So a really wonderful thing happened today: we got to pierce our daughter.

Ella has been talking about getting her ears pierced for a year and a half, whenever the conversation came up we let her know that she could if she was ready. We spoke at length about needing to not touch them and how long it would be until they would heal, how we would help her with cleaning and that the actual piercings would feel hot.

Last night she decided it was time. Arlo jumped in and said he was ready too. Arlo, at three, is still having some accidents with using the potty, so he and I decided it would be a reward for using the potty confidently for two weeks straight.

This morning Ella asked again and we made plans to do it at the end of the day.

She and her dad picked out jewellery together. Pink titanium hoops. We sterilized them and went over the aftercare and then had her sign the paperwork promising she'd follow the instructions.

When it came time to do the actually procedure I didn't know how I, as a mother, would treat her, as I client. Would I do anything differently with my own child? I was surprised to find myself following the familiar routine of conversation and layout and marking I would with any other client. In that moment I realized that I have been doing this right my whole career, I treated this person, who happened to be my four year old daughter, with the same care and attention I do with all my clients.

It was beautiful, her father and I pierced her in tandem (as we do with all children's piercings). She listened to our instructions around breathing and had a moment when the tears might have come, but was quickly reassured by the words, actions and confidence we, her piercers, offered her. (Nennen holding her hand surely helped as well!)

She rocked!

Thank you Ella for trusting us with this big decision 

-Jenna Dittrich