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A Little Off the Top
Your Toddler's First Haircut By Mark Stackpole
Looking Good TooWhile not all salons go to these fun-loving extremes, there is a growing understanding that parents are looking to ensure a good haircut along with a pleasant experience.
Delaney Cutter of San Jose, Calif., is such a parent. Her daughter's first trip to the salon did provide a friendly environment, with a stylist who allowed her to spray the water bottle and take a close look at the scissors in order to alleviate any fear. Ultimately, however, Cutter had to face every parent's fear, as the haircut did not turn out as planned.
"Even though my daughter wasn't crying, I was because I wasn't specific enough on what I wanted," Cutter says. Having told the stylist that she just wanted a trim off of her daughter's hair, which was down past her shoulders, she was horrified when the stylist "trimmed" offfour inches.
"I was so mad for not speaking up, but what are you going to do once they make the first cut?" Cutter says. "After that experience, whenever I bring the kids in for a trim or cut, I am specific or bring in a picture of exactly what I am looking for. I didn't go back because I was so disappointed. I found a new kid-friendly salon and a stylist whom I love. I ask for her each time I go in."
While her daughter now has the routine down, Cutter faced a different challenge with her son's first haircut. An energetic child, he was not too happy about being restrained in a chair. When the tears came, she found that the stylist was quick with a lollipop (or two or three).
"I complimented her on how well she did," Cutter says. "I admit that I was stressed and hovering. She told me that a trained stylist should be able to cut a boy's hair in fewer than five minutes."