Here at Studio Zen Tattoo, we start piercing the earlobes of children starting 5 years old. At that age, children are better to verbalize the desire to get their ears pierced and their emotions in general a lot better. More often than not, there are kids that will ask for lobe piercings for an entire year before the parents actually accept to take an appointment for the procedure. Even if it’s the child asking, there’s always a possibility that the scenario can change. In any case, the chosen piercer will never force a child to go through with the piercing if they change their mind, even if they are lying down on the piercing chair. In this blog, we’ll talk about how a parent can support their child in the best way possible during the procedure.
Patience is key
The most important thing to have towards your child at that precise moment is definitely patience. They’re most likely already nervous because of the procedure that’s about to happen even if they asked to get their lobes pierced in the first place. It’s a type of pain they never experienced at that age and that can be scary for them. That being said, you’ll have to be patient with your kid if they seem to hesitate to go through with the procedure, or sometimes with the second ear. We always book an appointment twice as long as we’d normally need so that children can calm down if they get too nervous. It’s important to give them that precious extra time. That’ll allow them to know if they want to go through with the piercings or not without any pressure at all to avoid any extra stress which definitely help the piercers as well.
Be attentive
Being attentive is a quality our piercers have. Sometimes, children love to communicate their questioning and their emotions. It’s important for the piercer as well as the parent to be attentive to what they have to say. As mentioned earlier, there’s a possibility they’ll change their mind as we go through the procedure, mostly after getting one ear pierced. It’s important to note that we will never force a kid or any client to do something they don’t want to do anymore. We will never do anything without the consent of the person sitting in the piercing chair and it’s important the parent knows it too. Even if the piercings were something the child has been wanting for weeks or months, they can be surprised of the level of pain or just the overall sensation, which gives them cold feet for the second ear piercing.
Ultimately, all we’re wishing for the kids getting pierced at Studio Zen Tattoo is for them to remember the experience as something positive and nice despite the minor discomfort a piercing can bring. The way you’ll be there for your child can definitely have an impact on the overall experience, so keep that in mind when you’ll bring them in for their first piercings! 😊