Our littlest editorial assistants help Abu Dhabi Week hunt down the perfect haircut for kids
On the advice of a few friends in the Circle of Mums, we start at Kids Land Salon (02 681 6316) in Marina Mall, althogh we should know by now that Marina Mall on a Friday evening is never a good idea.
The little salon opposite Early Learning Centre is thronging with kids but mine don't mind as there are cartoons on TV and video games to occupy them while we wait and when our turn comes, my motor heads are thrilled to sit in the seats featuring steering wheels.
The cuts are excellent as we’d anticipated – even picky mums with girls who think of themselves as royalty trust this place. The string of well groomed kids coming out the door serves as a testament to their work.
We especially love the surprisingly trendy beardage on stylists although our little boys are more excited about the coloured hairspray, the dash of sparkles and the candy they get for sitting still. It also doesn't hurt that Tips and Toes is right around corner for very pretty little princesses.
“Mummy I like that guy – he's a pretty good guy,” says our littlest, speaking about Boudi our stylist. I’m inclined to agree, although I wonder if the five minute buzz cut is really worth AED 40 per kid.
Our next stop is Kiddie Kutz (02 550 7407) at Fun City in Dalma Mall. Being situated right inside the door of this massive play centre is a bit of a double edged sword – the temptation of a multitude of rides outside is great if you need a bribe but can be taxing if you're in a hurry and don't want to argue.
This salon is a good one for folks living on the mainland. With the giant Carrefour right down the hall, you might as well kill plenty of birds with one trip – our boys skipped towards the bumper cars beautifully groomed for the same moderately outrageous price of AED 40.
If the middle of town is more convenient for you, there’s always Sweet Cuts Salon (02 443 7654) at Wanasa Land in Al Wahda Mall.
Again appealing to children, you can get your little ones a quick, great haircut with plenty of entertainment from surprisingly slick, handsome stylists for the standard fee of AED 40.
Final verdict? For our two boys - who need little more than a quick once over with the electric clippers - we can pick up a can of red hairspray at Party Centre (02 556 5563) in Raha Mall and pay half as much at my husband's barber shop down the street. If your kids have serious snip-o-phobia, however, or longer hair that requires a specialised cut, it's likely worth the money to go to a salon that specialises in children.
Laura Fulton
