Genuine question, why is it legal to get a babies ears pierced?

[YellowEllis]

I can't fathom it. A girl I know has pictures on social media of her 5 month old getting her ears pierced and I was stunned and googled it and it's allowed? I can't understand it, I wasn't allowed mine pierced at 14 without my mother's consent, but her consent was additional to mine, to me even wanting it. A 5 month old can't ask, consent or would possibly want that. It's purely for the mothers vanity?

[SnowWhite33]

I have Spanish friends and they do it very early on for babies, and had theirs done as babies too. It's is the norm there and they are absolutely wonderful parents and I would never even think of lecturing them or pushing my views.
I had mine pierced at 17 and it was my decision, my mum had never done hers.
My daughter can decide for herself when she is old enough.
Please stop judging and mind your own business, I'm sure we all have areas we can improve on so why not focus on that instead of slamming others on a forum

[curlyrebel]

Well I'm sorry your ear piercing was painful for you @Veterinari. I'm presuming that you had this done as an older child to remember the pain so well. From my experience and those of others on this thread it hasn't been painful or traumatic.

What has been suggested is that inflicting injury in children in the name of culture is a slippery slope. Where do you draw the line if culture is a valid defence?

Yes I agree that it is a slippery slope and we should take a stand against cultural practices that cause mental or physical scarring. But disagree that ear piercing itself involves 'inflicting injury' and falls into this category.

Again I don't see this on this thread - in fact it's clear that a number of posters from a variety of cultures have posted and shared their experiences

And there are also a few other posters who have said it's been absolutely fine for them. In my opinion, to say it's child abuse and that it needs to be made illegal is way over top and actually offends me, so I'm sure it would offend other people from backgrounds where it is practiced.

[FourPlasticRings]

Yes I agree that it is a slippery slope and we should take a stand against cultural practices that cause mental or physical scarring.

By definition, ear piercing creates scarring.

[Hoppinggreen]

Nobody should make the decision to have unnecessary holes in in their body for anyone else. Children should decide for themselves from age 16

[DisgruntledSnowman]

@lukasiak

Dd13 had hers pierced at 10 weeks old because it was culturally important to her late fathers family and I didn't have a strong opinion either way.
Current DH is is of boring irish and polynesian descent, thus dd3's ears remain holeless . Think we will probably have them done in the weeks leading up to her starting school (so 5, going on 6, in my country).

So your child will be dealing with healing holes in her ears at the same time as she's dealing with having to get herself changed for PE at school for the first time, and will have to have them taped up for PE lessons. Will she be able to do that herself? Teachers certainly won't be allowed to do it at present.

If you absolutely must get your child's ears pierced, just before starting school is a startlingly inappropriate and inconvenient time.

[Veterinari]

But disagree that ear piercing itself involves 'inflicting injury' and falls into this category.

So how else would you describe an unnatural joke that results in inflammation and pain/discomfort and triggers a physiological healing response, if not an injury?

That really is a remarkable feat of cognitive dissonance.

[Veterinari]

unnatural hole that results in inflammation and pain/discomfort and triggers a physiological healing response, if not an injury?

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

I had my daughter’s tongue tie cut at 5 weeks old. I had to go and sit in the waiting room during the procedure (my mum sat with my DD) and I just sobbed my heart out. I hated that my DD was going through any sort of pain. It was medically necessary and done by a trained professional but that didn’t make me feel any better about it. She got over it very quickly and doesn’t remember it at all.

I cannot imagine putting my DD through pain with no reason. Ear piercing is unnecessary pain being inflicted upon your child. I don’t understand how that could possibly sit right with anyone.

My DD is now 6.5 and has never once asked to have her ears pierced. If/when she does, I will tell her she can have them done when she’s older (an age agreed by DH and I) and can fully understand what she’s getting done. I had mine done at 11.

Having them done just before starting school is the worst time. There are so many reasons they need to take them out at school - the risk of them catching on things is too much - and teachers aren’t really supposed to help them with that.

[ARoseInHarlem]

The starting point is that all people are free to do whatever they want with themselves and their children.

From there, we pass laws to make some things illegal and punishable to different extents, and other thing compulsory. This applies to all adults, and to parents/guardians in behalf of their children.

Those laws have to be policeable and punishable. They have to use no more than a proportionate amount of public resources.

Piercing a baby’s ears isn’t easy to police. What punishment do you suggest for breaking the law that is both meaningful and reasonable?

The harm occasioned to a baby by getting its ears pierced isn’t significant. It’s in no way comparable to a male or female circumcision. The latter should be outlawed imo. The former not.

[delilahbucket]

It's a cultural thing and if it was illegal, people would get it done anyway and it would not be safe. The last thing you want is a child with sepsis because a parent has had a piercing done illegally and daren't seek medical help.
I used to pierce ears. I once had a woman bring her daughter in who had a severely infected ear piercing. The hole had been plugged with a twig, an actual twig. That is what happens when it is legal, so I dread to think otherwise.

[IwishIhadaMargarita]

I got mine done at 4 after melting my mums head. It hurt and I went into minor shock. She thought it was a good idea to get it healed up before school.

[InkieNecro]

My lip piercing hurt less than my earlobes, they really hurt. If I can go around paying people to put holes in my children, why not a lip piercing? A helix? Belly button? Skin diver? Because it would look as ridiculous as pierced ears on a baby.

I agree with a pp, the idea of my child being in pain is awful, I cannot conceive of voluntarily doing it for non medical reasons.

[Bloodybridget]

@lukasiak but as others have said, a 4/5yo is a young child, she's a good 15 years from being grown up. And I can't imagine anyone, let alone a little child, actually enjoys having a piercing.

[BatleyTownswomensGuild]

Absolutely think piercing babies ears is abusive. It's a totally unnecessary intervention,with no medical benefits, on a human that cannot give consent.

Couldn't give a shit if I get flamed by people for writing this. Common sense is on my side.

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

The harm occasioned to a baby by getting its ears pierced isn’t significant. It’s in no way comparable to a male or female circumcision. The latter should be outlawed imo. The former not.

Are you saying you don’t think male circumcision should be outlawed or ear piercing shouldn’t be outlawed? It’s not clear from how you worded it.

Female circumcision is outlawed in many countries but is incredibly difficult to police. We don’t stop trying though.

[MynephewR]

It's disgusting and absolutely should be illegal. Its purely for the parents vanity. Our children are not dolls, we do not own them, their ears are not ours to poke holes in.

My DD is 4 and I suppose she can have them done when she wants them done as long as she is old and mature enough to understand that it hurts, could get infected, and that she will need to do the aftercare. Probably about 12.

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

*ear piercing should be outlawed

Really need to proofread...

[KenDodd]

Message to the parents who pierce the ears of your babies/young children -
I know the parents willingly inflicted pain on their children to make themselves happy. This makes me think less of you and lots of people will look at you and your child and see the same. People you pass in the street, or serve you in a shop, or meet you socially or professionally will look at your child and know you needlessly hurt them so you good feel happy, feel belonging in a community.
Yes I judge. And I don't expect somebody who would deliberately hurt their child to care, before you throw 'I don't care' back at me.

[BendyLikeBeckham]

The number of people on this thread getting "offended" because their traditional practices are being criticised. Boo hoo. The babies and children suffering the inflicted pain of piercing trump your "feelings". Does your culture also promote circumcision, early marriage, subjugation of women? Traditional gender roles cause untold suffering of women. Is that OK too? Just in case someone might get offended by criticism of their culture?

Not sorry.

[AllTheUserNamesAreTaken]

Docking a dog’s tail purely for aesthetic not medical reasons was banned, presumably because it’s unnecessary and cruel to inflict a painful and risky procedure on a living thing that cannot consent when there is no benefit to the dog.

Yet we allow parents to pierce their babies’ ears because.....why?

Why the fuck would you take your beautiful perfect baby and stick a needle through their tiny ears so they can wear bits of metal? (And I say that as someone who wears earrings sometimes but not all the time as they are uncomfortable)

Those who have done it for cultural reasons may feel some pressure to do it. If it was made illegal than that social pressure would be removed

Doing it for a first birthday present?! WTF! It was for your benefit entirely, not your baby’s! At least fucking own it and say you wanted to treat your baby like a doll!