$60 saved!” Who knows how much it has saved us over the years.
Amy says
We should figure it up sometime!
Amy says
I just got clippers. Hubby will be working during tax season so I won’t be doing much more than touching up his. But I started cutting DS’ whose almost 2 hair. I’d love to get lessons – maybe I should call a cousin who cuts hair….
Amy says
It is well worth it!
NIki9 French says
I love to cut my boys hair! I used to cut my husband’s until, well, he has no more to cut! Way to go, Mom…and Grandma! Love the military cut!
NIki French says
Didn’t see the number 9 after my name. Wierd!
Emily Q says
Thanks so much for the rocking out ever so slightly advice 🙂 I’m always struggling to not get that severe edge in my boys’ hair! I’m gonna try that next time I cut their hair…..which unfortunately needs to be soon. LOL,