Mom Defends Herself After Letting Her Daughter Get Her Ears Pierced At Claire's
She was "mom-shamed" and insulted after her daughter cried from the pain.
MNStudio | Shutterstock Some parents abide by cultural customs and piece their child's ear when their still a baby. Others find the act to be nonconsensual and wrong, waiting until the child themself expresses a desire to wear earrings.
The controversial subject has gained traction online, but some parents may be taking their views on the matter a step too far.
One mom defended herself after being shamed for letting her 3-year-old daughter get her ears pierced at Claire’s.
The mom, Hannah Odend’hal, recently shared a video on TikTok of her crying in her car after the events that unfolded at Claire’s. She revealed that while she was at the store getting her toddler's ears pierced, her daughter briefly cried from the pain, and another woman took it upon herself to cast judgment and shame Odend’hal.
“Just got told that I’m a disgusting mother and that they hope that somebody holds me down and does painful, awful things to me because I had Lennox’s ears pierced,” Odend’hal said clearly distraught. “This woman literally walks up to me in the middle of everybody at Claire’s and told me that I’m a disgusting excuse for a mother.”
The woman further claimed that Odend’hal’s decision to pierce her daughter’s ears demonstrated to the young girl that anyone could overstep her consent.
The woman likely aimed to make a point about the importance of teaching children about consent, however, according to Odend’hal, the stranger misinterpreted the situation.
“To the lady that said that — my daughter thinks I’m a great mother,” Odend’hal affirmed. “What you didn’t see is that she asked for those earrings for weeks and she was smiling afterward.”
In a follow-up video, Odend’hal offered additional context to the situation, explaining that this occurred back in Easter, and she’s since had time to process and heal from being “mom-shamed.” Despite moving past the uncomfortable situation, she shared the video so others could understand the weight of their words, especially when they don’t know the full context of a situation.
Her daughter chose to get her ears pierced.
Odend’hal said she was against piercing her daughters’ ears as babies, preferring to wait until they asked for it themselves. She reiterated that her daughter Lennox profusely expressed a desire to pierce her ears at three years old, and even cried out of desperation for it.
The situation began while encountering a piercing pagoda at Five Below. Lennox begged to get a piercing, but the pagoda had a minimum age restriction of five years old. Odend’hal left the store with her daughter “kicking and screaming” because of how much she wanted the piercing.
Then, during Easter weekend, Odend’hal took her daughters to the mall to see the Easter bunny. While they were at the food court, Lennox noticed a child getting their ears pierced at Claire’s, rekindling her desire for the piercing. Odend’hal took her inside to watch, and despite observing the kids cry from the pain, Lennox bravely asserted that she would not cry.
Odend’hal added that she did try scheduling the piercing at a more credible location, like a tattoo parlor, but all three places she called required a minimum age of six years old. Claire’s did not have an age restriction for piercings, so Odend’hal decided to make her daughter happy and let her get the piercing, even though they had to wait in line for an hour and a half.
Once it was Lennox’s turn, Odend’hal had to hold her still for the process, and she briefly cried following the piercing as most of the kids in the store did. Despite how many other children were getting their ears pierced, the woman targeted Odend’hal and her daughter.
Odend’hal said she has since forgiven the woman for her disrespectful behavior and used the experience as a learning lesson for her daughter.
Following the triggering incident, other individuals in the store comforted Odend’hal and her daughter. She said this encouraged her to forgive the woman and reflect on the situation.
“I, as a mom, got myself together and taught my daughter a lesson from this experience,” she wrote in her first video. “Words are powerful and can really hurt people! Stop shaming people for living life differently than you!”
She revealed that around six weeks after the piercing, Lennox decided she didn’t want the earrings anymore and took them out. Commenters were mixed in their opinions on the subject but supported Odend’hal and argued that the woman had no right to make assumptions about her or insult her parenting.
MNStudio | Shutterstock
While the woman likely acted out of rage and discomfort in witnessing a young toddler crying after getting her ears pierced, it was wrong for her to assume Odend’hal forced this onto Lennox, and it was out of line for her to degrade her in front of her daughter.
Ultimately, parents’ views on the decision to pierce their baby’s ears vary from culture to culture and there is no right or wrong answer. While research confirms that piercing babies’ ears before they can verbally consent is relatively harmless, it also advises parents to consider waiting until their child is old enough to take care of the piercing themselves to avoid the risk of infection.
Francesca Duarte is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team based in Orlando, FL. She covers lifestyle, human-interest, adventure, and spirituality topics.