My Children Are Pierced

On Friday, Max and I took the kids to get their ears pierced. We took them to a tattoo and body piercing salon because they use needles for piercing. You see, piercing guns can’t be completely sterilized, but needles can. I also read about what guns actually do to your ear, and… blech. So, we trekked out of town for three piercings.

Yes, three. In the grand spirit of “I want whatever she gets” Jackson decided he wanted to have his ear pierced too. His decision was also influenced by the fact that one of the best players on his soccer team has an earring, and Jackson thinks it looks cool. Some have questioned my allowing a 6-year old boy to get his ear pierced. But really, what was I going to say, “You’re too young”? Because Cassie is clearly getting her ears pierced before she’s 6. So why would Jackson be too young? Because he’s a boy. Gender discrimination rears its ugly head. As long as he can take care of it, he can have an earring. This means he is not allowed to touch his ear and he has to let me clean it and turn it.

I know many people are against piercing the ears of babies. Obviously, I like the idea. You see, I got my ears pierced when I was 6. I played with them so much, they got infected and closed up. When I was 8, my mother let my 14-year old baby-sitter pierce my ears with a needle in her kitchen. I played with them so much, they got infected and closed up. At some point before I was in 6th grade, I got them pierced at the mall again. This time, they stayed. I got second holes for my 8th grade graduation. Sometime in college, my sister and I went to Berkeley and I got third holes in my ears on the street (Telegraph Ave.). I recently let those close up because I keep losing earrings.

One of my best friends in high school was Hispanic. I learned from her that some cultures pierce a baby’s ears as soon as possible after birth. I loved that idea. Babies are too young to care! They won’t play with their ears and get them infected. Having earrings will simply be a part of the normal course of life. I decided that I would pierce a girl’s ears when she was a baby to avoid all the drama.

There are some people who think the decision of whether or not to get earrings should be left to a girl when she is old enough to make a choice. I can respect that.

There are some people who liken ear piercing to bodily mutilation and compare it to circumcision. I can’t respect that, because the analogy is incorrect. If a girl decides she doesn’t want to wear earrings, she doesn’t have to wear earrings. The holes will close. She might have tiny scars, but even they can be covered by hair. When you circumcise a boy, you cut off a part of his body. It can’t really be put back. Circumcision is surgery. Ear piercing is not. (For the record, Jackson is not circumcised.)

Jackson got a very small garnet stud (his birthstone). I opted for gold “diamond” studs for Cassie.

Without further ado, here are the pictures of my children getting their ears pierced.

Cassie Before the Piercing Experience

Marking Cassie’s Ear

Cassie is Clearly Annoyed

Cassie’s First Ear Piercing

Four of Us in the Piercing Room

Jackson’s Ear Before

Jackson Being Pierced

Jackson’s Ear After

Jackson is All Smiles After the Earring Is In

Cassie with Pierced Ears

Cassie’s Pierced Ear Side View