Barber on North Cross Road - do not take young children there

[flowermum]

Took my 18-month old in there for a haircut - asked the guy if he did children, and he said yes, seemed quite welcoming. Mentioned that my son hated hairdressers and it might not go too well. I should have realised when he asked me to put him directly in the chair, rather than me holding him, that the guy had zero experience of toddlers. I insisted on sitting him on my lap and holding his head and arms in a vice-like grip and my son proceeded to scream his head off and wriggle for the duration of the haircut. No surprises there to parents reading this.

Anyway, after doing one side and the top, I mentioned that it was a bit short on top and quite unevenly cut on the side (I'd asked for him not to cut it too short). He stood back incredulous and saying, what do you expect (inference to my wriggling son). I pointed out that other haircuts hadn't been so uneven, at which point the guy went berserk, shouted at me for being rude, whipped off my apron and ordered me out of the shop. I had to spend 5 mins apologising, grovelling and begging in order to get him to finish the haircut. Which he finally did, grudgingly, and didn't say anything more until he just put his scissors down and said, right, I've had enough, that kid's going to have a heart attack (haircut was mostly finished except one side by his ear). I knew when to quit. I pointed out that the screaming wasn't bothering me and that sometimes kids don't like stuff and will have to just scream.

Anyway the guy moved on to the next customer, refused to look at me or speak to me and wouldn't take my money - not sure if this shows guilt, immaturity, unprofessionalism or all 3 (I would have left some money but only had a 20 quid note and was not paying that condsidering I left the place in tears)

Were my expectations too high? Maybe. But if I behaved like that when someone criticised me at work I would be fired. I certainly won't be going back and I would advise anyone with children to steer clear of this bad-tempered barber.

[tulip]

I had this problem with my son. We found sitting him down at ease and giving him something to entertain/soothe worked better than pinning him down (bound to antagonise him from the start).

Edited to say try GMs on Melbourne Grove.

[Steph]

Maybe next time you could get a home hairdresser to pop round and give your wee man some chocolate or a treat to keep him busy...worked great with mine. I know that barbers on Northcross Road are always really busy and have never seen kids in there...

I think GM's are supposed to be really great with the kids and their haircuts, you could try there? Sounds very stressful!!!

[MrsP]

I have had three very successful visits to the barbers on Lordship Lane next to SMBS - I think they are called Jazz Barbers. My son started going at 18 months and thoroughly enjoys the trip. Mr Jazz the Barber talks merrily about Mr Tumble and Thomas the Tank Engine and has been known to provide a lolly at the end of the haircut!

[Pickle]

Sorry to hear of your bad experience. I would also recommend Jazz Barbers, the guy there is completely up to speed with all CBeeBees characters and has a great manner with small children (I think he has young children himself). I also recently took my son to Barry Road barbers and they were great too.

[pipling]

My 2.5 yr old boy just had his first haircut at GM's on Melbourne Grove.He had his hair washed next to me while I had mine done. He went off happily with the hairdresser while my hairwash was finished.I went round the corner to see him sitting happily on a highchair sipping juice and munching a biscuit while his hair was combed.He had a great haircut and staff generally kept an eye on him while I had my hair cut.I was very impressed.They put a lock of his hair in an envelope and called me the next day to say his certificate was ready!Great first haircut experience.

Sorry you both had a bad time - I don't think your expectations were too high.

[Fuschia]

WE use the hairdressers opposite the Harvester, Heavenly hair and nails. Very good there.

[lorraineliyanage]

GM's sounds great, how much do they charge?

[EDmummy]

They never used to take kids under 5 yrs old so I took this as them not being particularly child friendly. You could try Uomo (sp?) near the Mag. He has a chair that looks like a car and cartoons sometimes on the TV.

[Mellors]

Another vote for GMs - my once recalcitrant boy now looks forward to the "snippy snippy ladies". ?7/10 I think?

[legalbeagle]

That sounds like a really stressful experience and totally unneccessary. Lots of children, including both of mine, don't like the hairdresser but that can be managed without making you feel that bad. What a horrible thing to do. I took my 2.5 yr old son to Headnizm who actually let him walk about a bit towards the end of the haircut, and the lovely woman just pottered along behind him tidying up bits of his hair as he went. She chatted to him and gave him sweets and though it wasn't a perfect cut because he is very wiggly, it was more than good enough. She charged me ?5. I'd highly recommend going to them to sort out your sons hair if you aren't happy with it still, and don't worry. You were not to blame here!

[tallgirl]

If you are not far from Nunhead, Network on Evelina rd, are good, they have a special child's chair, low rates for the under 8s (5 pounds I think) and the child's first cut is free.One of the hairdressers has young children and another is pregnant, so its a pretty child friendly place.

[lozzyloz]

Taking young children to the barbers is definitely not for the faint hearted!

We have been taking our two youngest boys (2 & 4) to Uomo (next to Fabric on LL) soon after it opened about a year or so ago. Our boys are very high spirited and not easy to deal with but Francisco is fantastic with them. He's really gentle, patient and understands that kids don't necessarily enjoy the experience nor like sitting still. Our boys have really taken to him now and I'd highly recommend him. Ironically he used to work at Clippers in North X road before leaving to start up his own salon.

[pipling]

My son's haircut was ?7 at GM's.

[orlakeilyhandbag]

I would just like to say that I had a really positive experience at this same NorthX Road Barbers a few weeks ago. I took my son (7) there on a Saturday half expecting to be turned away as lots of hairdressers refuse to cut children's hair on a Saturday. There was no mention of this though, although they were busy. I found the Barber to be very accomodating and my son left feeling chuffed to bits with his new spiky gelled hair!

[The Nappy Lady]

My eldest had so little hair as a baby that she didn't need her first haircut until well after she turned 3. As a result it was all a big adventure - she wanted to 'have her hair done like Mummy' so thankfully no trauma at all. Phew. No idea if girls are generally easier, or if leaving it later was the key, but very glad not to have had to have the battles - which sound horrible for all involved.

My 2nd has hair...already, at 14 months, so maybe we'll have to brave a cut sooner...will do my best to avoid it tough!

Molly

[EDmummy]

Second Uomo - he does three generations of males in my family and they all love him.

[bonce]

blimey.

whats wrong with cutting it yourself........leaving it to grow long till older............big bribery with smarties or having a go while they are asleep with a pair of nail scissors.

Maybe the barber had had a bad day of east dulwich mums. thankfully hair grows!!

[jrthomas_uk]

I too have had a great experience at GM's. My 14 month old was given a toy to play with while the young lady cutting his hair was quick and friendly while chatting to my son to keep his attention.

Your experience sounds outrageous and I wouldn't even have considered paying for an unfinished haircut, especially when spoken to in the manor you were.

[ForgetmeNot]

I just hope your kid doesn't grow up to be a spoiled little brat.

It's never too early to start disciplining your kids.

I'd act fast, before they turn into those things that run up & down & into the stores of Northcross Rd, imitating animals as they drag things off of the shelves & you are standing there -completely oblivious of your surroundings - sniffing scented candles, as your motor pram blocks the path of other potential customers...

Sorry, but I just can't sympathize.

An 18 month old child does not need to be taken to a hairdressers at such a young age. If you really felt this necessary, you could have done it yourself - no need to be snobbish about it. Pinning your kid down will not help the situation. It does not only make him look like some kind of untamable animal, It makes you look bad, it makes your hairdresser look bad (infront of his awaiting customers!). Just to top it all off, you criticizing a hairdressers job is just bang out of order. You should be thankful. It is not a hairdressers job to cut peoples hair as they are flying about, screaming. Chairs are put there for a reason.

[Gubodge]

I think most of what Forgetmenot has posted is obviously bonkers, but there is a grain of sense in there. Why on earth are you taking a todder who loathes it to the hairdresser, and how on earth do you expect any barber to cut the hair of someone who is squirming and writhing.

I take my two to GMs, or at least I did. They are great with the elder, who will sit motionless until its done. The younger doesn't. It's not that she doesn't like hairdressers, just that she is a terrible fidget, so it took forever and the poor hairdresser had a terrible time; so now I do it at home. I sit her in front of Cbeebies and it doesn't matter if it takes for ever or if a sudden movement means its not entirely straight. When she's a bit better at sitting still, I'll give the hairdressers a go again, but at the moment there are several downsides and no upsides to not doing it myself.

I don't think it is fair to a barber/hairdresser to expect them to cut the hair of someone who is constantly moving. And I don't think it is fair on your son to have to undergo what is obviously a traumatic experience for him just for the sake of shorter hair. He'd probably be far happier if you did it with clippers at home.

[DaveR]

I can understand the OP being upset at how things turned out, but it's not really fair to the business in question to post on here saying 'don't go there'. On the basis of this experience there's no reason to think they won't deal perfectly well with other kids, especially those who are a bit older or who don't 'hate hairdressers'.

[helena handbasket]

I've never taken my three year old for a cut, don't have the nerve. I have always cut his hair myself while he's in the bath. He doesn't really even notice; a snip here and there once in a while to keep the back and sides looking presentable. Then I hose him off at the end of the bath. I have no idea what I'm doing, but on my list of things I need to do to feel like a proper mother putting us through the hell of a haircut is somewhere around the bottom.

Plus I'm scared he'd lose an ear!

[eithe7120]

Hi, it's too better to haircut your child at home because they have very thick hair which is always look beautiful. I never taken my five year old son for a haircut at barber shop. I think it's not fair you always expect to barber for haircut.