Therapy for Haircuts

There needs to be therapy for haircuts...for the special needs kids...and for the parents.

Now, I have never enjoyed haircuts for my boys.  Some how with each haircut they grow up, they look older.  And I would like slow down that growing up process as much as possible.  Now lets toss in a haircut for a special needs child and that seems to be a recipe for high stress and sometimes disaster.

Haircuts for Brayden have been a journey.  When he was a wee little one, Jeremy and I would attempt to cut his hair at home.  Jeremy with the clippers and I was holding Brayden.  Brayden would scream, cry and wiggle.  Then Jeremy and I would scream and cry and try to wiggle our way out of giving him a haircut.  It was a tense situation.  We learned that it would be best to see a professional (not a professional therapist, but a professional barber).

It requires a great deal of patience to cut Brayden's hair.  I usually sit in the chair with Brayden in my lap.  The barber goes to work. Snipping when he is leaning one way, cutting when he leans another and trying the best to hold his head still for those clippers.  A sensory battle like no other.

Brayden screams like some one is torturing him.  As he has gotten older, he just sounds like a terrible temper tantrum.  Amazingly the barber (gals from Micky's Barber shop in Purcellville) have always been able to handle it and Brayden gets an actual haircut; scissors, clippers and all...looking good.  Meanwhile I have that "parent-sweat"...you know that sweat you get as parent when trying to look and remain as cool and calm as possible on the outside, all the while on the inside you are really anxious, stressed and pitting out.

This picture is Brayden after his haircut.  Still pretty steamed that we tortured him, thus the little scowl, with some residual tears from the trauma.  We like short haircuts...leaving lots of time for growing before we have to get a haircut.