I saw this happening today. It was a terrible scene.

I took my daughter to get her ears pierced for her birthday. She has been looking forward to it for a very long time. There was a lady with a little girl who was about 3 1/2-4 years old in front of us. This kid did NOT want to be getting her ears pierced. They got one ear done and when she could not force her to do the other ear she guilt tripped the child.
"See? THIS is how I'm spending Mother's Day!... Happy Mother's Day to me I GUESS."
And ,"If you don't let us pierce the other ear you don't get to go to American Girl Store!"
Somehow I managed not to say anything to this woman.

Wow... It astounds me what I hear sometimes. Just wow.

I knew if I opened my mouth that the things I would say would have not been child friendly. Plus I worried about angering that lady. You never know if she would take it out on the child the way she was behaving! This went on for about 30 minutes. That poor child will be traumatized!

Heh. :)

It's like you want to say something, but then like you said, you could just be making it harder for the child later. You just have to hope that the child won't remember when she gets older, although that's doubtful.

I come from an abusive home. I wish I could forget some of the long days of my mother terrorizing us. I hold it against her to this day. I will never leave my kids with her. In fact, I trust nearly no one with them. I have seen too much of how a person can seem to be an angel when people are around, but a devil behind closed doors.

Then it really did take a lot for you to not say something to that mother, being that you had experienced similar treatment. You seem to be very pleasant and funny on here, so I can only assume that you are a strong person that has come a long way. You're a survivor. I'll be hoping the same for that little girl.

Thank you! I try not to be bitter but rather better. I feel that a mother should be a protector of children, especially her own. I hope that lady realizes where she needs to change.

i can relate. I'm just like you.

Yep. It bugs me when people say that when I don't trust someone that it is because I am untrustworthy myself. I do not trust because I have learned unfortunately.

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Unless there's a danger of (physical) injury, or you're going to be around for at least the next 15 years to intervene, I agree it's probably best to stay out of it. You can't help.

Doesn't mean it doesn't matter or it shouldn't bother you, of course. I didn't mean to imply that.

I didn't take it that way. I get what you're saying. It's a matter of "maybe" alleviating the situation at hand while also creating some spite in the mother which she would later take out on the child. I hope she doesn't continue punishing that poor little girl over this. Because she was really letting that little girl have it. And if does this in public I shudder to think what she would do behind closed doors.

Thanks. Yes, I agree. I didn't want to mention this before after risk of sounding like I was diminishing the importance of your very appropriate emotional reaction, But I do have a question if you don't mind. Apparently, It is now fairly common to see small children with their ears pierced. But wasn't this unusual even as short time ago? No girls in my family, So I don't have any direct knowledge. I thought that getting her ears pierced was kind of a rite of passage for older adolescent girls at or approaching dating age. Yes?

That's what I always thought too! Some people even get their newborn's ears pierced. I think it's special when they get to do that more grown-up thing they have been waiting for. Kind of like when you first get to wear lipstick, have your own phone etc...

The attitude these days seems to be, "Well they have to do it sometime! May as well be right effing NOW!" I think somethings should wait until later. My daughter will be 11 years old this Friday. She has been asking for her ears to be pierced for a few years now. I didn't think she was quite ready for it, so we waited. Her sister is now counting down to her turn.

Exactly!

well f**k that lady

To each their own I guess! I think they should be able to choose if they want it done. I waited until my kids were old enough to want it done, and even a couple of years after. That way it's a special occasion. My daughter was very excited and was really looking forward to it. Nothing on the books that say's they must have pierced ears. So that's why I say skip piercing babies, and just wait until they are a little older. say 11-12 years old.

Woah... and I thought braces were bad. At least they go away!

In an effort to keep a long story short I omitted that part.

The lady doing the piercing displayed patience I have never seen in my life while dealing with this situation. She was not talking nearly as loud as the mother was, but I was able to make out bits and pieces of what she was saying. She tried several times to convince this mother to just let it go and come back later when the child had a chance to relax. The mother of the little girl would not have it.

MY humble opinion is that if a child is resisting then the store should refuse to pierce. And that should be posted in big neon, blinking letters with a big neon, blinking arrow pointing to it.
I want to know if that lady ever got her child to let her take out the one erring, or if she is still sporting just the one.