Our Little Boy is Growing Up
Greetings to all.
Yes, our little boy is growing up. Today he behaved like a little man!
We both needed a haircut, Dad much more so than Xavier. Rebecca was out of town today, so today was a great opportunity for dad and son bonding.
At breakfast, I told Xavier I needed a haircut. He asked "why?" (that typical 4-year old "why?" he asks about nearly everything these days). I explained my hair was too long. He understood, then said his hair was too long also.
I made an appointment for after school, and we arrived about 4:00 PM. On the drive over, Xavier told me "Daddy, I will hold really still."
Our last several visits to the barber have gone OK, but Xavier still fights and resists and squirms in the chair. The chair, by the way, always has Dad sitting in it and Xavier on my lap. He does not like the mister to wet his hair. He does not like the scissors touching his skin or scalp. The sounds of the scissors make him nervous. Always, he holds a pensive look or his eyes puff out to the point of tears, sometimes crossing into tears and screams of protest. Always he squirms and makes the barber have to work and take extra care not to poke him.
While waiting for our turn, I asked Xavier if he wanted to go first. He said, "No. I want you to go first." I teased him a little, but in the end I went first. I fully expected to serve as his comfort and booster seat when his turn came.
Not so! Xavier sat in the chair watching me get my cut. He rarely fidgeted (which itself is a wonder!). When the barber finished with me, I asked Xavier if he wanted to sit on my lap or in the chair by himself.
To my surprise, he wanted to sit in the chair by himself. He got up and crossed the room with a confidence and a sureness I have not seen in him before. He came straight to the chair without hesitation. He did not even want help climbing into the chair and onto the booster seat the barber put in place for him.
The barber (who has cut Xavier's hair these last three years) spoke with him, asking how he wanted his hair cut. She showed him the cape and asked if he wanted to wear it. She showed him the scissors, and filled the mister bottle with warm water. She even demonstrated the clippers to him, which he has always shied away from due to their buzzing noise and vibration. Xavier agreed to everything but the clippers.
Xavier sat in the chair, and true to his statement held still while the barber wet his hair and clipped his fine locks. He only moved away from the scissors when they came near his brow.
After sitting through his haircut like a big boy, he got down from the chair and asked the barber if he could use the bathroom. Wow! There was no "Daddy, I have to pee!" announced across the room. In fact, there was no coming over to Daddy after the cut for comfort or reassurance. He went into the bathroom by himself!
Afterward, Xavier and I headed over to get pizza, as is our custom. Xavier crawled into the booth, took his menu and ordered his drink and our pizza by himself.
I was so proud of him in the barber shop for his behavior. But also, I was a little heart broken as he did not show any signs of needing his Daddy to help him through his haircut. Indeed, our little boy is growing up, and it is bitter-sweet (though more sweet than bitter).