Oh no, what have I just gotten myself into? I have just inadvertantly agreed to go with a friend while she gets her 4 mo's ears pierced. Aaargh!
She called and asked me if I wanted to meet her at the mall (it's pouring here), to let the kids run around and go to the bookstore. I told her sure, and we agreed on a time. Then she said, "Oh good you can be there to hold my hand while I get ****'s ears pierced." I was stunned -- she and I talked about piercing kids about a month or so ago. I had just read the thread on Mothering and realized for many reasons that I personally wasn't comfortable with it, and she and I discussed it in a totally respectful way and agreed to disagree. I did suggest that maybe a professional piercer was the way to go if she was certain she wanted to do it (based on great info here on Mothering), but she knew where I stood, and I knew where she stood and that was that. So now today I feel like she totally manipulated me into this. I said to her, "Oh way to slide that in there at the end" and she just laughed and brushed it off.
Well anyway, I am feeling really torn because she's asking for me to support her in something she knows I don't agree with. What would you guys do? She already knows I am available to meet her, and I did say I am not comfortable with watching her pierce her dd's ears, but I just feel so manipulated. I know I can tell her straight out, forget it, but I think in some ways I feel like she totally disregarded my feelings -- if she wants to pierce her kid's ears, that's something she has to live with, but I feel so manipulated. Aaargh. What would you do?
She called and asked me if I wanted to meet her at the mall (it's pouring here), to let the kids run around and go to the bookstore. I told her sure, and we agreed on a time. Then she said, "Oh good you can be there to hold my hand while I get ****'s ears pierced." I was stunned -- she and I talked about piercing kids about a month or so ago. I had just read the thread on Mothering and realized for many reasons that I personally wasn't comfortable with it, and she and I discussed it in a totally respectful way and agreed to disagree. I did suggest that maybe a professional piercer was the way to go if she was certain she wanted to do it (based on great info here on Mothering), but she knew where I stood, and I knew where she stood and that was that. So now today I feel like she totally manipulated me into this. I said to her, "Oh way to slide that in there at the end" and she just laughed and brushed it off.
Well anyway, I am feeling really torn because she's asking for me to support her in something she knows I don't agree with. What would you guys do? She already knows I am available to meet her, and I did say I am not comfortable with watching her pierce her dd's ears, but I just feel so manipulated. I know I can tell her straight out, forget it, but I think in some ways I feel like she totally disregarded my feelings -- if she wants to pierce her kid's ears, that's something she has to live with, but I feel so manipulated. Aaargh. What would you do?
). Anyway, her poor dd was terrified of being restrained and having two guns held to her head. It took her 45 min. to calm down -- she even refused to nurse. My friend didn't bring her out of the store until after she calmed down, but even she (my friend) looked battle-weary, and herself used words like torture. I found out after all of this that her own dh, although he agreed to get it done, refused to be there when it happened -- boy did I feel even more taken advantage after that. All in all, though, I am glad I could support her *son* through it -- he really felt so bad for his sister, and I'm glad I was there for *him*. Thanks again everyone for helping me to see that I'm not the only one who has a hard time with this sort of thing.
) and I didn't think it was a big deal. So if I had asked a non-piercer to accompany me, I probably just wouldn't have understood or wouldn't have thought that it would freak them out, since it seems so non-freaky to me.
How selfish of her, did she get her ears pierced at the same time so she would at least know what pain her dd was in? And poor big brother, knowing it was mommy's choice to pierce her dd's ears and thereby hurt her 
wow! well it's done I guess. And they used the guns? That is not the most sanitary way to pierce. oh well too late now. I gotta say I don't htink I could have gone, but I'm glad her ds had support.
