Ear Piercing
Is it possible? Maude Blair is 11 years old.
To celebrate this momentous occasion, she wanted to get her ears pierced. She invited two friends to come along, plus her sister Olive (of course) and the five of us spent some quality time at the mall yesterday. Maude was very brave during the piercing. Olive held her hand while I teared up behind the camera. (Why so emotional? I'm not totally sure. Something about knowing it was painful and knowing it was going to leave permanent marks in her perfect little body. And something about how grown-up it seemed.)
After the big event, each of the girls picked out a little something for themselves — new earrings or accessories — and then we all hit the food court for milkshakes. They were a delightful bunch and gave me the 5th grade/6th grade low-down on fashion and brands with in-depth discussions of Hollister, Abercrombie, Aeropostale and Uggs. We would have been content to window shop for another couple of hours, but it was time to head home (gymnastics and ice-skating lessons happen on Thursdays).
We opened presents and ate cake last night. For cake, Maude requested a white layer cake with frosting made from chocolate pudding and whipped cream, topped with Samoas (the Girl Scout Cookies with the coconut on top). It was yummy. And I ate a slice for breakfast this morning. (And we're not judging because I am pregnant.)
Extra fun: in the middle of cake-baking and present-wrapping, the CO2 alarm went off. All festivities were paused while we immediately moved outside and called the energy company to come assess the situation. Which was, thankfully, all clear. Turns out the alarm was faulty. (We're replacing it today.)
Happy Birthday sweet Maude! It's a delight to be your mother.
Dear Readers, do you remember getting your ears pierced? I was 8 years old. I have a sweet memory of squeezing my dad's hand through the process. (The whole idea grossed my mom out, so my dad took me instead.) Some weeks later, my ears became infected and I let them grow in. In 5th grade, I had them pierced again. This time, I was old enough to care for them properly. How old were you?
Labels: kids
posted by Gabrielle of Design Mom at Friday, March 05, 2010
68 Comments:
I was 16. My mom had said that I couldn't pierce my ears until I was 18. I went to the mall with friends then hid behind my long hair for two weeks. She couldn't do much after that.
I was 10 (for my 10th birthday). I remember it vividly and very fondly. My daughters are waiting patiently (not) for there 10th birthday and the special ear piercing appointment.
I was 6 and I took my daughter last year when she turned 6. It's such a fun mother/daughter outing :)
I didn't get mine pierced until I was twenty! For some reason, the desire to decorate my ears didn't strike me until that age.
I realized shortly afterwards that the device I use for testing my blood glucose (I have been a type one diabetic since I was eleven) can be used to pierce ears. It even mentions it in the manual! But I am glad I had it done by a professional instead of trying it myself!
Happy Birthday Maude! Your ears look great :)
Happy Birthday Maude!!!
As usual, love your photos Gabrielle! :)
I was 11 when I got mine pierced and spent the day crying in my room cause I thought I looked funny with them and wished I hadn't done it. LOL But by the next day I had adjusted to my new look. :)
I was eight ... I remember asking my parents and then being shocked when they said YES!
Ear piercing has been a hot topic for my soon-to-be-five year old.
I was 25.
My parents said "absolutely no" and by the time I was 18 and could do it without them, I'd lost interest. So my earlobes stayed intact until the desire resurfaced.
I did however pierce my bely button at 18.
I was 13 & my dad pierced them at home with a home piercing kit. It had a little gun and everything. I felt so grown up. My dad was really strict about makeup & jewelry & all kinds of stuff, so I felt soooo grown up.
When I was 18 I got my 2nd holes in my ears, and then my third & forth soon after. As soon as I moved out of the house I pierced my belly for the first time. When I was 19-20 I had my belly pierced 3 more times, yep, I then had a ring in the top, bottom and both sides of my belly button. It was cool in collage but after my first pregnancy I took them all out. I now only have my plugs in my ears. I started stretching the holes in my ears when I was in 11th grade. They are pretty big now but not as huge as some peoples.
I think maybe that is why I allowed my 9 year old to pierce her ears when she wanted to on her 5th birthday. I didn't want her to go crazy with piercing like me when she was older, lol. It was her choice. Because of her diabetes her holes never healed properly & we had to take them out. She's thinking about having them pierced when she is a little older. We shall see ;)
Wow! The first ear piercing - our rite of passage! I got mine pierced for the first itm ein the fifth grade and I grew up when girls were getting 5/6 piercings in each lobe. I still have 2 but only use the one.
I was 19 and I got one hole punched in the cartiledge at the top (back when this was cool and not revolting). I hid it from my dad for almost all of winter break, but he caught me when I hugged him goodbye as my boyfriend was taking me to the airport to fly back up to Utah. He was so angry at me that he didn't speak to me for a year. Something good came from it after all! (can you tell we had a rocky relationship?)
I think I was about eleven. They got massively infected when I got a earring back stuck in the back of my ear and I didn't want to tell my parents because I didn't want to give up my earring and get in trouble. The faulty reasoning of an eleven year old. I am sure Maude has a much better head on her shoulders. Happy Birthday! And congrats for getting through it without too many tears. :-)
I had to wait until I was 18, but talked my parents into it when I as 17. My uncle is a surgeon and he did it for me. I was prep with those green rags and I think I was even given a local anesthesia. Crazy doctor family.
how sweet! believe it or not, i was a sophomore in college when i got mine pierced! my parents never said i could/couldn't, i was just never interested. i had worn glasses ever since i was 7, then had braces in high school, so really, there was plenty of metal on my face already. plus i played alot of sports and earrings would just have gotten in the way.
but ever since i got them pierced 8 yrs. ago, i don't think i've gone a day without something in them! hooray for Maude. She's one adorable girl.
Our family had an iron clad rule that you had to be 14 or maybe it was 16 before getting your ears pierced. I didn't really care either way and looking back I am grateful that my school pictures aren't dripping with the fashionable earrings of the time. When I was in college and stressed out with exams, I got a second hole in one ear which I loved until the prophet counseled us to have a single set of wholes. Even then I didn't take out my second earring as it was the only 'rebellious' thing I'd ever done until I was out to lunch with a friend and her 5 yr old son loudly whispered to his mother, "Mom, the prophet asked us to only have one set of earrings." Feeling extremely guilty over being a poor example to a 5 yr old, I took out the second earring and haven't missed it much. When I want to remember that I had a brief moment of rebellion (because my mother was very opposed to extra holes in ears) I can still look at the 2nd earring whole. Oddly I look forward to my girls getting their ears pierced and think it looks so sweet on little girls when they just have a simple stud in their ears. I'd probably allow them to get them pierced now if it wasn't so painful.
I think I was 12. Added a second hole in one ear (myself!) in college. That hole hasn't had anything in it in for 20 years but it has never closed. A good reminder of college insanity, I suppose.
Eight years old was the rule in my fam. (Same age for sleepovers btw.)I remember it being a bonding experience for my mother and I. So was all the time we spent cleaning my ears to prevent infections.
What I fun thing to share with friends too. Those photos will make for great memories.
I was eight, my Dad would take my sisters and I on our eighth birthday to get our ears pierced. The first time the holes were not even so I grew them in and had them re-pierced a couple of months later. They are still not even but the thought of growing them in again and waiting to get them re-pierced (again) was too much for me!
I was 31 (just this past Christmas). I never had a great desire to pierce my ears (despite getting my belly button pierced at 23) but my it is something my husband wanted me to do. So he bought me diamond earing for Christmas...I had them pierced the next day.
aww how sweet!!! i was an infant when i got mines pierced but i remember very well my 2nd and 3rd piercings :D i stopped at 3 the more you get the more it hurts!!!
glad you had a great bonding experience :D
My ten year old got her ears pierced a few months ago. As recommended, we waited 6 weeks before we took the earrings out to put new ones in, but her piercing was just too tender for the new posts. Amazingly, her pierced ears closed up in a few short hours. So, I'd urge you to wait at least 10 weeks before you try changing earrings to avoid the same problem we had. She looks beautiful!!
I couldn't get my ears pierced until I was 12. Oh how unfair it seemed at 10 and 11. :)
I got mine pierced at age 10 and did the same for my now almost 12-year old daughter. I polled some of the moms at school about the best place to have it done and one of the more hip mamas said that I should go to a well-known local tattoo shop where the piercers take their craft very seriously. Being a somewhat adventurous mom, I called and made an appointment with JoJo, piercer extraordinaire.
The whole experience was a real treat for my daughter who greatly enjoyed describing the scene to her girlfriends (the needle! It was so long and so sharp!). I was thoroughly satisfied and blushed only slightly at JoJo's shirt that stated:
"Only half of my piercings are currently visible"
gulp.
As we left, one of the tattoo artists told my daughter:
"See you again on your 18th birthday!"
double gulp.
I was eleven and visiting my Grandma and she wanted to buy me a gift and I said the only thing I wanted was to have my ears pierced. We were both worried about what my Mom would say, but she was fine with it. I have always loved wearing earrings!
Happy Birthday, Maude!
I was 12 years old and my grandmother was afraid I would get HIV or Hep C, so she (no kidding) took me to her DOCTOR to get them done. I'm thinking it was like a plastic surgeon or something? I don't know, it was a bit weird. And I wanted silver studs but she said that gold were better. She was paying for it (it was my birthday present) so I happily wore gold ball studs for the first three months. I felt very grown up. :)
Such a sweet and low key birthday party! I was 8 when I got mine pierced and I had to practically beg to get them done, plus save up my own allowance money to pay for it. LOVE earrings!
I'm not even pregnant and I eat cake for breakfast, so I'm definitely not judging!
What a sweet memory. She has such a great name!
My father insisted that I be "double digits" or 10. Then a haircut went wrong, very wrong - picture horrible bowl cut - when I was 9. Everyone thought I was a boy, so they allowed me to get them pierced.
My mom and Grandmother came with me, it was pretty special...despite the hair.
I have and identical twin sister and my Dad had the hardest time telling us apart so they pierced our ears when we were only two months old!I had diamonds and my sister had gold studs. My Mom later said that she had people tell her that she was a terrible mother for putting her babies through that, and she would reply she pierced them for "practical reasons."
It was my 9th birthday. I was sick so I stayed home from school, but my mom took me and my sister to the mall to get my ears pierced. I actually let the holes close up when I was in high school. I think I look funny in earrings.
Darling girl - she looks SO happy! I didn't get my ears pierced until high school and got 3 holes at once in each ear. My dad just about died. :)
I don't really remember my first piercings--I was around 12 or 13, but it doesn't stand out. But then, at 16, I got one more hole while at church Girl's camp, with a bunch of other girls and the camp director :) That was a great memory. And then I got the other ear done a year later in Berkeley during senior ditch day, and finally, a third done in one ear during finals my first year at BYU with my roommate--we needed a stress reducer. That hole never healed and I almost never wear earrings at all anymore.
Happy Birthday, Sweet Maude.
I was 12 and the memory is vague. I'm thinking 12, or at least 10, for my three girls (who are currently 7, 6, and 6). When I was 18 I got a 2nd hole in each ear and my dad FREAKED OUT. You would've thought it was a tattoo by his reaction. I only left those earrings in for two weeks and then let them grow back; partly because of my parents but mainly because I've always had sensitive ears and had trouble with most earrings, so having four holes to deal with didn't make much sense. I'm glad I let them grow back when I did :)
Happy Birthday! And happy first ear piercing!
I was 6 weeks old. We had just moved back to Guatemala and my mom took me to the hospital. She said the nurse just took the earring and popped it into my earlobe before I could even start to squirm. My mother had hers pierced at the same time - she was 33. Her mother did not believe in pierced ears.
I remember getting mine pierced at 12. I was the last one in my class. Since then, the age requirement has gone down in my house and my baby sister just got her ears pierced at 9. My 4 other sisters and I tried to be not too indignant. :)
What were your camera settings to get that great picture of the cake/candles with Maude?
In Colombia you get your eras pierced pretty much as soon as you are born: to show you are a girl and I guess so that you don't remember the pain.
Gabrielle: I am addicted to tour blog!!!! I found it about a month ago and had spent a ridiculous amount of time in it since, even going back into the history.
It is fabulous. Congratulations!
We live in Gainesville, FL and work at UF.
And about tearing up: just the picture of the sisters holding hands made me choke up - too cute!
I went with my DH to get his ears pierced. After the "click" he went "owww!" just to see my reaction -- and I passed out! Right there in the mall. And I'm the one with all the body piercing. He hasn't let me live it down. You'd think that having 3 kids would toughen a gal up...
I was 7, and sister was 11. The rule was that we had to wait until we were 12, and so she had been waiting very patiently. But because I was sick a lot as a kid, my hair wouldn't grow and therefore was always cut short. My mom permed it to make me look more like a girl because in the mid-'80s a perm was the answer to everything. But it didn't work, and I guess they were worried I was going to be traumatized from people always asking "and what's your name, little fella?". So one day after church we went out for lunch and they asked me if I'd like to have my ears pierced. Before I could answer my poor sister burst into sobs. Not tears, SOBS. So my dad turned to her and asked if she would like to get hers done as well, which only made her sob even harder. We went later that week after school. I got amethyst, and my sister got opal.
Three weeks later we were at my brother's school for his hockey game, and one of his friends asked "why is your little brother wearing earrings?". I thought my mom was going to LOSE IT on this 9-year-old smart aleck, but she managed to keep it together. 21 years later, nobody mistakes me for a boy, and I still like amethyst earrings.
I was not allowed to get my ears pierced until 8th grade, so I was 13. I was a little disappointed because the girl at the mall didn't really pierce them symmetrically. One piercing is slightly higher on my earlobe than the other one. But I did feel very grown up and I took good care of them. I think my dad was a little disappointed because he was very much of the "Your body is a temple, so don't be putting holes in it" mindset.
Now that I'm an adult, I hardly ever wear earrings, but it is still fun to wear them every now and then. I'm pretty sure my daughter will have to be in Junior High until I will let her get her ears pierced.
Texas reader, had mine pierced at 3 months, no memory. My mom says I barely cried and they were easy to care for as a baby. I think my grandma really questioned my mother's judgement at the time. However, I did get a second hole when I was in high school, maybe tenth grade? It was exciting and I do remember that day. However, I've let those second holes close up and only wear one pair at a time now.
Thanks for sharing, what a great birthday!
This may seem odd, but in Latin America (my family is Panamanian) baby girls have their ears pierced before they leave the hospital after being born.
So, nope, can't remember getting them pierced. Earrings have been with me since day one.
Happy birthday Maude!
PS I pierced my ears (2nd hole) in high school and wore the 2nd earring through college. Now, at 35, I'm back to just one ring in each ear.
I had mine pierced shortly after I turned 12 in 1984. My dad believed (at the time) that ear piercing was for gypsies. Heh. He has long since changed his mind, since there are 8 sets of ear piercings between me, my mom, and my sisters these days and doesn't seem to hold such nasty prejudices about gypsies in the 21st century : )
Never! The rule at my house was 18 years old--my mom and grandma never had their ears pierced and weren't too keen on it. I went through a phase at about 9 (I think when all my friends were getting theirs pierced) where I was annoyed and bought magnetic earrings and things to try to be like everyone else. When my (2 yrs) older sister turned 18 she marched straight in and had them pierced. My mom thought they looked so nice, she asked me if I wanted mine done then (at 16), but I had lost all interest, and it just hasn't returned (I'm now 30). I thought that I might get them pierced some day for my wedding so I could wear some great chandelier earrings, but when I mentioned it to my then-fiance (now my husband) he was appalled at the idea of doing it just for some pictures.... and then made me some GORGEOUS chandeliers that were clip-ons, and since they were so drippy with amethyst, no one could tell! My goodness I love that man! :D
I was 8....I had it done right after my baptism...good times!
I can't believe how many people had to wait until they were teenagers. I thought I was the ONLY one! My father said I had to wait until I was 18 so my sisters took me on my birthday to get them pierced. The following year (my first year of college) I got the cartilage at the top pierced. It wasn't a few days into winter break that I got caught. I eventually took it out because it was really tender.
Oh, I had mine pierced shortly after I was born. Done by hand. WHich means a close family friend came and did it with some a needle and thread. Sounds archaic since I was only born in 1972. The holes are not even and with certain earrings, it is very noticeable. Oh well. I love my original story.
I was six. I had a dream about getting my ears pierced--the earrings were turquoise, and so the next morning I told my mom about the dream and we went and got my ears pierced! I was so totally excite.
We do pierced ears at 11 years in our house, to!
Ha, I remember, I was like 19! :)
How cute she waited until 11. They look nice on her!
I can't believe my sister beat me to commenting (Hannah!) about our traumatic story. But she forgot the last part. After all the fuss and crying and frustration on my part when it came time when we were allowed to switch earrings, as soon as mom put the new earrings in my little sister promptly passed out! She was out cold on the floor so mom took out the earrings and wouldn't put them back in. Yes, in the end I got earrings a few months early and my poor little sister wasn't allowed to keep them! hee-hee!
My dad was pretty against it, but couldn't say no because my mom had hers pierced. So we had to memorize our multiplication tables up to 15 x 15 in order to earn them. I was ten.
She looks so excited in the photos! Happy birthday to Maude!
It was my sixth birthday when I got my ears pierced. I think I talked my parents into it with the old, everyone's doing it speech! After it was over, through the tears, I convinced them to take me roller skating to make me feel better. So sad I know! :-) Thanks for sharing, this post brought back fun memories.
I was eight as well. I don't remember much of it except that it HURT. Your kids are gorgeous and I think Maude looks like she resembles you.
I was 14. My mom had made such a big deal out of waiting until I was 16 that when she suddenly offered, in my fourteenth year, to take me to the Walt Whitman Mall on LI I was sooo excited. Had my ears pierced at a jewelry shop, walked out of the store and promptly threw up into a garbage can!
I got my ears pierced at age 14. My mother took me out on a Mommy-daughter date. Wandering the mall awaiting the movie, I tested the waters, jokingly suggesting I should get my ears pierced.
Much to my surprise Mom said, "Do it!" and I was so shocked that I felt like I had to go through with it even though I felt too chicken. Minutes later my ears were pierced.
I still remember exactly where I sat to get my ears pierced, the new shoes I got and the movie we saw that night.
Years later I worked in a small jewelry store and did the deed to others. With a piercing gun it was very quick, easy and much less nerve-wracking to do.
Never thought until today that I was participating in a big rite of passage for all the women whose ears I pierced. Wow.
Awwww, so precious. I was about her age, but oddly I don't remember actually getting my ears pierced. I do remember how excited I was though.
My 7-y/o recently got her ears pierced, and I think she looks so darling with her little sparkly pink studs in her ears.
First off, can I tell you how much I love the name Maude? So sweet and old fashioned. And the photos are lovely.
I got my ears pierced when I was 11 too, but not on my birthday. It was a rite of passage when I got my first period. I remember going to the mall and picking out the sapphire blue studs that matched my eyes.
Happy Birthday Maude!
I was 32 (just 6 months ago). I wasn't allowed as a child, and by the time I was old enough, just not that interested. But the bug hit me again last year, and I finally did it.
Later that week I went out and spent almost $100 on a new earring collection :) However, I have yet to wear it much, since one of my ears is having a hard time healing. It gets swollen every time I switch to a new pair of earrings.
Any ear care tips anyone has would be helpful!
Sounds like a fun outing. My parents made us wait until sweet 16 - until we could drive ourselves down to the shop and get it done. My daughter is 4 and I haven't yet decided on when to let her. Definitely not until she can take care of them herself.
My mom and I went to the mall on a school day on my tenth birthday. She did not tell me what we were going to do. As we approached Claire's, me rattling off as usual, she bent down and said "Because you haven't complained about wanting to get your ears pierced in a long time, I thought it would be a good present to get them pierced now, what do you think?"
Mine got infected, too, and I had them repierced at 12. Then at 13 I got an extra hole in each ear. Finally though, in college, I decided earrings weren't worth the pain my ears go through (no matter what I do, big red ears and throbbing pain for hours even after I take them out)and the holes, all four of them, have closed up. Most likely for good.
I got them when I was born and so did my daughter.
Absolutely adorable photos!
I've told my oldest "after 10" but that's mostly b/c I had a tough time with earrings and finally let them close up in my 20's. It's been *gulp* 20 years since I have worn them and I really don't miss them, because they always, always bothered me.
Hopefully my girls won't have the same issues!
I'm surprised to see how many people didn't have their ears pierced until they were older. I thought the norm was to have them done as a baby. I had them done as a baby and so did my sister. My mom's reasoning was that since we were babies we wouldn't touch them and they would heal. I still have them. I did, however, get a second set of piercings when I was in college and my mom let me get my cartilage pierced when I was 12 or 13. It would always get infected though, so out it came!
Happy Birthday Maude! Beautiful pictures too!
I was 9 and my mom took me and got hers done at the same time!
I got my ears pierced when I was 13. My dad was against it and said that I could never get my ears pierced. But you dear Gabrielle convinced my mom to let me get my ears pierced and you gave that to me for my 13th birthday. It was very memorable and I thank you for convincing my mom. I love to wear earrings.
I was in fifth grade and I remember the whole ordeal in detail because my mother decided one of the ears was pierced to high so a) I had to have the embarrassment of wearing only one earring for a week while the other hole "healed" (still amused by what mortifies us at that age) and then, when I returned to get the ear re-pierced, the piercer slipped through the old hole. I was totally ready to call it quits, but after an ice cream cone, my mother convinced me to go back. Glad I did, even though I never wear earrings anymore. One day, again, I hope.
I'm also surprised to see how long some people had to wait.
here in Brazil, as someone pointed out regarding Latin America, girls get their ears pierced whent they are 2-3-day old usually. That is my case.
Despite of that, I didn't do it with my girls, bc I don't like babies with earrings. The oldest got hers pierced when she was 6. And the younger one, who's 5, is trying to find the courage to do it (she knows it hurts a bit). Almost every small drugstore here offers the service to pierce ears and we've taken the younger one twice to do it, but in the end, she still does not have the courage. She'll do it, whenever she really finds the courage.
Fernanda
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