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Social stories · ages 5–9 · 2-minute read

Haircut social story

What happens at a haircut, step by step. Read it together two or three times in the days before.

Read the story

By the Cala Luna team · Reviewed 24 October 2026 · The research behind it

The story

Read it aloud together, one card at a time. Point to the pictures and let your child read the last card.

  1. Sometimes my hair gets long. Then it is time for a haircut.

  2. At the hairdresser, I sit in a big chair. Sometimes the chair goes up.

  3. The hairdresser puts a cape around me. It keeps little hairs off my clothes.

  4. My hair might get a little wet from a spray bottle. It feels cool.

  5. The scissors go snip, snip. Cutting hair does not hurt.

  6. Sometimes there are clippers. They buzz like a bee and tickle a little.

  7. I can hold my toy, count the snips, or ask for a short break.

  8. When it is finished, I can look in the mirror. My hair is shorter and tidy.

  9. The haircut is over. I did it!

My calm plan

Pick one or two before the day, and practise them at home.

  • 🧸 Hold my toy
  • 🔢 Count the snips
  • ✋ Ask for a break
  • 👀 Watch in the mirror

Free printable social story from calalunakids.com/social-stories/haircut/

Made about your child

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A two-minute calm cartoon where the hero looks like your child and gets through this exact moment, one small step at a time.

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Teo, a small lynx in a big yellow sun hat

How to use this story (for grown-ups)

  • Read the story two or three times in the days before, and once on the day. Reviews of social story research found they work best when read shortly before the situation.
  • Let your child watch someone else have a haircut first, even on a video. Seeing it done calmly is a simple form of video modelling.
  • Agree one small goal, such as "sit in the chair and let them trim the fringe", rather than the whole haircut at once.
  • Tell the hairdresser in advance: a quiet time of day, scissors before clippers, and warnings before each new step.

Why these steps: what 30 years of research says about social stories.

Questions parents ask

My child panics at the clippers. Should we skip them?

For now, yes. Ask for scissors only. Later, let your child hold the clippers switched off, then switched on against their hand, before they go near their hair.

How often should we read the story?

Two or three times across the days before, plus once on the day. Keep it calm and matter-of-fact. If your child gets upset, stop and try again later.

More social stories

Going to the dentist

The waiting room, the tipping chair, the bright light and counting teeth.

Read the story →
Episode 4 thumbnail: Teo hides under the table in his big yellow hat while Mamá gently lifts the brimFree video

First day at a new school

New teacher, new classroom, new friends, and the one question that helps with worry.

Read the story →
Victoria, a young lynx with a pink jumper, stands at the classroom door with her teacher behind herFree video

School drop-off and saying goodbye

A goodbye that is the same every day, and the first small step after it.

Read the story →

All social stories

We read the best free examples and guidance we could find, then wrote a shorter, simpler version in our own words: And Next Comes L: free haircut social stories. Not medical advice; if you are worried about your child, talk to their school or doctor.