A barber in Little Elm is helping take away the stress of a haircut for children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their families.
Barber Jack Jones wants to take away the stress some clients might feel about going to get a haircut.
On a day when A 5 Star Barbers is usually closed, the lights are on, and 18-year-old Ethan is in the chair.
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WATCH HERE"I'm gonna put this around your neck," barber Jack Jones said as he carefully wrapped tissue. "There you go, buddy!"
Ethan shook Jones' hand and settled in for his haircut.
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SIGN UP "When I was a little kid, I used to go to the barbershop and I used to see the guys, they would kinda rough house with the little kids when they were getting their hair cut and stuff," Jones recalled. "I kinda didn't like that."
Jones wanted to be a different kind of barber.
"You have to know what they like and what they don't like," Jones said. "What I try to do is I try to picture myself being in the chair."
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"What I like about coming to A 5 Star Barbers, Mr. Jack, is that he did say he had experience with special needs children," Ethan's mom, Yolanda Franklin, said. "But he made a point to say they're all different."
Jones says bringing clients like Ethan in when no one else is around helps keep him calm, relaxed.
"They don't want to be out in open spaces, loud noises," Jones said. "What I try to do is provide a safe haven for them to come and be able to get used to being groomed, and liking it."
Prior to coming to see Jones, Ethan's father cut his hair. Franklin said it's a job his dad is happy to relinquish.
"If he wants to stand up and take a bow in the middle of his haircut, or play music, he can be himself," Franklin said. "And that makes him comfortable."
Jones wanted to take some of the stress off parents, too, so haircuts for clients like Ethan are free.
"I want to do what I can to make it easier for them," Jones said. "Watching the smile on their face, it brings joy to your heart to see that."
