Had a kid squirm right as I was lining up his fade last week

I was working on a 12-year-old's first skin fade in my chair, and just as I went to define the line with my trimmer, he jerked his head to look at something. It left a small notch in the guideline. I stayed calm, told him a quick joke to get him still, and used my clipper over comb to blend it out by taking the fade a bit higher. It worked, but it was a close one. How do you guys handle sudden moves from younger clients?

3 comments

3 Comments

tyler_burns6618d ago

You mentioning that quick joke to get him still is smart. I used to just tell kids to hold still, but that never really works. Now I keep a couple dumb jokes ready to go for exactly that moment.

wade_lewis18d ago

That's a solid idea, @tyler_burns66, but honestly the joke thing can backfire. Get a kid laughing and they might wiggle even more! Found it's better to just give them a very simple, quiet job to focus on, like holding a cotton ball or counting slowly. Works way better for me than trying to remember punchlines.

grace_patel18d ago

Tried the joke thing once. Told a kid why the chicken crossed the road right before a shot. He laughed so hard he almost fell off the chair. Had to chase him around the room with a band-aid. My joke delivery is clearly a public health hazard. The cotton ball idea sounds way safer.