beauty

"DON'T JUDGE ME BUT... I pay my kids to let me squeeze their pimples."

Welcome to a safe-space series in which women (and occasionally men) confess the stuff they don’t feel they can say out loud let alone share publicly. Because sometimes sharing is a relief. No judgement.

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“Look, I’m not proud of it. But I’m a picker.

You know, like when you see monkeys picking bugs out of each other’s fur? That’s my dream. I just love picking at things. Squeezing pimples especially.

I don’t have many myself which is  a bit disappointing, frankly. And my husband won’t let me near him. He says it’s disgusting. But nobody tells you that kids have things to squeeze even when they’re little.

I remember my daughter when she was born had that infant acne I think it’s called. I had the best time while she breastfed, just picking – gently, I’m not a monster – at the little zits she had on her cheeks and her nose.

Now that she’s older – 13 – she has proper pimples and blackheads and I love nothing more than to squeeze them. It’s funny because I would never use that pimple popper app or watch videos of pimples being squeezed. That makes me feel nauseous.

LISTEN: Monique Bowley and Holly Wainwright – both non-popper fans – were forced to watch Dr Pimple Popper on Mamamia Out Loud (Post continues AFTER AUDIO…)

But there’s something about your own child’s body, it’s like your own in terms of nothing about it is disgusting to you.

She doesn’t like it so much.

She hates sitting or standing still but if I pay her 50c per zit she lets me. Same with my son. He’s 11. Sometimes they get blackheads in their legs. Their legs! I think it’s from wearing socks at school all day or long pants. I just find it so satisfying.” – Janine, 38

Do you have a juicy confession you’d like to share? Email us at submission@mamamia.com.au with the subject line ‘MY CONFESSION’.