The Haircut--Part 2

I have posted before about Carter's affinity for screaming during haircuts. If you missed the background story, read "The Haircut", in my November 16, 2007 post.

Yesterday we reached a new level of embarrassment. I naively called First Cuts to make the dreaded haircut appointment, and we were told there were some "notes" in Carter's file. The receptionist sweetly explained they would have the "quiet room" ready for us when we arrived.

Upon getting there, we sheepishly approached the front desk, upon which the receptionist looked up disapprovingly and said, "Is this Carter?" They were really not looking forward to this.

She whispered to one of the hairdressers and gestured toward the back of the store. The hairdresser went from smiling sweetly to a resigned sigh as she led us to the back of the room.

The quiet room is in the very back of the store, and it separates the "special" haircut chair from the rest of the room by a glass partition. "When he cries, it scares the other kids," she explained as she shut the door behind us.

It was horrible. I had to hold Carter on my lap, and all the other moms and kids stared at the banished mother and child who were on display through the glass in the "quiet room."

Carter did well for about 2 minutes. However, as soon as the first chunks of hair fell on his hand--he refused to wear the cape--he screamed. He didn't stop until he got down from the chair. He is deathly afraid of his own hair falling on him. I don't understand. At first I thought it was the razor or the idea of being messy, but I realized he thinks we are mutilating his head somehow. Seeing chunks of hair falling on him is torture to him. He tries to shake it off, which only sends hair flying all through the air onto me and the rest of him.

Luckily, they gave us the fast hairdresser. She had his hair done in about 5 minutes. Carter's lung capacity was a huge motivation for her. After a good dusting of baby powder to get the hair off Carter's arms and hands, we paid a generous tip and hobbled out once again. You can see the before and after pictures on this post.

I had heard they are less afraid of haircuts between 2 and 3 years old. Carter is 2 and 1/2 now. I'm still waiting. The hairdresser told me the next baby won't be afraid of haircuts. "You always get a good one and a bad one," she reassured me. Well, we are already banned from Supercuts, and now we are banished to the quiet zone of First Cuts, so I'm praying she is right.