Cool Chairs Make Haircuts Exciting
Bicycles are fine, yeah. But they have nothing on fire engines.
Alexandria Pittman, 4, had that written all over her face Saturday morning. The girl’s mom had strapped her into a child seat on the back of a retro-looking cruiser bike, plunked a purple helmet on her head, and off they rode to Kids Cuts at University City North.
Once there, Alexandria didn’t have to think about the scary scissors. That’s because she was sitting up high in a mini fire engine while watching cartoons. Some of the stylist chairs weren’t the usual barber type - kids could pick a firetruck, an airplane, or a carousel horse.
And the vehicles were never empty. Easter was the next day, so the place was busy.
But Zachary Heffernan didn’t mind the wait. After all, the three-year-old got to watch “The Lion King.” The toybox next to him was overflowing with robots and dumptrucks, too.
His mom, Colette Heffernan, told him it would be his turn soon. Zachary didn’t seem scared, though. He had found himself a friend, a little boy who was quite excited the place had a stuffed Snoopy.
It was almost like a social club for tykes. “They form fast little bonds,” Colette observed.
Kids just didn’t seem to be getting worked up about the haircut looming in their future. Most of them, anyway.
It may have been the preschool-friendly decor. A puffy, stuffed rainbow colored one wall. Giant crayons hung from the ceiling, and tiny toddler-sized chairs sat in the waiting area.
Zachary suddenly had to vacate his. “Zach!” a stylist called. Mom got him away from the Disney flick, and he boarded the plane. It suited him, too, because he ended up with a high and tight cut - a real flyboy look.
Zachary didn’t want to leave afterward, though. Preschool kid rule No. 1: The best toys are always someone else’s.
Jeremy Davis was next. Now at Kids Cuts, a 5-year-old is practically over the hill. Jeremy got to sit in a barber chair with no wheels or cockpit.
When he returned to grandpa, Jeremy’s brown Beatles moptop had been replaced with the CEO look, razor-straight part on the side and all. Another success.
That was the story with pretty much everybody. But someone did get a little fussy.
Christopher Sevey let out a holler when it came his turn. The 1-1/2-year-old didn’t want his hair combed, thank you, much less cut. Christopher clutched a bright yellow plastic baseball bat, waiting to brain anybody who touched him.
His aunt then administered the antidote - Cheerios from a plastic baggy. Christopher’s cry turned to quiet. His face would do a pre-cry tremor now and again, but the cereal staved off a full-on eruption.
Stylist Heidi Kelley said that when that happens, you just have to keep on snippin’. The only thing she can’t handle is when someone goes projectile. Kelley told a story about one little boy who gets so upset during haircuts that he throws up. Kelley goes reeeaaal slow on him.
Nothing like that happend Saturday. If any of those kids got sick, it happened the next day.
But inhaling six chocolate Easter bunnies is a heckuva way to go.
, DataTimes