Ear Piercing - Yay or Ney??? Just curious

Anna - posted on 02/09/2010

I didn't have my daughter's ears pierced until she asked for it. Then she decided to take her earrings out at school one day, the holes closed, and she hasn't asked to have them re-pierced, so at 6 1/2 years old, she does not have her ears pierced.

My thoughts on the matter are that it's her body, and she can choose what is done with it. I would get no benefit from having her ears pierced when she was younger, and neither would she, so to me, there was no point in doing it until she asked for it to be done. When she asked, I made sure she understood that it was going to hurt a little bit at first, and that we would have to take care of the holes so that they didn't get infected, and when she still wanted to go through with it, we took her to have it done. I like that she got to choose.

Now, I would not say that it's mutilation to have a baby's ears pierced. If they decide they don't like it later on, they can take their earrings out, and never have to think of it again, but I still believe in giving my kids the choice of what to do with their bodies.

Jackie - posted on 02/09/2010

Like I said, I didn't do it for the reason of being "odd one out"...just stating a fact of what happens. This will be one less "difference" in her life. I did it because I like earrings on little babies. I think any other jewelry is too much, but I think earrings look adorable and until 3 days ago between this post and the other community I am in I have never in my entire 30 years heard someone be so against it. I have known 1 or 2 ppl who haven't had them done, but not b/c they were against it, they just didn't feel like it. I don't find it the least bit out of the ordinary to have made this choice. That's what we do as parents is make choices for our children.

And even if the whole doesn't close up, its not a big hole so regardless, unless you look for it you wouldn't know it was there. But I took out my second earrings after quite a few years and my holes closed up. The only holes I"ve ever seen taht still show are ppl who wear heavy dangling earrings that pull at the skin (or use stretchers but thats another issue). I wear studs ALL the time and you can barely see my holes when I take my earrings out.

As far as thinking they will be ripped out...my daughter is in no way careful about anything, she constantly rolls around in blankets, rugs etc etc. She has never even had a close call with them getting caught on anything.

Amy - posted on 02/09/2010

well, as far as permanent, my mom still has holes even if she hasn't worn earrings for 20+ years. it is still there. i don't care if anyone does it. and i wasn't talking about baby earrings falling off. my daughter would have gotten them caught on something and ripped OUT. if someone does it, it's their choice. not mine. i just said reasons why i didn't. jeepers. as far as the odd one out......

my daughter has a birthmark on her face. she will be the "odd one out" forever. not to mention that if kids want to make fun of you, they will find a reason. i don't like the idea of doing something so you "fit in". i dont want my daughter to do ANYTHING just because others do.

Jackie - posted on 02/09/2010

Ear piercing is far from permanent. If she doesn't want them later for some reason she can just take them out easy as that. It only hurt her for about 10 seconds...she cries more when she falls over as she learning to walk - so while yes she felt it, it clearly wasnt' traumatic for her. And baby earrings do not just "pop off" by any means, and I know this for a fact. It is actually extremely difficult to get them off...even for adults. A quick wipe with a q-tip a couple times a day and they don't get infected either...all you have to do is keep them clean. We just made it part of the morning and nitetime diaper routine for a couple months.

And I actually only know 1 person without her ears pierced (who happens to be a baby). Every other adult and child in my life that is female has gotten ears pierced as a baby. Kids don't need the added stress in school of being the "odd one out" as kids notice they are different and use it as a reason to make fun of them.

Amy - posted on 02/09/2010

I just think that it's my daughter's body and should be her choice. There is no health reason to have it done. It is purely for vanity. It seems to me a silly thing to do just because it's "cute". Babies CAN feel it and personally, it's just one more thing that can get infected and cause health problems in a baby. My tomboy 3 year old would have gotten pulled out playing as much as she rough houses around. I remember getting mine done - 12 yrs old. I had to BEG to get it done. If someone does do it, please just go to the doc -i hear they have all kinds of sterile/baby friendly stuff for doing it that is sanitary. I know quite a few girls that never got their ears pierced and are so happy their parents didn't because they don't want them pierced.

Jackie - posted on 02/09/2010

LOL, you should join. I need another sane voice of reason on these things to come back me up. Some of those ppl have NO PROBLEM attacking, which is fine, but the reasoning behind their arguments makes me want to jump off the roof on some of the discussions!

Good luck convincing daddy...you can let him know Kaylee only cried for 10 - 20 seconds thenw as over it. I was playing with the earrings w/in minutes and she didnt' care. And they do say before 6 mos, or not until school age b/c they will play with them and increase chances of infection if they are in between those ages.

Sabrina - posted on 02/09/2010

AWWW jackie, thanks for thinking of me :) LOL I was actually thinking I should join that community & then I saw your last sentence & died lauging!!!



Anyway, I do not think you mutilated her ears! I think it's cute when little girls get their ears pierced. I think it's funny that people get all worked up about it. I personally was 12 when I got my ears pierced, but about half of the girls in my class(there was only 40 of us total, boys & girls, so I dont know how accurate of a statistic that is) had their ears pierced when they where babies & none of them had any problems, phsycological nor physical! I don't "technically" have a daughter, but the one I'm carrying might be, so we HAVE had these discussions already. Joe would not let his ex get his daughter's ears pierced, he said that's something that should be saved for her to decide.



Seriously though, how many women in the U.S do not have thier ears pierced? Most have MULTIPLE piercings (in multiple places, but thats another discussion! lol) so I don't really see why it matters when they get their first ones? At least when they are little you can take care of the holes & maintaine a good level of hygeine, so by the time they reach 4 or 5 the holes are there for life, even if you left ear rings out for long periods of times. Actually now that I think about it, us girls that had our piercings done later in life had a lot more infections (probably b/c we where always messing with them) & I cant remember any of the other girls ever having infections?!



So here's where my post is probably going to "stir the pot" & I'm sorry!! I've seen other discussions about this & there is always one mother that points out "you dont think it's ok for me to pierce my daughter's ears but YOU circumcised your son". That ALWAYS makes me laugh at first. I was in my hospital bed when my son go circed & I was there when my best friends little girl got her ears pierced, so initially when I heard that argument I was like "woa! big difference". (For those of you without circed boys, I was in my recovery room w/ that door shut, they shut the door to the nurses station, that led into the nursery, that door was shut & then they where inside a tiny little glass inclosed room & THAT door was shut & I could hear the cries of my baby boy! Thats 4 doors that where closed & my room was the farthest from the nursery! In that minute & a half of his crying I thought I had done the worst thing in the world & that my new baby was going to hate me forever!!!) Anyway, after I read some of those peoples arguments I kind of agree. Most people don't think twice about getting their sons circed yet they judge & condemn every woman that pierces her daughters ears?!!! In reality, the pierced ears only hurt them for those couple of seconds after & the recovery time after that is almost nil...



Anyway, I pretty much took a LONG time to say I think piercing little girls ears is 100% OK!!!! (now I just have to convince daddy!)