Thursday, August 27, 2009

Piercing Questions...


In case you missed it from my Mall post...Eloise got her ears pierced last Thursday.
I held her hand
..and she did smile a very big smile after it was all said and done...the worry, the anticipation, the quick pain, the beauty of her first earrings.

She chose December, her birthstone. She even told me I can borrow them sometime since we share our birthday month. I am so lucky.

I was turning 5 when I got my ears pierced and projected myself onto my firstborn girl and asked her on her 5th birthday if she would like to do the same. "No" she said..she wasn't ready.

6th birthday "no, not yet mommy...maybe when I am 7."

On Thursday as we were walking by a piercing place in the Mall, the stopped me and said "mom, I don't want to wait until I am 7, I want to get my ears pierced today before I start 1st grade"

She was ready..in her own time. Just like Ruby, in one of her favorite old preschool books.

I was so proud, she was so brave.

However, it is my understanding that some view getting your ears pierced as more of a right of passage from girl-hood - when you are 13 or 16 or even after you leave home.

Now, perhaps I won't let them get a belly piercing or they will have to wait to have tattoos like mom until college and then please not tell me about it...but ear piercing I don't see as a big deal.

But, I would love to hear from you, do your kids get their ears pierced young...old...not at all? Do you have family rules?

Where are your tattoos?(kidding - I don't really want to know)

xoxo,t

15 comments:

jill R said...

My girls are ages 11 and 6 and neither have their ears pierced. My oldest is not one for pain and does not want hers pierced (fine by me). My skin is VERY sensitive to metal and as a result can only wear Platinum earrings...her skin is a lot like mine so I don't see any rush for her to pierce her ears only to find she can't wear earrings anyway (and I'll let her DH buy her platinum thank you very much). My 6 year old has not expressed any desire to have hers pierced, more than likely if I suggested it she'd go for it, but I'll wait until she asks. I had mine pierced in 6th grade and thought that was a good age (even though I took one of my earrings out before I should have and messed that hole up permanently, grrrr).

Stacey said...

3 months was the earliest Olivia's Dr. does ear piercing... soooo for her three month check up... guess what we did... I have always loved seeing tiny baby girls with pierced ears... Call me crazy... My husband was less excited... said that needed to be her choice, maybe when she's 13, blah, blah, blah... He could give me a good reason... just didn't seem right to him... I quickly reminded him of our sons circumcision... Not much choice there either... and he was just hours old... Hmmmph, the arguments ceased.
I was 5 when I got my ears pierced... old hippy style (thanks to my momma) Ice cubes & a potato. I remember the sting... but it was far out weighed by the excitement... that would again follow at 13 (second holes) and 18 (third hole left ear) and 30 upper left ear piercing... the last two adorned with a diamond stud and platinum hoop respectively.
Now as for the tattoo, I as you know am in the throes of my mid-life crisis and seriously considering a bluebird on the top of my right foot just behind the ring toe & pinky toe... ???? I need encouragement and probably a new husband if I actually do it... I wish Kat Von D lived nearer to me... she can do such gorgeous stuff and really small & detailed... We will see???

Enough rambling...
Have a great day...

XOXO,
S

Anonymous said...

We Mormons are a little funny about piercings-- just one hole per ear and certainly no belly or nose piercing! There are no rules about when. My parents made me wait until 12 and my sister did the same with her daughter. Mary will probably get em whenever she wants them. But no tattoos!

Tracy said...

This is interesting and Stace we are too much alike..I got my 1st at 5, 2nd at 13, 3rd at 18 and my cartilage at 28! We won't talk about my tattoos - but I would love to get another too..lol.

I also am considering getting Astrid's ears pierced at 3-6 months old.

Grammy said...

I am so proud of Eloise for doing this. I know it was weighing on her mind and was a HUGE decision for her. Kuddos:) Now I just need to get the girls some nice earrings.

Kristi Pohl said...

I had to wait until I was 16, and had to pay for it myself...no tattoos on this saggy old body, even though my sister keeps bugging me to do it...Charlie has no desire for any piercings or tatts, yet....when he brings it up I am going to tell him he can do it if I can have the same thing done...

Tina said...

My girls are 3 & 5 & the rule is "you must be 4 & WANT them pierced". I didn't want to put holes in their eyes if they wanted them there. LOL I said 4 because my mom wouldn't let ME have mine pierced til I was 6 but my younger sister got hers done at 4. So unfair!!! I am allergic to nickel in jewelry & have a lot issues with earrings. I figured 4 would be an okay age to deal with those issues.
However...My oldest did not WANT her ears pierced when she turned 4. :0( She did when she was 5, though...and did awesome! My little one will be 4 in February & I can't wait for her to get them pierced as well.
No tatoos here! I fear I'd regret it when I was older. LOL

my hope my faith my love said...

My oldest was 2, she asked for weeks for earrings like mommy, my sister and mom and I took her, but i left i couold not handle the tears, but she loves them.

I will also want until my youngest is old enough to ask too.

I to see no big deal in the ear piercing.

Anonymous said...

My rule is age 10, mostly because I feel like at that age, they can take complete control of the care of new piercings... the alcohol swabs, turning them, neosporin if needed, etc. I want them to have the responsibility, so I want them old enough to be able to do that without my help. I had initially decided 12, but I've now pushed it back to 10. I think I'll probably stick with 10.

Melanie said...

my parents made a HUGE deal about me getting my ears pierced. lame. i will do it if/when she asks, as long as hubby doesn't get all nuts about it. the thing is that i don't really wear earrings or jewelry, so it could be awhile until she asks. i have many holes in my ears, but i just don't wear them.

Melanie said...

My parents made me wait until I was 16. I don't even think my mom got hers pierced until after I was 16! I'm not really sure when I will let my girls, probably will just cross that bridge when they start asking, which they have not yet...I do want the girls to be old enough to properly care for them. My oldest girl just turned 5 & surprisingly it hasn't crossed her mind, but she's not tough with pain, so I think she may want to hold off for a while! Interesting post & Eloise looks lovely!

Tracy said...

Very interesting - I appreciate all of the comments. Quite a few of Eloise's friends have theirs pierced too. I don't mind having to be the one taking care of them for now - it is still much better than getting a dog and taking care of THAT..lolol

Melanie said...

I'd probably let her pierce her nipples before we get a dog.

Tracy said...

lmao, melanie!!! I totally agree with you.

betsy ellis said...

Tracy: I am trying to figure out how to leave you my story about being out for the day with Nathan, and every unbelievable thing that happened that only a Mom would understand (like using one of his disposable diapers as a maxi-pad when I unexpectedly got my period at the zoo?). Since what I wrote is about 15 years old, it seems that I do not have it saved electronically. (I guess that makes it, and me, prehistoric.) I'll keep trying to unearth it, even if I have to retype it into the modern world.

Love your pictures and stories, and hope all are doing well. (Though I have reservations about that first grade teacher. "I prefer to communicate by e-mail???" Do her students have to do that with her too?)

betsy ellis

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