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Original poster

AIBU to feel uneasy seeing a baby having his ear pierced?

138 replies

JoannaVictoria · 12/06/2026 16:44

My 11 year old daughter has been asking for a long time about getting her ears pierced and I have given in.

Went into a chain store to have them done and there were two women and the piercing lady who was very young holding down a baby boy (he must have been about one) ready to pierce his ear.

AIBU Im thinking this isn’t right?

I know it’s legal etc and Im not a judgemental person but it just felt so wrong. Needless to say we left as I didn’t want to witness it. He was already screaming and thrashing around.

It just seems so unnecessary at that age. Other people in the store didn’t seem to have an issue with it.

OP posts:
PolkaDotPorridge · 12/06/2026 20:04

Chavvy and should be illegal!

igotitbadforyou · 12/06/2026 20:02

YABU. He will have forgotten about it already.

Lyyt · 12/06/2026 20:01

plims · 12/06/2026 19:55

What on earth are you talking about?

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pierced ears can look cute on little girls, there’s definitely a debate to be had around whether it’s too painful and worth holding off though.

As for baby boys, no debate it just looks shit.

As I said not a very feminist thing to say and I apologise in advance

plims · 12/06/2026 19:55

Lyyt · 12/06/2026 19:54

Pierced ears look shit on males.

Sorry just my two cents I know it’s not very feminist to say. We can debate whether it’s too painful for girls but at least it’s cute and she will most likely appreciate it when she’s older.
Pierced ears just look irredeemably shit on boys

What on earth are you talking about?

Lyyt · 12/06/2026 19:54

Pierced ears look shit on males.

Sorry just my two cents I know it’s not very feminist to say. We can debate whether it’s too painful for girls but at least it’s cute and she will most likely appreciate it when she’s older.
Pierced ears just look irredeemably shit on boys

Yetanotherone12 · 12/06/2026 19:51

Dweetfidilove · 12/06/2026 17:47

I didn't, but she was fine pretty soon after, so I'm guessing he knew what he was talking about.

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was he a pain specialist? Or a dr who wanted to reassure you you were doing the right thing?

I mean, he isn’t going to tell you that vaccinations really hurt and your baby will remember it for the rest of his life, is he?

the momentary pain from the vaccination far outweighs the risk.

there have been many pain studies in babies and it’s been shown it can have long term consequences. They used to not bother with pain relief in NICU, until studied showed babies did much better with effective pain relief.

Firstruleofsoupover · 12/06/2026 19:45

Utterly agree. Circumcision is much worse and inflicts brutal damage.

plims · 12/06/2026 19:10

JoannaVictoria · 12/06/2026 17:54

It was at a Lovisa store and the baby was on a woman’s lap ( I assume his mother) with another lady of similar age holding him still on her lap whilst the mother held his head for the piercing lady who was marking the ear with a pen.

I was just shocked at other people in the store looking like this was normal and just wanted to know the general opinion on this.

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Are you planning to make a complaint to them? Especially seeing as it’s happened at Lovisa before.

TheBloomingDahlia · 12/06/2026 19:01

I have always found it bizarre that some people want to pierce holes in their babies (and cut bits off them but that’s for another thread)

plims · 12/06/2026 18:39

Missey85 · 12/06/2026 18:26

YABU what's it to you if another parent gets their kids ears pierced?

What’s it to you if a parent harms a baby?

Backedoffhackedoff · 12/06/2026 18:34

Ponoka7 · 12/06/2026 18:02

Claire's pierce from three months.

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Claire’s has closed down

Windypoppy · 12/06/2026 18:33

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

SleepingStandingUp · 12/06/2026 18:31

Missey85 · 12/06/2026 18:26

YABU what's it to you if another parent gets their kids ears pierced?

What's it to someone else if a parent pins down their child so someone else can cause them pain because the parent it'll look cute?? is that really the world you want to live in?

SleepingStandingUp · 12/06/2026 18:29

I agree op.

I've pinned my son down, to a bed, in a chair, sat him on my lap and locked him in so he can't move, all medically imperative.

how people can do it for a little aesthetic pleasure is beyond me

HoppityBun · 12/06/2026 18:27

They take some effort to keep clean and they don’t look attractive unless there is an earring in them, especially as you get older.

The child should have autonomy over his or her own body.

Missey85 · 12/06/2026 18:26

YABU what's it to you if another parent gets their kids ears pierced?

FurierTransform · 12/06/2026 18:24

I think it's child abuse

ThisBrickBalonz · 12/06/2026 18:18

My daughter just had hers pierced (she’s 6) and it didn’t hurt, she barely noticed it go in.

babies are dramatic, my 10 month old screams blue murder during nappy changed or when I’m strapping him in his car seat.

not to my taste baby boys with ear piercings but I don’t think it’s massively cruel or anything

TeaPot496 · 12/06/2026 18:15

Fetchthevet · 12/06/2026 18:14

Smacking hasn't gone away. It's still legal in England and Northern Ireland.

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As long as you are careful* to not leave a mark.. This seems at odds with piercing actually!

Fetchthevet · 12/06/2026 18:14

Flamingojune · 12/06/2026 17:30

Great. Bring back smacking!

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Smacking hasn't gone away. It's still legal in England and Northern Ireland.

crypticandmachiavellian · 12/06/2026 18:10

Backedoffhackedoff · 12/06/2026 17:49

It says in the article it’s an independant jewellers called lovisa

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Lovisa is a chain, they are everywhere.

Ponoka7 · 12/06/2026 18:02

ThejoyofNC · 12/06/2026 17:56

I stand corrected, just googled lovisa.

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Claire's pierce from three months.

Backedoffhackedoff · 12/06/2026 18:01

godmum56 · 12/06/2026 18:00

I wasn't sure it was Claires.

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Claire’s doesn’t exist anymore anyway so it wasn’t there

LividSun · 12/06/2026 18:00

Can't believe we haven't outlawed this nonsense yet.

And yes, same with non-medical circumcision.

godmum56 · 12/06/2026 18:00

Backedoffhackedoff · 12/06/2026 17:49

It says in the article it’s an independant jewellers called lovisa

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I wasn't sure it was Claires.