When Your Kid Gets His First Pimple

Ah, parenting milestones. I've seen 12-year-old Mr. O's first smile, first word, first steps, and first day of school. But now ishtar is happening that I've never seen on any of those those cute little "My baby's first..." kinds of lists.

My baby got his first pimple today.

Yes, I know he's 12-years-old. Yes, he's still my baby. Yes, I unwittingly made Mr. O a target of 9-year-old Mr. T's teasing by giving him a hug while saying, "Aww, mommy's baby got his first pimple..."

Sure enough, a few hours later, O and T were outside playing basketball and in the midst of some mutual trash talking when I overheard T hiss, "Aww, mommy's baby got his first pimpllllllle." 

I told T that he should be empathetic, think about how one day he, too, will have a juicy pimple between his eyebrows...even though, as far as pimples go, it's not that big, it's large enough that tonight O asked if I had anything that could make it go away instantly.  To which I replied, "If I did, we'd be...

Yeah, we would be paid. I would market Los Angelista's Magical Pimple Disapperation Formula all over the world. Mr. O could be the president. "I'm not just the president, I'm a user..." Alas, I had no time to contemplate how the cash would be rolling in because O decided to pose the ultimate question of the teenage years: "Should I pop it?"

"It might scar your skin," I told him.

"That's OK, scars add character," he replied.

"No. I don't think it's a good idea. You'll put more bacteria on your face by trying to pop it."

"Why can't I pop my own pimple?" he whined. "It's myyyy pimple, you know."

Really kid? We're gonna argue over whether or not you can pop a damn pimple? So I was like...

 I know every teen pops their pimples but I'm not ready for all that yet.

"Popping it will hurt...a LOT," I replied. Cos there's nothing like the fear of pain to scare a child. 

He claims he's not going to school in the morning if the pimple is still there. We'll see about that.