My son has really long hair. (Disclaimer: not my son in the picture)
We did not plan it that way. We let it grow, waiting for all sides to become even when he was a toddler. One day, here he was! Long hair!
It's really cute and fits him perfectly. Most people always compliment him on it. Thing is, with such a haircut comes time to trim. Not only trim, but precise trimming. It has to be even all around.
His first official haircut came by the time he turned 2. It was a complete nightmare. We had gone to a kids' only salon, but my kid was the only one laying flat on the floor, red faced, snot-blowing, feet-banging and hands flying. I ended up having to sit down on the chair, squeeze him in between my thighs and hug him so tight that I left from there sore. No kidding...sore! But he needed a haircut. Nothing I could do about it at that point. It was a complete circus.
Several months later he had his occupational therapist work with him daily: combing his hair, using play scissors, mentioning the words cut, hair, etc.. It gradually got better and in the last 3 times or so, it has been doable. He still screams, but he can now sit on his own and I just have to hold his arms down softly and remind him "hands down." The only time I have to use force is around the forehead and ears, but not too much.
Today, well, today was almost like that first haircut. Maybe he was too tired from school. Who knows? But today, today was no fun.
I found this really fun place with lots of TVs and endless DVDs! Such a fun place. Drove there after school and did our usual haircut routine; sit down in front of a TV playing a favorite Wovie. No problem so far. The chair even had a lap belt. Genius! He couldn't wiggle away! woohoo!
Then she started to untangle his hair. She did it way rougher than I do and kept spraying lots of water on him. I pleaded for her to please do it softer and not spray so much. Nothing. She clipped parts of his hair with hairclips....ayayayayyyy what? He has never had clips in his hair. He lost it. He freaked out! He started screaming at the top of his lungs, crying and fighting this woman. I finally took the clips ouf of his hair and asked her to do it like everyone else had before. Just go around trimming the darn hair!
But now, he was hysterical. My mom helped keep his hands down and I held his head in place for, you know, the "precise" cut. When we were almost done, I lost it crying as well. Odd. I usually cry at a lot of autism related things because I get frustrated and not usually at haircuts. But today, I cried.
When the stylist finished, I realized only 10 minutes had passed. 10 minutes! That's it! It felt like an hour. It really did. Wow. He instantly turned into his usual charming self and started dancing to the Wiggles which played on another TV. While he danced, I had listened to the stylist lecture me on "Don't say he doesn't understand. He does understand and you can't say that in front of him." Why do strangers think they can say such things without actually living through what I live through? She saw my son for 10 minutes and it gives her the right to "lecture" me? I would love to see her give him the haircut without my help. It just would not happen and you know what? Next time I might sit and say "go ahead, talk to him, he understands, right?"
TGIF!
I did not tell her off because the place is cute and we will probably go back. Also because sometimes you have to pick your battles. This happens so much to parents of ASD kids. You learn to just roll your eyes or ignore them or educate the nice ones and school the rest iykwim.
She redeemed herself by bringing my son a balloon which he loved and we were on our way.
$14.00 and a $5.00 tip.
Add it to my autism bill please.
