My five-year-old daughter had been asking for awhile to get her ears pierced. But, I wasn’t sure. I was afraid that she wasn’t mature enough to take care of them or that she would snag one on the playground at school. My mom made me wait until I was 9 to get mine pierced (she claimed that’s when my cousin got hers done so I had to wait until the same age).
On top of that, I couldn’t decide where I would take her. I had read the stories about taking kids to tattoo parlors so that their ears could be pierced with a needle instead of the traditional mall kiosk gun. But I also had a friend who had recently called several local tattoo parlors and was told they wouldn’t pierce minors. She ended up going to a store in the mall and after having them explain the process and felt comfortable with that option. I figured it couldn’t be that bad really. After all, I had had mine done that way as did the majority of my friends. But I still wasn’t quite ready to commit.
One weekend, we drove to Dallas to visit my brother and his wife, see their new house, and celebrate my daughter’s birthday. While we were there she asked again about getting her ears pierced. I figured that there may be more options in Dallas, so I broke out Google. I wasn’t surprised when City Moms Blog Network came through with a post. There was a place in Dallas specifically for ear piercings! I was able to sneak in the one appointment LaLobe had left for the next day, and I’m so glad I did.
When we showed up, my girl was buzzing with excitement and nerves. When I had asked her earlier if she wanted to get her ears pierced that day, she responded “I want DIAMONDS!” All of the earring options were gold (not just gold plated) to make them less likely to cause allergic reactions. I wasn’t surprised when she picked the biggest “diamond” (they were Swarovski crystal) option in the store. Once I convinced her a smaller version would be a better pick, she climbed into the single chair.
They started by using a measuring tool to put dots on her ears where the holes would go and had both parents make sure they were even. They had my husband hold her head still just in case. Then a clamp was put on to hold the first ear still, a quick shot of numbing spray, and a needle prick so fast that I was convinced she would need a second pass. My daughter didn’t even flinch. Putting in the earring was slightly less comfortable. Then the second ear was as quick as the first and she was done! The store does ask that you come back after 4 weeks so they can check your ears and practice taking out the earrings and putting them back in. Because we live 6 hours away, that wasn’t an option for us, but I liked that it was offered. Overall, we did end up paying more than we would have for some of the other options, but I think the experience was worth it. And most importantly, my daughter was thrilled with the results!
