For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for September 28, 2015

My daughter was three, my granddaughter took herself to a tattoo parlor (with her mother in tow) at 12. She said it was time.Tattoo parlors are the best places because they use hollow needles and there is less chance of infection and less pain.

I waited until my kids were old enough to take care of the responsibility themselves. On the other hand, in my husband’s home country, the girls get their ears pierced in the hospital when they are born. Seems kind of forced to me..Our pediatrician’s office will pierce ears for a small fee. Can’t get much more sanitary than that because they know how to keep things clean and they have standards.

I was almost 24, my sister took me to a beauty parlor near her for an early b’day present.

Lynn’s Notes:

When she was four years old, my daughter, Katie, wanted to have her ears pierced. I told her it was a painful procedure and perhaps she should wait until she was a bit older. She insisted. Her friends had pierced ears and she wanted to be part of the crowd. I finally gave in and took her to Robert’s Jewellers, the local jewellery store.

I remember my brother let his kids get their ears pierced when they were 2. When my mother asked why, my brother looked at her and, with a smug grin, said, “Because YOU wouldn’t let me get MY ears pierced when I was a kid!” Yay, parenting decisions made out of spite.

Happy my hubby and brother-in-law do not have piercings. My daughter when she was in grade school literally dragged me to beauty shop to get hers done she was just getting over being sick. Since then several more done on her ears at jewelry place.

:oD

Now the kids just install tie-down grommets in their earlobes, I assume for safety during high winds.-——————————————I thought it was for a place to hang their keys.

I thought these repeats were going to remain in early days of the family, when the kids were little. At this rate, they’ll be married off again in a year

I pierced my own when I was 19. I used a real gold needle made for the purpose and an ice cube. Doesn’t sound that brave until I tell you that my ear lobes are 6mm thick.

My mother forced pierced ears on me when I was 6. I kept taking the them out and she’d stick them back in. Decades later I still hate the fact I have holes in my ears that will never go away. I don’t wear earrings – I think it looks stupid to have crap hanging off your ears.

Kids are just as entitled to their bodily autonomy as adults. Parents that do this sh’t to their kids are F-ing evil and should be jailed on physical abuse charges. And yes, I said as much to my mother years ago. She finally “got it”, apologized and had the decency to look deeply ashamed when I asked her how she’d feel if I strapped her down and pierced her eyebrows. She said she would hate it – because she thinks it looks stupid to have crap having off your face.

Your kid is not a mini-you. Don’t assume they’ll want the same things as you. And for gods sake if they don’t want you to mutilate their body, do not do it, no matter how “cute” or “precious” you think it would be.

My parents had me wait until I was 12. Old enough to understand and follow the instructions. My very best friend was then able to get hers done within a week. She was at my house 4 days a week from after school until supper time. Her big brother was there, so it wasn’t something arranged by her parents, and the 5th day of the school week we were in Scouts that night. So they knew my and my folks well enough that “she got hers done” actually was a solid argument. I was ill nor several years after I finished college and wasn’t going out much (also being a “high functioning” Autistic I had no one to see socially) so had to have one redone about 5 years ago. I watched each step, and so was confident with the person at that Claire’s. Considering my hobby is making jewelry, including earrings, might be an indicator of how little I did during those years… didn’t even have this type of interaction

I am in my 40s, and I have never pierced my ears. I just don’t feel the need for it. Not even my own mother could convince me to pierce my ears.Perhaps Elizabeth and I should switch moms.

I got my ears pierced when I was in my 40’s. I had a second set done when I was in my 50’s. I like the look of a dangly earring in the lower hole with a stud (usually a diamond) in the upper one.

They call those earlobe plug things gauges, but I am not sure what they are measuring. Any guesses?

If I ever have the chance to sail round Cape Horn I’ll figure I’m entitled to wear an earring. Until then I’ll leave it as a decoration for the ladies.

Babies getting pierced ears annoy me. They should have to nag at least as much as I had to before I got my ears pierced.

I had a coworker who’s mother told her she couldn’t get a second ear piercing because “only lesbians have double pierced ears.” She waited until she was 18 and did it when she was out with her twin sister. She planned to not say anything and just wait until her mother noticed. However, once they got home, her loud-mouthed sister promptly announced, “Hey Mom, Linda’s a lessie!” Oh well.

It was not common to pierce the ears of a baby back when I had my first daughter, but if it had been, I think I would’ve. She was quite bald and I got tired of people asking, “What’s his name?” no matter how she was dressed.

Our version of this was mobile phones and our oldest boy in about grade 5. Demanded that he had to have one as he was ‘literally the only person in his class who didn’t have one’. We offered to ask the other parents but he said we weren’t allowed to. I think we only just had our first mobile at that point which my wife and I shared.