Chaitanya Prakash tells us about the time he took his son for his firsthaircut.
When you are a father of a one-year-old, who is known for his bountless
energy, restlessness and shreiks that rock neighbourhoods, taking him
for a haircut is no mundane run. Just to imagine what it could turn out to be heightened my blood-pressure!
However, I mustered courage thanks to continuous coaxing from my wife,
and the fact that my son Ahan's hair had grown far too long. I noticed
that he was not enjoying his long hair. It disturbed him. He would scratch his head often, as if it was irritating him. When asleep, he would turn his head from side to side, as if his hair wasn't allowing him him peaceful sleep. And moreover, it looked very untidy.
I was careful to select where I took Ahan for a haircut.
It's easy for a first-time father like myself to imagine horror stories
around a hair-cut - 'what if' scenarios - that may never happen. I
guess we are over cautious, or maybe its our excuse to show our love!
Not all barber shops have experts to handle a
one-year-old customer. I checked a few shops in the neighbourhood. I
looked for a hygeinic place that had hair dressers who could cautiously
handle this bundle of energy. Finally, I found a decent fit.
Ahan danced his way to the market place, he couldn't
stop smiling at the idea of being taken for a walk on a winter morning
when the sun shone bright. He didn't know what was in store for him. It
was his first trip to a barber.
As soon as he stepped into the shop, the smile did a vanishing act. I
settled in a seat, with Ahan on my lap, nervously praying that he
calmly goes through this exercise, and that the sharp arms of the
scissors only do their act on his hair.
Sometimes when you pray hard, you get what you wish.
Ahan was as quiet and calm as he could be. Like a sleepy
kitten, he held my finger, paid heed to the barber's instructions and
looked up or down on cue, and amused himself with the fascinating tools
the barber showed him. Towards the end of the cut he started getting a
little restless. He had already outperformed himself by keeping calm
for over ten minutes. We decided to give him a breather, and so stopped
for a few minutes. It was a good decision, as he reassured himself that
nothing major was going on. He looked at my face and smiled, almost
saying - "Good to see you again, Dad."
I ensured that he kept himself busy during the haircut.
The television was a great help. He watched his favourite cartoon for a
while. My wife kept him amused with the cell-phone, his all time
favourite. But most of it all, the barber himself was an expert. He
would ensure that Ahan was calm enough before moving his scissors. He
was very careful, and swift. He advised me to hold his hand, casually,
and restrict any sudden movements.
The trick is simple. Keep your kids busy, keep them amused, and don't worry. Children know how to surprise their parents!
It took 20 minutes in all, and we were done. No shreiks, not much restlessness, and my boy was looking so handsome!
Name:
Arogya
Country: india
i have a two-year old son. i never looked at this aspect of care or experience of life. interessting....
Name:
Neha
Country: india
this is cute. i am sure chaitanya has had many more good times with ahan
Name:
Namitha
Country: India
we had asked the barbar to come home for our 1 1/2 yr daughter. she was in my husband's lap i was showing her toys attracting her attention towards me. initially she kep quiet but towards the end she started crying. but it was ok as she was at home.
we had bought new blade from the shop and sterilised it. we have also taken her photographs.
