My Child’s First Haircut, and Marveling at Many More Firsts

My child will be turning three years old in a month’s time.  Just the other day, she had her FIRST-EVER haircut.  I remember the conversation I had with her a few months ago.  I just thought I’d share how my child shared her own thoughts about having her hair cut:

Mama (that’s me!):  Anak, I’m thinking of cutting my hair.  What do you think? Do you want to have a haircut too?

Drian: (looking at me with furrowed eyebrows) DON’T LIKE to have a haircut too.

Mama: What about Mama? Can I have a haircut?

Drian: DON’T LIKE  Mama to have a haircut!

Mama: Why not?

Drian: (taking a break from sipping her milk) Remember Samson?

She just HAD to bring up Samson from the Bible, how HE didn’t cut his hair, lest he’d lose his strength. Hahaha! It was hilarious, and for a long time, I couldn’t stop smiling or giggling when I’d remember that moment.

Then finally, the other day, she relented.  My husband and I happily made our way to the kiddie hair salon in the mall, all the while chattering excitedly to keep our child’s spirits up.  When we got to the very entrance of the kiddie salon (a glass door), Drian stopped short, turned to me, and said, “Ma, I want to go to the toy store!”

Nuh-Ugh, I thought to myself.  I gently guided her inside, and after a bit of resistance, Drian finally agreed to be seated on one of the salon chairs, which was actually a kiddie bump car converted into a barbershop chair.

If ever you’d ever face the same situation I was (the situation being that your child had never gotten a haircut since birth!), it’s truly wise to turn to the professionals and let THEM handle the hair-cutting.  I’ve heard of stories about some mothers cutting their children’s hair with their own scissors at home…I’ve nothing against that, it’s just that (unless you cut your own hair or are truly a trained professional in haircare and hair-styling!) you wouldn’t want to deal with all the hassle of cutting it over and over to get it right!

The kiddie salon stylist knew exactly what to do.  He asked what type of kiddie videos my child loves to watch.  When I mentioned “Hi-Five,” his aide quickly pulled out a Hi-Five DVD from their VAST collection of kiddie shows on DVD and popped it in the player.  Before long, my child was happily absorbed in watching her favorite show (and yes, hugging the stuffed animals inside the kiddie salon) and the salon stylist was quickly chopping off her hair to our desired specifications…”Just a few inches,” and “Not too short!”

Finally, it was done.  Drian caught sight of the locks of hair that had fallen to the floor and she said softly, “Goodbye, Hair.”  So I did my job of keeping her spirits up by quickly paying for the haircut, happily bidding the stylist goodbye, giving my child a hug and a few genuine compliments about her hair (she did look even better, and I saw that she did feel lighter…Her hair prior to the haircut had already reached her waist!), and then eagerly walked to the toy store with her.

But not without agreeing with the stylist that I have a couple of locks of my daughter’s cut hair in a paper envelope that I could keep for posterity.

My daughter’s first hair cut.

Yes, I’m sentimental that way.  Seemed like only yesterday, that she gave her first smile…or she cut her first tooth. Ate her first meal.  Ate solids for the first time. Wore her first pair of shoes.  Said her first word.  Made a joke.  Made a first friend.  Had her first birthday party.  Ate cake and ice cream for the first time.

There are thousands more “first’s” that I’m excited that my husband and I will witness.  And yes, I will be adding more photo albums and taking more pictures, buying and filling more scrapbooks.  Planning more trips.

Unlike Samson, who lost his strength when Delilah chopped off his tresses, I saw Drian walk out of the salon with a smile and a little bounce in her step…I saw that she did feel good at doing something new.  And as she turned to me with a joyful smile as we browsed the toy shelves to tinker with a Baby Alive Doll or marvel at the cuteness of a Lala Loopsy toy, I couldn’t help but stare at my child with a smile.

Her first hair cut.  How I love firsts that mark beginnings, and so much more.  There’s a lot to enjoy, and new memories to make, and always, always, wonderful things to cherish.