Sounds like he wants a shag haircut if he wants to keep the length, but out of his eyes. Just Google “boys shag haircut” and take a picture.

Do not listen to the numbers people - even an 8 guard is way shorter than either of my sons have ever had their hair. Go to a hipster barber and they will use scissors and take their time to shape it well.

However if you want your son to have a standard little boy haircut, parted on the side and trim around the ears - but not cut down to the skin anywhere. Go to Westover Barber shop in Arlington and ask for Annie. 90% of their business is kids and the other 10% are dads of said kids. They will take the weight off with clippers, but do the actual cut and shape with scissors.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What number guard do boys use on the sides and back? Does anyone just do scissors or is the clipper standard for around the ears and back unless the hairstyle is past the ears?

Clippers at barbers. Always.

+1. Always clippers at a Barber. The blade-guard numbers supposedly map to 8ths of an inch, meaning a number 4 blade-guard is 4/8ths of an inch. For me, a “normal” hair cut is maybe a “number 6 all over” with “tapered in back” and “off the ears”. A military cut would be shorter, maybe a 3 or 4, with USMC hair cuts even shorter than that.

If DC’s hair is really long right now, maybe instead try asking for a number 8 cut (8/8ths = 1”) to avoid too much surprise for DC. If still too long, then come back in a few weeks and specify a smaller number. Regardless of number, I would suggest asking also for “off the ears” and “tapered in back”.

Op, if he wants to keep the length, don't take into a barber, take him to a hairdresser, like someone who works on females more. They can give him a better haircut.

Google “little boy classic haircut” and you may find more pictures you like. People who cut hair in this area are just generally not that great. I finally found people I like who can do my kids’ hair but we kissed a lot of frogs first.

Anonymous wrote:
It may also depend on the barber. My Asian husband goes to a Vietnamese barber, and gets a short cut that goes well with his spiky Asian hair. It's the "normal Asian" cut. But my white-asian son's hair doesn't look good with that cut. As a teen, he grew it out, and now when he goes for a haircut, he asks "a little shorter please" and the barber doesn't take off all the hair, but... makes it a little shorter all around. And that preserves some curl and volume.

What you are talking about isn't about the barber, but the fact that your husband and your kid don't have typical caucasian hair. The conversation with the barber for my black sons would be completely different than what OP is talking about.

It may also depend on the barber. My Asian husband goes to a Vietnamese barber, and gets a short cut that goes well with his spiky Asian hair. It's the "normal Asian" cut. But my white-asian son's hair doesn't look good with that cut. As a teen, he grew it out, and now when he goes for a haircut, he asks "a little shorter please" and the barber doesn't take off all the hair, but... makes it a little shorter all around. And that preserves some curl and volume.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also if you go to an old school barber, tell them you have a wedding/concert/whatever and he needs to look nice. They will give him a 'normal' cut

They will chop off all his length if you ask for his! We learned the hard way and my kid cried all the way home.

What do you ask for now? I told the last stylist we wanted a trim but cleaned up a bit and she chopped and buzzed everything off and accentuated his cowlick and bumpy head shape. Granted this was a Supercuts.

A textured shag for one kid. This for the other

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also if you go to an old school barber, tell them you have a wedding/concert/whatever and he needs to look nice. They will give him a 'normal' cut

They will chop off all his length if you ask for his! We learned the hard way and my kid cried all the way home.

That's what a normal haircut is

Yes but she said he just wants it a little shorter and cleaned up. He currently has a surfer flow.

Anonymous wrote:What number guard do boys use on the sides and back? Does anyone just do scissors or is the clipper standard for around the ears and back unless the hairstyle is past the ears?

Clippers at barbers. Always.