Every 6 weeks my son needs a haircut. I dread it. Even if I make an appointment, I still end up waiting no matter what time of the day. Then while we wait I frantically try to entertain both of my kids with games of “I Spy…” or dancing to the music. Anything I can possibly do to keep them entertained without all of the shampoo ending up on the floor.
Earlier this week between passing out snacks and changing diapers I opened up the Junior Cuts webpage. I figured it would take me all afternoon to book an appointment while I cared for my children. NOPE. It was SO easy. The webpage was very user friendly and gave me all of the information I needed to quickly make an appointment for my son. The website included that all of the stylists have 12 to 26 years in the industry and have experience working with children with various special needs. (While I was at Junior Cuts I also learned they have worked with Applied Behavior Services to best meet the needs of all of their customers!) Under the service tab if you click on specialties it has a great list of tips and tricks for first haircuts, kids with special needs/sensory processing, or the anxious/fearful child. Tips and tricks include using the word “trim” or “style” vs “cut” which can be very scary for a kid (as most associate cut with blood!) and a SOCIAL STORY! As a former special education teacher, this made my heart happy!
Junior Cuts is located inside of the same building as Recreations Outlet. I knew both of my kids would want to play, so before we walked in I gave them a quick reminder, “First hair. Then play.” A little motivation for them to be on their best behavior! When we walked into Junior Cuts we were immediately greeted and taken care of. My son quickly picked out the fire truck to sit in and was asked if he would like to watch a show on one of the TV’s. Of course he said, “YES!” and he didn’t move from that point on.
One of my hardest challenges is entertaining my almost 2-year-old during my son’s haircuts, but at Junior Cuts this was not a problem. They had age appropriate toys for my daughter to play with. This allowed me to help my son explain how he wanted his hair styled.
When my son was finished he climbed down and I was handed a lint roller — a first for me! I rolled the hair off of my sons back while he picked out a sticker. The stickers were located at an appropriate height for kids to pick them out independently. Which is important to my husband and I, as we are teaching our children self advocacy skills which includes making decisions on their own. They both got suckers too, which I held onto until they were done playing.
After his appointment we had the chance to play! They used the swings, slides, trampolines, monkey bars, played basketball, anything they could get their hands on. They burned energy while strengthening their gross motor skills. Eventually they were exhausted and hungry so we walked over to LuLu’s Café for drinks and snacks. What a great morning AND I didn’t have to load them up in their car seats a dozen times to get it all done!
Starting August 1, you can play at Recreations Outlet for $2 per family for a family of three kids and $1 per child after three kids on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9 – 11 a.m. From 9:30 a.m. -12 p.m. on those days, Junior Cuts offers $10 haircuts which are regularly $14. If you plan on going on a Saturday, I would recommend making an appointment. My kiddos will definitely be getting their haircuts there from now on!
Junior Cuts is located inside Recreations Outlet at 885 State Route 28, Milford, OH. Call 513-340-4516 or visit juniorcuts.com.
Mom Reporter Tina Pratt is the mom of two littles. She is a former PreK- 5 special education teacher that now works as a behavior coach. She enjoys being a tourist in her own town and finding ways to embed lessons into everyday fun!
