A suburban Atlanta barber shop is making waves by offering parents embarrassing haircuts for their misbehaving kids, and he offers the cuts free of charge three days a week as a service to parents who want to teach their kids a lesson.
Russell Fredrick, owner of A-1 Kutz, said he got the idea for the “George Jefferson” cut after his own 12-year-old son’s grades dropped in the fall.
Fredrick said in the case of his son, having to walk around looking like an older balding man worked like a charm and his son’s grades improved.
The boss barber said he has already had one parent take him up on the offer. And there has been a surge of interest from other parents, especially after Fredrick posted before, during and after photos of his second “Benjamin Button” subject on social media last week. The images were shared widely on Facebook and Instagram, where Fredrick goes by the name “Rusty Fred,” and picked up by the popular gossip website Mediatakeout.com.
Reaction has been mostly positive, Fredrick told The Post. “There are a few people that are saying it’s emotional abuse; but on average, everyone is applauding the mother that brought the child in — and applauding me as well.”
Fredrick said many parents are at a loss nowadays over how to effectively discipline their children, and he sees the haircuts as more of a last resort when conventional tactics don’t work.
Psychologists, however, caution against using humiliation as a way to punish children, expressing concern over lasting emotional effects even if it does bring about an immediate change in behavior.
So, what do you think of this unique form of discipline? Do you think it’s going too far, or do you feel that it’s harmless?