There is a small hairdresser family business close to where we live and where all of us three go to get our hair cut. Niklas and his father got their haircuts about two weeks ago. Last week, it was my turn. I picked Niklas at his crèche and we headed to Markus and Tanja. Niklas said that he was going to get cookies there, where he certainly did every time. So, he was sure of this time as well. When we arrived, Markus met him with a cheerful: “Hello, Niklas, my friend!” Niklas loved this and smiled, a bit blushing, but happy nonetheless to be greeted in such a way. There were some people waiting and all smiled at him. After taking his jacket off, Niklas headed to the cookie jar. He certainly had his share.
While I was getting my hair cut by Tanja, Niklas was playing with his toy-cars and was demonstrating to Markus what his cars can do. He loved being asked about his cars. For a short moment he was even ready to give one of the cars to Tanja, but then thought differently of this.
After my hair was done, Tanja gave Niklas a smooze fruit ice and then she and I went to the cashier machine, so that I could pay. Niklas asked me what I was doing. I told him about paying for my haircut. He said that he wanted to pay for his ice cream. He didn’t want to hear that this was a gift and insisted on paying for it. So I gave him a 20 Danish Crones coin and he paid to Tanja. She wanted to equal my payment by subtracting this sum, but I insisted that the smooze was a separate item paid by Niklas. My two-and-a-half-years old son was very content with this move from my side. He nodded very solemnly.
When we came home and had our supper we talked about what we got at the hairdresser’s. When I prompted that he got an ice cream, he insisted that he didn’t get it, but buy it. Then we talked about haircuts and when I touched my shortly cut hair Niklas asked: “Do you have now a new head?”