I went to the hairdressers and Emily hated it.

It’s a known fact I rarely if ever go to the hairdressers, it’s nothing to do with the trade and I’m no hobo but my mums a hairdresser so I have always had my hair done at home, for free without all the fuss. Sam’s cousin Jo, owner of JoJo’s hair and beauty and part of Sunny Jim’s on Newington Road and on Turner Street in Ramsgate,is around the corner from my house. Even with her so close, I still usually go up and visit my mum and she does my hair.

This was my second time ever to a hairdresser and this time was traumatising for Emily. The first time I went was just after I had Emily and I needed to chop off my long hair. It needed a huge update and Emily was mainly fussed over, slept and cuddled, but she was too young to notice what was going on and free cuddles, yes please!

Although surrounded by the people she knew, Emily still freaked out. Mainly because of the hairdryers but still she wasn’t happy. Thankfully Megan who was doing my hair washed, cut and blow dried it in less than 45 minutes, I mean it only needed a trim, a shape up but it meant that I didn’t have to put Emily through a long winded morning of torture.

Emily’s fear of hairdryers started off in the bump with hand dryers, although the fear of both hasn’t ceased, she’s still terrified of both. She used to hate the hoover but now helps me hoover the floor. Watching my hair fall to the floor, she wasn’t that interested. She had DipDap on the iPad and her snack, but as soon as Megan started drying my hair, the carnage started.

The tears, red face, scared horrified look in her eyes, poor child. Even Millie, Jo’s daughter and now apprentice at JoJo’s tried with one of the other girls, Emily to try calm my traumatised child but nothing worked beyond squishing into my chest, holding on for dear life. Poor child.

But whoever handed over one of the brushes, omg you were a lifesaver. The tears seized and instead interest took part in endless hairbrushes. Fascination and awe, what is this and why are they so prickly. I must have them all. Which as I learnt, don’t try and take them off a child when one is happy and you’re leaving. That was a tantrum that could have been prevented.

An understanding Jo meant that our walk home included a hairdressers hairbrush. God she loved that brush. It was her whole world that day. She took it to Tesco, napped with it and played with it, until Jim picked it up in the evening. Who knew a brush could be the answer to all our prayers?