Guijo's First Haircut at Cuts-4-Tots

Haircut in progress - fussy Guijo, somewhat calmed down by a toy.

Living out what I only used to daydream about - that's what's happening to me now that I'm a mom.  It's all those little things, mundane everyday stuff - like taking my little boy for a haircut!  I remember walking by Cuts-4-Tots at Glorietta countless times back when I was still single and dating, and I'd always imagine taking my own kids to this cute kid salon someday.  That someday happened last weekend when we took Guijo for a cut!  It's our first time to patronize Cuts-4-Tots because, as luck would have it, my mom owns a beauty salon, and her establishment is like a second home to us.  Our little girl, Narra, has had her crazy-curly tresses trimmed there, so she never had the Cuts-4-Tots experience.  Oliver goes to his own barber though, and he wanted Guijo's head to go under the hair clipper.   

Guijo, happily deposited by Oliver into his "car" seat.

Cuts-4-Tots has such kid-friendly interiors, with brightly painted walls, playful seating for companions, and best-of-all: the seating for the tots - the converted toy cars installed on hydraulic poles - kids love sitting in them, and the steering wheel gives them something to grab, not only for stability, but also to keep their hands busy.  Adjusting the height of the seat is a fun process, it makes it feel a bit like a carnival ride for the kids.  Narra was equally entertained as she waited for Guijo to get his hair done.  She sat happily in her chair throughout the process.

Oliver, explaining the kind of cut he wanted for Guijo.

The haircut goes for 350 pesos.  For kids going for their first haircut, the salon offers a cute certificate (195 pesos) which displays "before" and "after" pictures, and a lock of hair.  Parents have to return for the certificate after 2-weeks, it takes them a while to get the pics printed and the lock of hair mounted.  It would be much cheaper to take our little boy to a regular barber shop, but we wanted Guijo's first haircut to be fun and playful, so we took him here.   Unfortunately, his fun was rather short-lived.  Guijo started to cry as soon as they put him in this yellow gown. It was quite a struggle to get him prepped.  The staff offered various diversions: toys, bubbles, and they turned on the dvd with Barney singing cheerfully on screen (that did not help much).

Guijo, started to cry as soon as they started to wear the salon gown on him.

Guijo cried.  Well, no. That's an understatement. He bawled. And screamed.  My easygoing and calm kid was crying out loud, we had to ask for a time-out until he could calm down.  Obviously, we have no photos of those tense minutes.  What's even more horrifying - a new set of customers came in as Guijo was throwing a fit.  I felt bad for the little kid and his parents who just came in... their happy haircut moment may just have been ruined by my son's angry vibe.  I bought a lollipop for sale in the counter, and offered it to my son.... I figured, with candy in his mouth, he's bound to be quiet.  It sort of worked, but not quite.  With lollipop in his mouth, he continued to cry (which only meant a sticky stream of candied saliva spilling onto his salon gown...thank God its the washable kind).

The rest of the haircut was a blur.  I heard the hair clipper whirring, as my son kept sobbing-with-lollipop-in-his-mouth, and Barney kept singing on tv.   I heard another song on the radio playing in the background, and toys rattling, and there were bubbles flying around, and there was this other kid running around the salon.  Yikes. Emotional vertigo.  This was not the scenario I daydreamed in my head decades ago.  I imagined a hallmark greeting card scenario, with kid smiling, and parents looking proud... instead, what we got was this harried experience in a pretty place.  Don't get me wrong, I liked Cuts-4-Tots.... it is a pretty place that looks fun and playful...  no amount of their preparation could guarantee a pleasant experience though.  A kid's temperament is beyond anyone's control.  Guijo, my lovely kid, who smiles so sweetly first thing in the morning... my calm kid who chills out beautifully, and laughs so easily all the time, turned out to be one of those guys whose hair you do NOT touch.

   

The result.

We paid and left as quickly as we could.  The farther away from the hair clipper we got, the calmer Guijo became.  Despite the stressful process, we were thrilled with the results!  Guijo looked like a fresh recruit with his crew cut.  Whew!