Babies have all the luck. They’re so cute that they make baldness, receding hairlines, mullets, and being chubby all look amazingly adorable. It’s a little unfair that we adults can’t enjoy the same benefits, but I guess it’s all part of being a grown-up.

At some point in your baby’s life, you will probably have to consider orchestrating a real tear jerker (hopefully just for you): the first haircut. Even if your baby is bald and you fear he will never have hair (been there), I promise that he will.

When you decide this is necessary is totally personal preference. I know mothers of both girls and boys that say they still haven’t cut their preschooler’s hair yet, and others whose follically blessed offspring needed bangs or their entire head cut to get the hair out of their eyes before they reached their first birthday.

It can be a little nerve wracking to cut your baby’s hair. Some people opt to do it at home, other parents choose to take their baby to a salon or barber. It can be frightening to imagine an active child around sharp scissors, so a professional can be a good choice if this is something that worries you. Many cities now have children’s salons with fun seats to sit in, brightly colored walls, and sometimes even children’s’ programming on TVs. If your area doesn’t have one, or you aren’t interested in that sort of thing, most salons and barbers have padded boosters for the chair and cute kid-sized smocks for them to wear.

If you have an older child going in for their first cut, prepping them mentally beforehand is a really good idea. Letting them know what to expect and explaining what’s going to happen can help keep the experience a positive one. My own son had his first cut when he was still very young–we were pretty much just trimming his mullet (party in the back) as the business in the front didn’t have a whole lot going on yet. I don’t think he would have gotten a lot out of prepping him beforehand, so I went armed with bribes (Dum-dums) and everybody complimented his handsomeness repeatedly during the process and right after. He ate it up, admiring his little baby self in the mirror while the stylist cut.

The first cut can be a fun milestone for your family. If you can, invite family or a couple friends, who can also be enlisted to take a few photos if you like (so you can enjoy being in the moment). Many salons issue a ‘First Haircut’ certificate that usually has a small ziploc for keeping a lock of hair in. If this is something you would like, you might consider calling ahead to make sure it’s available. Otherwise, if you choose to keep a lock of hair from the cut, don’t forget a small bag. And maybe some tissues.

Meaghan Howard is a mom to two little boys, who still demand bribes and compliments with each haircut.