Kid-Friendly Hair Salons

Young boy in a kid friendly hair salon — Photo: Bigstock

How to make an existing hair salon more kid-friendly.

I spent almost a year working at a strictly kids' hair salon where everything we did was catered toward the child market. The haircuts were quick (timed to be around seven minutes), the music was happy and poppy, prizes were given, there were toys everywhere (to be played with and bought), fun furniture, and children’s specialty hair products were always available for purchase.

On the weekends, we would host elaborate birthday parties for up to twenty young girls where we would do their hair, nails, feed them cupcakes as we played the latest in teen pop music and then would end with a fashion show.

We would get parents who would not have time to go to a salon to sit in the small chairs and get a quick cut, but you could tell that they were extremely uncomfortable with the amount of enthusiasm we had and lack of magazines that did not consist of mazes or songs that were not from the Kidz Bop collection.

For men, getting a quick haircut is no big deal, and most opt for a quick trip to the barber, whereas women tend to want a spa-like experience when they go to the salon. They get those few hours where they are pampered; their hair is washed and massaged; they can get a new color; they can get a new style; and it all ends with a relaxing and warm blow-dry while reading the latest issue of Vogue or Cosmopolitan.

Unfortunately, the luxury of going to a salon can be few and far between for busy moms as they may not be able to find a sitter for their children and do not want to worry about chasing after them while they are trying to relax. Along with that, there are also working moms who may desire the relaxation but also want to spend as much time with their children, even if they are a few feet apart.

Parents, getting pampered at a hair salon — Photo: SimpleFoto/Canva

So, how do salons rectify this situation, so they can accommodate busy moms while increasing business at the same time? We have some ideas that they may want to implement that will not impede much on their current situation and can only build their brand, which is what every successful owner wants.

Making a salon kid-friendly does not mean that you have to change your salon around in a dramatic manner. You do not have to make the walls poppy pink with glitter and unicorns, unless that is your style. Nor do you have to play censored music or the Disney Channel all day and night. It is not about taking away, but rather adding on to help make your business more accessible for parents who have to bring their children with them to the salon when they need a particular service.

Children’s Area

First off, you need to find a large enough space for a children's area; maybe you have a backroom that has gone unused or extra walls that can be knocked down to open up the salon a bit. Any investment you make, you will most certainly get back and you will see why as you continue to read on. The space should be approximately 13.4 feet by 15 feet (4 by 4.5 meters), possibly a little smaller but this would be a good starting point.

Children's area in a hair salon a hair salon — Image: AI illustration

In that area, there should be no outlets that children can reach. Or you can childproof all of the outlets, even if you choose to have iPads in that area. You can charge them before the clients come in, but outlets should definitely be hidden from children under the age of six, but I would say ten just to be on the safe side.

In this special area, you can begin to create a world of wonder and magic. Open specifically on Saturdays and Sundays. Why those days? Because those are the times when working mothers are most likely to have the opportunity to get their hair done. Balancing beauty and being with your children is hard, and if a salon offers both in a fun and reliable way, a mom is more likely to want to keep coming back because they know that they can have all the services they want and their kids remain happy.

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