DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a 4-year-old daughter. Last week, my husband and I had a conversation about getting her ears pierced. My mother had my ears pierced when I was about 2 years old. She wanted me to wear earrings when I was young, and thought it would be better to get it done when I wouldn’t remember the pain. I feel the same way with my daughter. My husband, on the other hand, is against getting my daughter’s ears pierced because of how young she is. What should I do? -- Toddler Ear Piercing, Raleigh, North Carolina
DEAR TODDLER EAR PIERCING: What’s most important is for you and your husband to agree. There is no need to have a knock-down-drag-out fight over ear piercing. I got my daughter’s ears pierced before she was 1 year old for the same reasons you mentioned. As it turned out, her ears got infected constantly, so she couldn’t wear earrings until she was a teenager. Some parents make ear piercing a coming-of-age ritual. You could wait until she is 13 or 16, when it will be meaningful for her and she can tend to her own ears. Whatever you decide, make it a joint decision. Trust me, this isn’t worth you and your husband being upset about for years on end.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)