Suddenly my 12-year-old son has gotten particular about his hair. This is the boy who, until a couple of months ago, had barely even picked up a comb.
But something changed. He’s been growing out his hair, combing it even, and was starting to look a bit like Justin Bieber from a couple of years ago. He even had the head flip going. But it was getting scraggly and a little bushy, so last weekend I sent the boys off to the barber with their dad.
Adam was totally against it. He liked his hair just fine. So I told him to just get it cleaned up a bit.
The barber, however, must have missed the bit about just cleaning him up. He no longer had the Bieber thing going when he arrived home. There was nothing to flip and Adam was flipping out. He was furious — at the barber for cutting too much off and at me for making him go.
Every time he looked in the mirror, he’d get mad all over again. And come Monday morning, he suddenly had a sore throat and a headache. He had no desire to go to school with his new look. I guess the plan was to stay home until it grew out.
But he survived the day and the worst of it has blown over. It’s doubtful, however, that he’ll ever agree to go the barber again.
FranklyStein is a blog by Chesapeake Family Magazine editor Betsy Stein who lives in Catonsville with her husband, Chris, and four children, Maggie, 13, Lilly, 11, Adam, 11, and Jonah, 7.
