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AIBU?

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Original poster

Baby ear-piercing

205 replies

cherryred · 19/01/2011 09:57

I know this topic has been talked about before but I feel so shocked at having witnessed a baby having her ears pierced that I'm bringing it up again.
I was in a branch of Claire's with my 10 year old when it happenned, the baby was quite young and absolutely howling in shock and pain. My daughter started crying too, she couldn't believe anyone would needlessly want to hurt their baby in this way. I left feeling that this really shouldn't be allowed to happen, ear-piercing doesn't benefit a baby in any way, it's as if some parents don't realise that babies are real people with feelings not just little dollys to dress up. Ok rant over! Angry

OP posts:
IWantToBeAFairyWhenIGrowUp · 19/01/2011 11:02

I don't like

LouMacca · 19/01/2011 11:03

IWantToBe - you have a good point there. I'm actually quite shocked that Claires would pierce the ears of such a young child......

twirlymum · 19/01/2011 11:06

I had to walk out of Claire's Accessories last week, as they were piercing a tiny baby's ears and she was screaming and writhing in pain.
Is there an age restriction at all? This baby only looked about six weeks old. The mother was laughing. Yuk.

I made DD wait until she was 8, she kept badgering me, but I made sure she knew there was a possibility of infection, explained why she had to follow the aftercare programme etc. It was her informed choice to get it done.

I really don't get it.

tyler80 · 19/01/2011 11:08

It doesn't bother me particularly. Good thing really as I lived in Spain for a while. Wouldn't do it myself.

FantasticDay · 19/01/2011 11:15

I constantly rebut my four year old daughter's requests (which have been going on for about two years already). However, a friend of mine did explain to me that she was intending to pierce her daugher's ears as soon as she asked because, as a SAHM she would prefer to supervise the cleaning, turning, that sort of thing than leave it to a nine or ten year old with grubby fingers. I could kind of see that. I don't think you can jump to the conclusion that a parent getting their daughter's ears pierced at a young age is necessarily cruel or thoughtless. (But my dd is still waiting till she's 12!)

aPixieInMyCaramelLatte · 19/01/2011 11:15

Absolutely hideous.

Age restriction of at least 13yrs old I think.

redpanda13 · 19/01/2011 11:26

DD (4.11 yrs) had been going on for a couple of months about ear piercing. I told her that she could have it done in the Summer between ending primary and starting secondary school. Give them a chance to heal so she could take them out for PE. She was a bit miffed that she would have to wait until she was 12.
About a month ago she wanted to go into Claire's to look at the tat Hello Kitty things. There was a baby having her ears pierced. Poor little thing was screaming. DD was horrified. She has not asked about getting her ears pierced since!

browniebear · 19/01/2011 11:37

I took DD for her ears pierced just before her 6th birthday as she had been asking for it doing. They were in about 4 weeks when one of them got infected and the front of the
earring was inside her ear! After a trip to A and E for local anesthetic and a small cut in the back of her ear to remove it we took the other one out and they have both healed up now. I've never felt so guilty about putting my DD through that and I don't think she'll ever have them done again. We went to a proper piercing shop and cleaned regularly.

Grandmar · 19/01/2011 11:43

Child abuse. No child should have their ears pierced until their teens. I am surprised that Claire's are allowed to commit, what I consider as a crime!

bubblewrapped · 19/01/2011 11:50

I always wanted mine done, and it was fairly standard in the 70's/80's that you wait till the summer before secondary school.

There were always a few others that had theirs done earlier, but the majority of us accepted that 11 was the normal age.

I saw a mother pushing her toddler last year, and the only thing I noticed about the child (who cant have been more than 2 years old) was that she had THREE sets of gold hoops in her ears!!

A child cant walk into a shop and get them done on their own, so its down to the parent to just say no.

I think the age should be raised to a minimum of 10 years old.

I also think it looks bloody horrible when you see little boys with an earring. It isnt cute, it is totally chavvy.

PigValentine · 19/01/2011 11:57

I'm 31 and had my ears pierced when I was 1. It's not child abuse, and labelling at such is not only ridiculous, it's offensive.

Grandmar · 19/01/2011 11:57

If it is wrong to smack a child, surely it can't be right to put holes in their ears!

Mummagumma · 19/01/2011 12:01

I just cannot understand it. As well as looking revolting (which admittedly is just a matter of opinion), it's barbaric to make a child endure something painful they are unable to give consent for, for 'decorative' purposes.

It seems so odd that people find it acceptable. What if I wanted to pierce DS' nose? Or tongue, eyebrow, or belly button? Would that be alright, or is stabbing sharp metal through a baby only okay if it's done in the ear lobe?

rockinhippy · 19/01/2011 12:02

HATE IT HATE IT HATE!!!!!....IMO Nasty, Tacky, Chavvy, Sensless, Cruel & Potentially Dangerous (bar the culturally required ones, which I'll begrudgingly make exceptions for)

Sick & tired of DD (8) hassling me to get hers done, because XX &YY have it at School similar since bl@@dy Nursery Hmm....IMO should be BANNED....it was at School when I was a Kid, for perfectly reasonable H&S reasons, so I'm amazed they let it go todayConfused

The Day DD can "honestly" say that she is no longer likely to go rolling around in a scrum on the floor whilst playing, is the day I MIGHT consider it

I've a scar on my navel as a result of peircing it myself at 14.....& then getting it ripped out....I've a friend who has split nipples for similar reasons, so why oh why do otherwise seemingly sensible people do this to their kidsAngry

okay, Rant Over {grin] (what makes you think its a pet hate of mine Grin

monkeyflippers · 19/01/2011 12:03

Totally agree OP. How did the babies mum react?

rockinhippy · 19/01/2011 12:05

Oooo, redpanda thanks for that tip, maybe I'll take DD & hang around Claires on Saturday......seeing it done & tears involved might just get her off my back :)

justcarrots29 · 19/01/2011 12:12

So no one is able to put up a good argument for having it 'done to' their babies. It is disgusting and I agree that atleast 8 should be an appropriate age and summer holidays is the perfect time to ensure they are healed before school.

I would like to hear a good argument for it though - as I cannot understand why people do it on such young children - it looks vile.

knitty · 19/01/2011 12:12

YANBU
I don't see many babies really and was quite startled when I took DD to health visitor to get her weighed and when I was undressing her, looked over at the baby(about 12 weeks probably) next to us and she had earrings in.
DH and I nearly cried the day DD had her first immunisations so I don't really understand why people would hurt their babies like that.

OTheHugeManatee · 19/01/2011 12:13

Jeez. I had to beg and plead for permission to get my ears pierced at the age of 13. Who are these people who do it to babies?

loopylou6 · 19/01/2011 12:15

It's not fair piercing a babies ears, it should be a choice they make, not have inflicted on them. My dd begged from 4 to have them done, I refused until a couple of years later. She is very mature for her age and at 6 I agreed she could do it, but warned her time and time again that it would hurt and even pinched her earlobe to give her an idea. Aniyway she is now nearly 7 and has a small pair of silver Forever Friends bears in her ears, I think they look cute. :)

Grandmar · 19/01/2011 12:17

Selfish and cruel - Do these mothers just want a minnie version of themselves?

loopylou6 · 19/01/2011 12:19

I am totally Shock at hoops.

redfairy · 19/01/2011 12:23

Ok..I'm probably setting myself up for a flaming here but I got my youngest DS's ears pierced aged two.

Having seen my eldest DS and a lot of her friends kicking a fuss about changing earrings and the whole taking them out for PE routine I decided to follow my SIL's idea of getting the piercing done earlier. My youngest DS is now 9 years old and happily changes her own earrings without batting an eyelid and has always treated her piercings very matter of factly.
I'm pleased I got it done. It never got built up to that big thing in the playground where young girls constantly battle with parents then shriek the house down when it comes to the aftercare and are afraid to change their earrings.

jeanvaljean · 19/01/2011 12:25

I'm all for it.

That way you can easily spot the chavs and keep your own kids away from them Grin

Grandmar · 19/01/2011 12:28

I just don't understand, why do it at all? Is there any other parent out there that would just say 'NO'.