If you have a daughter, then you know all about the earring controversy.
How old should a child be before she gets her ears pierced? Is she too young? Is the hole in the right place? What method/place is the BEST to get the piercing done? Can she handle the pain? Can YOU handle HER handling the pain? Is it just a decoration or rite of passage?
I've been through it 3 times in my lifetime. First, with myself. I can't remember my ears getting pierced because my Mom did it herself with a sewing needle when I was about a few weeks old. That's how it was done back in the day if you had a Hispanic mother. I wore those 24K gold ball earrings with style I'm sure! There was no doubt that I was a girl with those things in my ears.
Because of my story, it never dawned on me that it was any big deal to get your ears pierced. I totally didn't understand why my pre-teen friends from middle school were so excited to FINALLY get the OK from their parents to get theirs pierced. I'm like, "Big Deal."
When I had my first little girl, I COULDN'T WAIT to get her ears pierced. I was however a little more civilized and had my doctor do it. My husband was absolutely horrified! He didn't stop me, but told me that he didn't think it was a good idea. I should have listened to him.
I waited until she was the ripe old age of 3 months. It was all good until the doctor came in and the nurses were all atwitter that he was going to pierce a little baby's ears. I started to have some serious doubts. I should have picked her up right then and there and made a run to the car! I didn't.
Well, this is what happened. Just about when the doc shot the gun into her lobe, she turned her head. The earring shot into the part of the ear where he hadn't put numbing cream! Needless to day she SCREAMED BLOODY MURDER! I was in a state of shock. I should have left again, but of course I didn't so he did the other ear quickly and SHE SCREAMED SOME MORE! I almost passed out. Then, he had to go back and put the earring in the first ear lobe and SHE SCREAMED EVEN LOUDER! That was when I noticed that they were uneven, but there was no way I could utter the words, "Can you re-do it?".
I felt like a murderer. I drove home in tears and just sat for 2 hours rocking her and telling her how sorry I was to let them hurt her like that. I then spent 2 years obsessing that I let my daughter have earring holes that were uneven. The only good thing is that she doesn't remember anything and they don't look too uneven anymore.
Well, daughter #2 comes along and there was NO WAY I was going through that again. That is until she started begging to get her ears pierced like her big sister. So, today was the big day for her to get hers done.
Needless to say, I was a basket of nerves. She knew it would hurt and thought she was ready for it. I knew that I was not. I tried to talk her out of it. No good. She wanted earrings badly.
It was much easier this time. I went to the same doctor because he uses disposible piercing guns and he did a fine job. Just one do over, but her ears were pretty numb so it was OK.
They look fantastic! I am estatic that it is over. The day I dreaded for years came and passed... and I survived.
I think the rite of passage was mine in this instance. I feel like I have crossed over and now have my two girls in "Big Kid School" and they both have their ears pierced.
4 comments:
Wow. This post makes me really glad I have boys. I got my ears pierced when I was 8 and it hurt, but I handled it okay. I can't imagine having to take one of my babies to have it done to them! Kudos for going to a doctor - I would never have thought of that. Glad it went much better with Daughter #2.
Great story. I worked at Claire's in high school and have pierced many, many ears. I had my first ones done when I was young and didn't remember the pain. When I was older, I got my ears double pierced, and that hurt! I felt like I had lied to all of my customers. I'm glad your daughter's experience was good!
It's so funny to me that little girls actually want to get their ears pierced--I was in middle school and had to be BRIBED to get mine done! I'm a big baby when it comes to needles, though, and while I wish I could say it didn't hurt that much, I was in pain for the rest of the day after the procedure. I am glad I had it done, but I second Liz in that I am SO glad to have a boy--if he wants anything pierced, he's on his own!
Congratulations on the rights of passage in your household! ;)
I remember the day I got mine done. It was for my 7th birthday and my brothers are the ones who treated me to it (with my parents permission of course).
My hubby doesn't like earrings on babies so we didn't do it to the girls as babies.
My oldest turned 6 in November and I had asked her if she wanted it done for her birthday and she refused. But a few weeks later we were in the mall and she asked to have it done. So we went to the Pericing Pagoda and they did both ears at once. She is my emotional child but didn't even wince when they did it. Not a tear shed. About 2 minutes later she "that didn't hurt at all".......seriously. We never had a problem.
My middle daughter still is adament that she is "never doing it", which is funny because she has never cried getting a shot since she was 6 months old. And just whimpered when she got 8 stiches in her lip.
Congratulations on your right of passage.
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