At salons across the world, hairstylists who survive in the industry

have developed themselves to know what are the four parenting styles.  If you do not learn this quite early, your work life will be challenging. Not all parents are alike and since they are from different backgrounds, cultures and countries, it takes some effort to predict how you can get out unmarked. Psychologists have managed to condense what are the four parenting styles and since hairstylists are constantly in contact with them, it is a good thing to know. 

The most known ones are:

1.  Authoritarian – they tell the child what to do and expect total obedience.  Where this becomes a problem is when the hairstyle is painful for the child; they leave the hair too long between styles or they ask for styles that is outside the child’s age group.  One of my most memorable experiences was once, I had booked a client for prom and her mom chose this hairstyle I thought was definitely for some victorian bride but she insisted this was it–for her little princess, with the dress to match.  On the day of, her best friend came in while we were doing her hair and wore this fun, hip hairdo and it finally dawned on them that her friends were wearing trendy, teenager-type formal dresses, not wedding gowns. Suddenly, we had to change the hairstyle and everything was a problem from there.  We decided on one finally, but mom and I felt that teenage angst! I often wonder what she did for a new dress.