The Solution to Nagging Teens

Elle has been nagging me since forever about having her ears pieced and I confess the age of permission has been rather rubbery.

My own parents were quite insistent I not have mine done until I was 21. But I was at boarding school and at 15 my 'friends', armed with a compass, a small carton of frozen orange juice and can of Spray Fresh antiperspirant (both for numbing purposes, although the Spray Fresh may have been handy to stop me sweating) and a large eraser to stop said compass piercing my skull,  pierced my left ear.
That didn't hurt at all! I declared. Do it again - I'll have two - same ear please.
I can only think the first was beginner's luck. The second was excruciating. The back and forth rotating combined with increasing pressure to get the compass through the skin on the back of my ear seemed to go on for a week. But finally it was done and I was very happy with myself.

Someone had lent me some surgical steel studs which did the trick for the first few weeks, but it wasn't long before the lure of cheap plastic pearls from Coles Variety Store was too much and in they went. Within days my ear was dripping pus. Hmmm - delicious! Not. Back to the surgical steel.

Needless to say I was in more than a spot of bother when Mum turned up unexpectedly and I'd had no time to remove the earrings. And yes, she did notice. I said I'd take them out and she stood there and waited for me to do exactly that.

It was more than 20 years later, when I won some gorgeous earrings in the local school raffle that I lined up again for a piercing. This time at the chemist with a gun and the regular one in each ear.

So when Eleanor kept going on and on and on - I suddenly wondered what the issue was. I let her dye her hair whatever colour she likes (it's currently one shade off being completely black), she uses public transport, she has her own debit card and makes her own bed - what's the big deal about the ears?? Beats a nipple.

I have finally discovered the way to stop a teenager nagging. Say yes!

She had them done on Monday.