WYOMING, Mich. — Jennifer Archmbault struggled for years to find the right place to get her son's hair trimmed. She said it would always give him anxiety, bordering on fear, and that would add to her stress. Even when she found a place that he didn't mind, it was a 30-minute drive.
Now, all she has to do is drive a few minutes down the road and Mason is in a spot he feels comfortable. Sharkey's Cuts for Kids opened Saturday in Wyoming, designed specifically to make kids the center of attention and hold their attention just the same.
"I think its cute," Archmbault said. "It’s awesome for kids, its exciting, they run right to the car they want."
Instead of standard salon or barbershop chairs, Sharkey's has a miniature police cruiser, firetruck, fighter jet and Disney princess Jeep in front of their mirrors. Each has moving steering wheels and buttons for kids to play with, a welcome distraction to calm the nerves.
For older kids there are standard chairs, but the stations are fitted with video game consoles, allowing them to have their own fun as well. On top of all of that, the stylists have years of experience working with kids with special needs and varying levels of abilities.
Every kids haircut also comes with a token at the register. Those token represent a percent of the salon's profits, and they get donated to local charity organizations. As the family goes to leave, get to pick which organization to benefit from their haircut.
Right now, they work with three local organizations — Kids Food Basket, HUGS Ranch, and Artists Creating Together (ACT). Salon ownership says for now, each token is 25 cents as they establish a client base and grow their shop, but it will change as time goes on.
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