My
sister and I were in a beauty salon today for some pampering. I was already
there, mid-way into my hair coloring treatment, when she called and told me she also wanted to have some hair treatments done.
As I
sat there after the application of color, having my nails done while waiting to
have my hair washed off, in comes a couple with their almost-one-year-old son for
his first haircut.
Apparently,
the parents did not prepare their son for the session with the hair stylist. They
just wanted a quick haircut. The hair stylist, for his part, just wanted a fast
buck.
The
moment the child was forced to sit, his anguished cries drowned out the
television’s prattling. No tissue paper on his neck, no drape either. He was
furiously swiping away at them. He also wanted to swat at his parents and the
hairstylist.
As
the parents held the hands and head of their son, the hair stylist went about
his task. First there was a lock of hair that was kept for posterity.
The
child was fearful, tense, crying his heart out … his eyes were darting from his
parents (remonstrative) to the stranger doing his hair (fearful and pleading) … he was both
absolutely helpless and livid!
A
traumatized child … his parents did not take time to brief him, and the
hairstylist did not even attempt to befriend the child before he began.
