A mom was brought to tears in the middle of Claire’s by a random woman after she got her daughter’s ears pierced there. You won’t believe what the stranger said to her.
The viral video has close to half a million views. In it, mother of two Hannah (@shesworthafortune) says she was “mom-shamed” at Claire’s.
Hannah says she was getting her daughter’s ears pierced, and naturally, her daughter cried from the pain of the piercing. As this was happening, a random woman walked up to her and berated her, according to Hannah.
“Told me that I’m a disgusting excuse for a mother and that she really hopes somebody holds me down and does painful, awful things to me like I just did to my daughter,” Hannah recounts through tears. “And that I just taught her that anybody can do those things to her.”
Hannah says that her daughter thinks the world of her and had asked for the piercing for weeks.
“Stop shaming people. That was so wrong and not needed,” Hannah says.
@shesworthafortune Remember that one time….#fypage #fypシ゚viral #roadto10k #momtok #toddlersoftiktok #momlife #bekind #viraltiktok ♬ original sound – ✨Hannah– MAMA+SMALL BIZ OWNER✨
A follow-up
Hannah notes she had time to process and heal from the interaction. So Hannah says she was able to share more about the experience and reactions to her raw TikTok.
In a follow-up, Hannah says she noticed many people commented that her daughter’s ears shouldn’t be pierced until she asks for it. However, Hannah points out that if those viewers watched the video all the way through, they would have heard that her daughter did request this.
In fact, Hannah says she was crying for weeks and begging her mom to get her ears pierced. She says she also let her daughter watch two other kids get pierced (and saw them both cry). But her daughter, Hannah says, was adamant that she wanted it, too.
Hannah says she did put her arm around her daughter to help keep her still as the other parents did. And, she says, her daughter cried, but the tears dried quickly after the initial sharp pain was over.
Is Claire’s a good place to get your child’s ears pierced?
Now, Claire’s is a controversial place to get a piercing, and commenters pointed that out, too.
See, Claire’s is a readily available place for a piercing, given that there’s often one at the local shopping mall. The piercing service is offered for “free.” However, there’s the caveat that customers purchase a starter kit that includes a pair of earrings and post-piercing cleansing materials.
Critics say the brand shouldn’t provide a service where employees, with minimal training, are responsible for providing body modification. Many of the company’s employees are teenagers or young adults. Others criticize the accessory brand for using piercing guns that are widely considered less safe and sterile than traditional piercing needles.
“I respect if you only want to go to a parlor, I respect if you do it with a gun,” Hannah says.
In the follow-up video, Hannah explains that she called three professional piercing shops in the area. But, she says, all the shops had policies that the child had to be at least 6 years old to get a piercing.
“I’ve forgiven her, and we used it as a learning point for my daughter about how words can hurt people, and we don’t use those words,” she says.
And plot twist: After all that, Hannah says her daughter (finicky like kids are) decided to take her earrings out about a few weeks later.
Viewers had lots of opinions
People in the comments section had a lot to say.
“Personally I don’t agree with it. But that hardly makes you a bad mother. Keep doing great. God bless,” a person said.
“I got fired from Claire’s when I was 19 because I wouldn’t pierce little ones ears if they had to be restrained,” another shared.
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say you’re a bad mom, but going to a professional piercer is definitely the way to go. Keep your head up, this too shall pass. love to you and your daughter,” a commenter wrote.
“My ears were pierced as an infant and then I got a 2nd piercing at 11. I don’t hold it against my mom. Wish my mom had been psychic and would have known I wanted that 2nd piercing as an infant,” another said more lightheartedly.
The Daily Dot reached out to Hannah and Claires for comment via email.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
