Toddlers are a law unto themselves. At this age, they have developed an understanding of themselves. With this newfound knowledge of 'self' comes the idea of 'me’, and their wants and desires. Full blown temper tantrums are commonplace and can leave parents red-faced when it happens in the doctor’s surgery, or other public place. Of course, this tantrum usually comes to an abrupt stop when the toddler gets what they want. This is a battle of wills, and your toddler knows how to manipulate you and make you succumb to their needs.
Moving through this is a necessary part of their emotional growth, but it sure can make the “terrible” twos and threes a wild ride, as any parent will agree!
But what about when you just have to get them to cooperate? Visiting the doctor or dentist is a great example, but so is visiting the hairdresser, and that can be just as fraught with problems. All parents want their child to look tidy and well-groomed, and so looking for a good hairdresser skilled in cutting children’s hair is usually the first step in navigating this particular toddler minefield.
However, just being a great hairdresser may not be enough. They also need to be able to understand children’s developmental needs so that they can work with them without making them feel worried, anxious, scared – or even just throwing one of their famous tantrums. It’s a big ask!
Which is why, at "Aura Hair London," in Northolt village, owner Jade is combining her 25+ years of hair-cutting experience with the expertise of Usha Patel, a neurocognitive therapist at Raviv Practice London, Their mission is to understand how to help the parent, and the child, get the most out of their experience. Or, put another way, how to get a haircut with as little friction as possible.
Jade has her own toddler, who just loves to talk and talk. He certainly has no problem communicating his likes and dislikes, which he does with great ease. However, Jade and Usha are not just interested in working with neurotypical children, but making sure they can deal with a diverse range of children, including those with neurodiversity. As most children with diverse needs will not have a diagnosis as young as 2, parents can often feel they are being judged poorly when people mistake a meltdown for a tantrum.
A tantrum and a meltdown are two very different things. A tantrum stops the minute we give in, In a meltdown, there is zero control and calming down takes a lot of patience and trust.
As is often then case with neurodivergent children, the first step is to make them feel safe. Jade has spent a great deal of time thinking about how different stimuli in her salon might affect a child. For example, do hair dryers trigger the neurodiverse child? Do they feel scared of a new, unfamiliar environment? Different needs require different solutions, and Jade has it all covered.
Jade's work with her adult clients and the use of essential oils comes from a place of making clients feel relaxed and calm, and this is the same thinking she wants to apply to working with all children. As a parent, she was keen to know more about those with neurodiverse conditions and Usha has been helping her to bridge this gap. As a specialist therapist for neurodiverse children, and Director of Raviv Practice London, Usha was able to introduce Jade to the concept of Primitive Reflexes and how they can affect children - a subject talked about more and more recently featured on Virgin Radio.
This was the start of a fascinating journey for Jade, not least because of her own experiences as a parent. As a result of her work with Usha, Jade was also able to understand better her own child’s developmental milestones, and often speaks to Usha about her experiences, as well as that of her younger clients.
So, what kind of service can parents of children with suspected neurodiverse children expect from Aura Hair London? First and foremost, it is hairdressing without judgement. Parents are invited to speak to Jade about their child beforehand, and she and her team will always go the extra mile to accommodate their needs. They even have special mornings/days where the entire salon is geared towards creating a safe and welcoming environment.
Whether your child is neurotypical or neurodivergent, having the experience of things like a haircut is an everyday occurrence. The faster you can find the right person for your child, the easier the experience is in the long-term. Jade is not only a highly-experienced hairdresser, who has worked all around the world for top-name brands, but is now going to amazing lengths to make sure your child will get a fantastic haircut in the best possible environment.
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