Friday, June 1, 2007

Puncturing the kids

Youngest asked me yesterday while we were walking the dog in the hills, whether she could get her ears pierced. Well, that's a stumper. I equivocated by asking lots of questions. Does your sister want to? Do other kids in your class have it? Most? Can you say buying yourself time?

If we were in Canada this would be a no-brainer...fast easy simple straight-forward no. Absolute and one of those ones that the kids don't even bother to fight. But it is amazing how much your, or at least my, decision making is effected by place and culture. I am seriously contemplating the reality of getting a Vespa for eldest in a mere three years when she is 14 *eeeK*. Something I would never have even thought about considering for her entire life anywhere else. So earrings? *wiping a bit of a tear*

For me growing up, this was a serious right of passage. It required extensive begging, or at least planning with your friends, careful timing...it was one of those things that meant that your not a kid anymore. It still kinda means that to me, which is why I am finding this one a bit difficult. They still are kids...

But.....

Here, all or almost all the kids have them, and had them before they were 5. It bears no social weight that way, and people look confused when I ask them about it. They don't understand why this is an issue.

Nor does the man. When we talked about it last night...another out for more thinking time..."I have to talk to your father about this as well, it isn't fair to make this decision alone..." His comment? What's the fuss, at least it's just their ears."

*gulp*

So when I picked them up for lunch I told them we were going to go and get their ears pierced. Now. They were stunned, delighted and then very very nervous. We stopped to debate it, eldest wasn't sure, youngest paused and thought and then said, "YUP, I'm going for it!" So off we went. Eldest now getting swept into it and thinking maybe she will...but they were closed.

Lots of questions over lunch. Eldest is getting less and less sure. This is permanent, even if she takes out the earrings and lets them grow over, there will still be a mark. She realises that this involves a permanent mutilation of her body. Youngest is wavering, but still keen.

They are going to a friend's after school, which gives them time to think and then we'll see what happens tonight.

Seems I called their bluff on this one. Unintentionally. I just wanted to do it before my nerve broke. They are so perfect and beautiful...I just cannot picture how putting holes in them to hang ornaments off will make them better or more wonderful or smarter in any way.

More to follow.

............later.............

They did it.

Youngest was still keen, so after dinner we went over, the man and all...youngest was very brave, she didn't waver although she had the giggles and turned an alarming shade of green after she saw the gun...she said she felt sick and she looked it. There was a garbage handy...she didn't need it though.

She had the first one, very relaxed, and though it hurt she got the second as well.

By this point the elder figured she could handle it, and decided to get it done as well. For the record, it hurts. It has continued to ache for a few hours longer. Hopefully they will not wake up in the night.







The night was still ripe for adventure though...having gotten home and giggled and admired the earrings, which even I will admit look nice, one of the doors jammed closed. The mechanism inside the knob broke. Fortunately the man was on one side with a tool box, and I was on the other...and we can reach from the kitchen porch to our bedroom porch quite easily, so we passed tools back and forth, tried to force the latch, to no avail...the hinges were lift-offs that need an open door....we removed the knob, with no affect, then the man removed the trim holding the glass panel in...thank goodness there is one.....



He held it gently in place, and I pushed it gently too him, and down it came....there is kind of a high sill to get through to the loo in the night though...

Good for a flood?

7 comments:

Boo and Trev said...

Oh the earring thing! Erin had hers done when she was about the age of your eldest. All went well until she had them in long enough to take them out. She pulled one just from the front and the butterfly bit actually went into her earlobe! Horror! I rang up the Doctors and spoke to a nurse. She said if I was bold enough that I could use tweezers, alot of potassium permangenate and fish them out. If Erin wanted to keep the holes open we had to get small gold hoop earrings. What we always called sleepers. So I made an emergency rush into town for earrings and disinfectant. Then back home me with the tweezers and Kieran aiming the torch so I could see what I was doing. Erin was very brave I fished them out - everything hunky dory. By the time she was 16 she was bored with them stopped putting earrings in. Hole healed over - really no scar!! Ho Hum Kids eh!

Beth said...

I just wrote a lovely comment and Blogger promptly went out of service and it disappeared! Better not happen again.

Anyway...lovely earrings...lovely ears.

Never had mine done - just never appealed to me.

You're lucky (for now) that ears are all they wanted pierced. My nephew had his nipple pierced! Ouch.

oreneta said...

Boo: GAK! That is so gross, lets hope that nothing like that happens here...oooooo

Beth: Blogger does that sometimes, and it is very very irritating. They offered to pierce the man's nipple when we finished the girls...he said no.

Nomad said...

The pumpkins are growing up!!

...I still remember when littlest was TICKLED PINK to be able to say "Cock-a-doodle-do"!!!!

*SIGH*!!!

(they do look VERY nice tho!!!)

Helen said...

Another horror (hope it's not a family thing or you are in trouble). both of my girls had the ears done when 14 (agreed age)(make up also 14 andhad the advantage that when they used make up under 14 they had to be subtle enough that I could pretend I couldn't see it - taught them less is more i think). Anyway Kate got a huge (and I mean huge) boil on one ear a week or so after the piercing and when it burst - yuk!! I am not squeamish but the amount of gunk that came out - yuk is really the only word. However kate later had her nose pierced which she gave up after a few years (bored with it) They both often change hair colour as do I and I'm glad to say I never had to fight the tattoo one which I would have fought to the death (they don't heal over)

oreneta said...

Nomad: They do get big so fast....*gulp*

Helen: Dear god, I hope this isn't genetic you two are scaring me...littlest is going off on some gucky field trip involving water games with her unhealed ears tomorrow! Urck...

Boo and Trev said...

I remember Kate's nose piercing. When it was new and she fiddled with it you could say "Stop picking your nose, Kate!" Happy days!