I Won The Bad Mommy Award Today

My daughter had her ears pierced when she was two months old. She didn't cry then. But today, well, it was a whole different story.

When she was a toddler, she started yanking on her ears... ALOT. Scared that she might pull out an earring, hubby and I made the decision to take them out until she was older and ready to care for her earrings and her ears herself. The last thing I wanted was my daughter ripping an earring out, or worse, getting one loose and then putting the earring or backing in her mouth and swallowing it.

But as she began noticing her friends cute earrings, she kept mentioning how she wanted to have them in again. A few times, hubby laid her across his lap, soaked an earring in alcohol, and went to work-thinking the hole would magically reopen and the earring would find its way in pain free. Sure, he got them through both times-but it was not pain free and after a day or so my daughter wanted them out.

She's been mentioning earrings again, and I knew if daddy heard this it would be a repeat performance of the other two disasters a few years before. So, when I went to get my hair done today I mentioned to Deja that she could have her hair cut and if she wanted, her ears pierced. She knows my hairdresser, and she trusts her. I've known her myself since I was Deja's age and know that by piercing her ears again with a licensed cosmetologist, using the very quick procedure they have, that it would be much better than forcing an earring through a hole that had already long closed up.

At first she was hesitant, and then she started protesting and crying, squirming etc... as my friend got the stuff ready. My mother thankfully was there and was holding her hand and trying to calm her down. Before the procedure took place, I had to go and compose myself in the bathroom as I had started bawling too, and didn't want her to see me upset. By the time I'd left the bathroom, it was done. She was crying and howling, and saying it hurt. But when I asked her which way hurt worse, daddy's way or this way, she agreed daddy's way was the worst. She was so upset she even threw the $20 (bribe money for being a terrible mommy) I handed her after the procedure was done right back at me and told me to keep it. Clearly, she was pissed. (I mean, what almost 9 year old is gonna throw $20 back in your face unless they are pretty darn upset...)

She's in a better mood now... and I assume she will be asking for the $20 soon and reminding me of the American Girl doll I promised to buy her if she'd please just be quiet. She said it did hurt, but now it feels okay and knowing her, in a few days this will be all just a bad memory. (but an expensive one since her American Girl doll is probably gonna cost me $130 or so with all the accessories she wants-OUCH!)

So today, I get the Bad Mommy Award for telling my daughter if she wanted to get her ears pierced she was going to get them done the RIGHT way-and while certainly not pain free it is much better than daddy's way of doing things. I give her a few years... and then she'll probably be begging me to get her navel pierced... or maybe an eyebrow, or her tongue...who knows. And then I will win the Bad Mommy Award again... but this time for saying NO.