The Tennis Ball Haircut

For parents & caregivers

Inside this story

Whenever Ezra gets a haircut, Papa asks the barber, Mr. Abe, for 'just a little trim,' and Ezra comes out looking the same. This time Ezra wants the back of his head to feel fuzzy like his old green tennis ball, and he wants to say so himself. Outside the shop, Papa agrees and offers a simple option: if Ezra's words get stuck, he can squeeze Papa's hand and Papa will say it for him. Inside, the shop is noisy and Mr. Abe's laugh is very big, and Ezra feels a nervous hop in his tummy. When Mr. Abe asks 'Same as always?', Ezra chooses not to reach for Papa's hand. He holds out the tennis ball and says, quietly, 'Not the same.' Mr. Abe takes him seriously, and Ezra decides on his own that the top should stay long 'for when it's windy.' At the halfway check his words come more easily, and he asks for 'more fuzzy, less doormat.' The haircut turns out just as he hoped, and he invites Papa to feel it. A little nervous flutter remains on the walk home, now more like a bounce. At bedtime, the fuzz whispers against his pillow. Confidence appears as a child choosing a meaningful, manageable step: speaking for himself in a quiet voice, with support available but not imposed. Nobody pushes, praises or rewards him, and there is no lecture or moral summary.