Parents:
“I got a new piercing that my parents don't know about.”

Hey Terra,

I got another piercing and my parents don't know. I know that it was a stupid thing to do, but I did it anyway. I feel so bad and guilty. I now know that it wasn't worth it. How do I tell my parents?

Oops

Dear Oops,

Well, before you tell them, it would be a good idea for you to think about why you did it. I mean, you say "I know that it was a stupid thing to do" and yet... You went ahead and did it. So, do you have any theory about why?

So, why do you think you did it? To make them angry? To prove that you can do what you want with your body? To impress a friend? Why?

The reason I'm asking is because your parents are likely to ask, and you want to have a better answer than "I dunno." So figure it out for yourself and then talk to them. Might as well, because they'll probably find out sooner or later (assuming you got the piercing in a "public" place). Being honest with yourself and with them is a good habit to get into.

If you decide that you don't want to keep this piercing, remove whatever is keeping it open. Take good care of the open wound, keeping it clean with an antiseptic and all, and it will close up.

Bottom line here is for you to understand that when you do things that you later regret, that's not good. It shows that you're not thinking clearly BEFORE you act. You want to get better and think things through ahead of time so that you'll have less regrets and less decisions that end up feeling like "it wasn't worth it."

In friendship,

Annie

Need some parenting advice?
Write to Annie.
She’s got answers.