Today I was in Claires looking at jewelry for our cruise next month, when I became aware of the family standing over by the ear piercing chair. A mom, a dad, one son and two young daughters gathered around. The youngest daughter Id say she was about two, sat down and had her ears pierced without much commotion, next it was the older daughter who was about four years old. She sat there and tried to talk herself out of the mess she found herself in. The first ear was pierced she was crying, the lady doing the deed had to move quickly cause this little one was about done with this process, the second ear was pierced to the sound of crying as tears rolled down her face. Once the piercing was done the young child refused the sucker and announced to everyone nearby that she was never getting her ears pierced again.
I, thankful that I was on the other side of the store so no-one could see my tear filled eyes, witnessed the whole event, heard the encouragement of her parents and the piercing lady, heard her protests that would eventually be tears of pain, heard her declaration never to be pierced again, me knowing this declaration would all to soon be forgotten as she reaches her teen years however at this moment she meant it.
What dawned on me as I stood there was we as women are socialized to beautify ourselves starting at a very young age. Did this 4 year old really care about having her ears pierced? And is this the beginning of a very long process, always searching for what makes her as a women more attractive to others, doesnt matter what the cost, or even if it causes pain, if it makes her prettier than she's in? Im not sure how I feel about this young ones adventure, did I feel sad when I saw her tears, I really did, it made this grown woman cry.
My trip to Claires quickly showcased how early we start prepping our young to be pretty girls, is this bad, I dont know, in someways it may be? Is it bad that most our models and women stars are a size 0 and less, knowing that there are many of us that can never be this size but lots of our young women are trying whether it be starvation, laxatives and vomiting, they are desperately attempting to fit into those jeans, regardless of the consequences. I know that I am affected still today, I realized at a very young age that I wanted to please those around me, be one of the pretty ones, I reflect that just maybe my tears today were as much for me as they were for the little girl in the chair.
I, thankful that I was on the other side of the store so no-one could see my tear filled eyes, witnessed the whole event, heard the encouragement of her parents and the piercing lady, heard her protests that would eventually be tears of pain, heard her declaration never to be pierced again, me knowing this declaration would all to soon be forgotten as she reaches her teen years however at this moment she meant it.
What dawned on me as I stood there was we as women are socialized to beautify ourselves starting at a very young age. Did this 4 year old really care about having her ears pierced? And is this the beginning of a very long process, always searching for what makes her as a women more attractive to others, doesnt matter what the cost, or even if it causes pain, if it makes her prettier than she's in? Im not sure how I feel about this young ones adventure, did I feel sad when I saw her tears, I really did, it made this grown woman cry.
My trip to Claires quickly showcased how early we start prepping our young to be pretty girls, is this bad, I dont know, in someways it may be? Is it bad that most our models and women stars are a size 0 and less, knowing that there are many of us that can never be this size but lots of our young women are trying whether it be starvation, laxatives and vomiting, they are desperately attempting to fit into those jeans, regardless of the consequences. I know that I am affected still today, I realized at a very young age that I wanted to please those around me, be one of the pretty ones, I reflect that just maybe my tears today were as much for me as they were for the little girl in the chair.
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