The age-old punishment of spanking is no longer considered acceptable by today’s standards, and parents are becoming more and more limited in their options for disciplinary measures. So what’s a parent to do with an unruly child who is difficult to control?
Russell Fredrick, an Atlanta-based barber, says, “You gotta get creative with your discipline.” The 34-year-old has come up with a novel — albeit controversial — approach for children who refuse to straighten up and want to ‘act grown’: he gives them haircuts that leave the kids looking roughly the same age as their fathers.
Dubbed the “Benjamin Button Specials,” these haircuts involve shaving the crown of the head while leaving the sides long, and are offered to local parents for free.
Since posting the haircut on Instagram, Fredrick says that he has received a lot of media attention — and negative reactions.
Regarding those, Fredrick says, “I’m getting a lot of flak from parents that don’t approve of it, or even just people that don’t approve of it,” he says. “The way the law is over here, we really can’t do [spanking] any more as a form of discipline. You have to do something to reach these kids before law enforcement.”
Whether the technique actually works, Fredrick says, “I shaved [my son’s] head completely bald and said if he didn’t improve the behaviour, he’d get the cut. The fear of getting it was enough for him.” His son Rushann’s grades improved considerably.
Fredrick says the boy whose mother asked for the special haircut took it in stride. “He was cool. He started calling himself Old Man Jenkins and he didn’t get teased at school.”
A community-minded father of three, Fredrick rewards pro bono, too: Kids with A’s also get free cuts. Just not those that make them look like middle-aged men.