earrings – Mummy To Twins Plus One

First Ears Pierced

The girls have been asking to get their ears pierced for ages now. I have been quite worried how they would handle it. Would they be fine? Would they freak out? Would there be screams and crying? Would they hate it and want them out soon after? I did not know.

I have my ears pierced and had mine done when I was about the kids age. My mum took my sister and I to get them done after we had been asking for a while. My dad of course was furious when he found out that we had our ears pierced and wanted us to be older to get it done or maybe he rather wished we had not done it in the first place.

Yesterday I picked the kids up the early due to them being in a choir school performance. After I got the kids I had to go to the chemist to pick some things up. While we were there, one kid told me she really wanted to get her ears done. I checked if she was sure and if she was I was happy to have them done. I asked her sister and she seemed a bit reluctant but would like to do it as well. I did explain that it does hurt a little but it does not last. I was trying to not cover the truth and to let them know that it does get better.

We inquired at the chemist about getting the kids ears done and had to come back as the lady who did the piercing was at lunch. We busied ourselves and then came back to have them done. The child that was most insistent wanted to be first. She was very happy and got the dots on her ears to mark where the earrings will go.

She was fine until the first ear got pierced and then she was very upset. I felt terrible. I hugged and kissed her. I told her she was very brave and there is just one more ear to do and all done. She was not happy and told me that it hurt and it was not like getting a bindi (the lady that was doing the piercing said it would be just like getting a bindi). I told her it does not last and will get better very soon. She calmed down a bit, I held her hand and she got the other ear done. More crying, cuddles and kisses and she was fine. Her ears got a spray of the antiseptic mixture and soon was well. She looked upset, but after about 5-10mins she was all good.

This girl is very happy she got her ears pierced yesterday. She loves them, and cannot stop checking them out in the mirror.

Now it was her sister’s turn. It was bad that she was all ready to go and had to see her sister cry and get upset. Although she dealt with it okay it scared my other little girl. She really wanted to get earrings yesterday but she was very upset and scared so I left it. She can do it later if she wishes. She wants to wear all the pretty earrings but is not sure about the ears being pierced. Poor little thing kept on saying, “I want my ears done” and then I said are you ready and told her to be still, she then said amoungst tears, “I don’t know!” I did not want her to be traumatised by it, and she needs to be okay with it when she is ready.

So now one kid has pierced ears and the other does not. I don’t think it will be long for the one that doesn’t have them done to want to go again. I am leaving it for her to decide and not pressuring her. I made sure she knew all was okay and it did not matter.

The child that has her ears done feels very grown up with her sparkly earrings and cannot stop looking at herself in the mirror. She is very proud of herself and they are not hurting much at all now. I have taken the edge off with some Nurofen, I think that has made things easier. She is making sure she sprays her ears morning and evening so it is good to see her be very responsible in looking after her newly pierced ears.

Did your kids get their ears pierced when they were babies or older? What age did you allow your children to have their ears pierced?

To pierce or not to pierce

Do you have your ears pierced? Does your child? Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Gisele Bundchen has copped some flak for piercing her 7 month old daughter’s ears. I for one would not do it so young, but don’t see an issue if this is your preference.

I have my ears pierced and my twin girls have already expressed a desire to have theirs done also. One question has been asked by my girls, “Will it hurt mummy?” Well it does not hurt badly but it is a little sore but not for long.

When I got my ears first done it was with my mum and my sister and I was about 7 or 8 I am not sure. I do remember that I got them pierced in Innisfail, North Queensland while we were living on our 50 foot boat and travelling up the coast. My dad was not happy but mum decided since we really wanted it and were older, we could get it done, again we wanted it due to mum having hers pierced and wearing earrings. We wanted to be like our mother.

My main issue with not doing it to the girls when babies was the cleaning and looking after the ears and what happens if they get infected? I think that the girls can better look after it when older and have a better understanding of what is involved. That said, maybe it might have been better to do it as a baby as they would not know it was painful and have no memory of it. Now that the twins are older they might get upset if it is sore or might think it would be scary.

It is not something I am forcing them into, if they want to get their ears pierced that is their decision, and I will support it. I don’t think we as parents and the public should criticise Gisele’s decision to pierce her little girl’s ears, many do this and don’t get this kind of attention.

I don’t have an issue if you pierce your baby’s ears, it is your decision to make and think people should worry about bigger and greater issues in the world. Who cares really if someone does this, how does it impact on you and the world? All this attention to this issue is just like the next door neighbour being a busy body. Are we Gladys Kravitz from Bewitched? I think not! How about we just focus on what is important and the piercing of a kids ears is not one of them.

Have you pierced your daughter’s ears as a baby? If you have not has your child expressed a want to have them done later? I want to make it an event that you take your little girls out and make it memorable like what my mother did for me. My mother had a nice day out with her father and then she got her ears pierced, so would like to replicate that if possible. Send in your stories and comments.