Two Is Better Than One; One Is Worse Than Zero

Ruth has been talking to me about getting earrings for about a year. Every time the subject has come up I have told her that I would be more than happy for her to get earrings, but I have warned her each time that it hurts a little and that if she gets one, she has to get them both. That was always her back-off point in the past, but in the last week she has stepped up her requests almost to the point of begging, and she has not been deterred by The Warning. So, today, she finally convinced me that she was ready. I took her in the store (which was short-staffed, which should have been a red flag for me) and she picked out just the earrings she wanted. Then she sat in the chair like such a big girl and the lady punched the earring through the first ear. It is at that point that Ruth completely lost control of herself. She screamed and cried for the next hour. I am not kidding you. Nothing worked to calm her--and believe me, everything was tried! And she wasn't the least bit interested in having the other one pierced. Not only that, she wasn't the least bit interested in having the one that was already in removed. It was one of the least fun experiences of my life. And I'm pretty sure that Ruth has been traumatized for the rest of hers. You're all wondering about the outcome no doubt. Well, I finally had to practically hold her down and pull the one out. So many things about parenting are fun and exciting, and then there is ear piercing!