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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:
georginosgirl · 20/01/2011 00:25

its cruel ,UNCALLED FOR THERE IS NO NEED TO PUT A FORIEGN OBJECT IN A ALREADY VULNERABLE BABIES BODY (whoa soz for the caps:) ) nah its just wrong , chavy and tacky as hell , me and my mate have made a complete pact not to let our girls until they at least 11 and even then we be not happy with the idea of it x

MrsRhettButler · 20/01/2011 00:37

A complete pact huh... Wow

MadAboutQuavers · 20/01/2011 02:27

Why can something not be considered as cheap and vulgar? How is that disgusting?

Confused

Decorating your baby by putting holes in its ears is what's disgusting

LDNmummy · 20/01/2011 02:45

Can I ask if it is considered nasty, chavvy, yuk, child abuse and all of the above, when it is done in another culture for cultural reasons?

I ask as I had mine done as a baby and I suppose for the most part it was cultural. It was done traditionally with needle and thread at home and I think I object more to the idea of going to Claires to have it done by gun than anything else.

Also, I don't think there is anything wrong with it after the age of 8 or so when the child can say yes or no.

I also think the responses are a bit OTT, Child Abuse, really? I can think of worse abuses that can be perpetrated on a child than ear piercing.

P.S: My family are far from chavvy or common thnx

LDNmummy · 20/01/2011 02:47

Oh and I wonder if any of the mothers saying how wrong it is have had thier children baptized or inducted into a religion of some kind as there has been a lot of "it should be the childs choice" talk.

Just wondering Grin

LDNmummy · 20/01/2011 02:55

Or circumsized thier sons?

LDNmummy · 20/01/2011 03:13

Just read the thread a bit further back and pascoe28 I noticed you associated completely negative things with other cultures that are no where near comparable to ear piercing. And being called a chav is insulting in any social forum.

petisa · 20/01/2011 03:38

Oh why do I always contribute to these threads??

I had dd1's ears pierced when she was 10 months old. Dp is Latin American and we were living in Spain, so it was for cultural reasons. She would have been practically the only little girl in nursery school without earrings, and I wanted her to feel she was like all the other little girls.

She did cry, like she does when she gets a jab, but she stopped crying just as quick, and a couple of minutes later was pointing out dogs in the park. We've had no problems with the earrings and now she's nearly 3 she loves them. They're tiny anyway and you'd hardly notice them.

Having said all that, if she had been born in the UK I wouldn't have got her ears pierced because I wouldn't have seen any need at all.

I am not a chav, never call my dd "princess", am not into pink and frilly at all Grin and I don't think I am disgusting, cruel or a child abuser, ffs!

MadAboutQuavers · 20/01/2011 03:41

I haven't had my child indoctrinated into any religion, by baptism or otherwise

It's his decision for when he's old enough to make an informed choice

Same goes with putting your baby through the pain of having holes put in their ears because "it looks nice" - which it doesn't

LDNmummy · 20/01/2011 03:57

My point is that many parents do and I bet no one would be accusing those parents of being child abusers. And what about circumcision in this country, a relatively common practice that is carried out before the child can make a choice, yet I don't hear people wantind to start a campaign against that. If any of the parents on this thread who seem to think ear piercing is so evil have done either of those things then I cry HYPOCRISY!

I don't want to pry or make the assumption that your son is circumcised so I will leave that there.

I'm not trying to be argumentative BTW, just wanting to point out a hypocritical idea.

twirlymum · 20/01/2011 10:25

Er, there was a huge thread a while ago about circumcision, and most people thought it should no be done for cultural or religious reasons.
And my children are free to choose their own religion (if any)

twirlymum · 20/01/2011 10:26

not not no.
I don't think circumcision is common in the UK anyway.

pinkmagic1 · 20/01/2011 11:00

I think a lot of you need to get a grip. There are far greater abuses to children you could be spending your time campaigning against.
Like most of you, I used to be totally against very young children and babies having their ears pierced. However my DH is originally from Egypt were it is tradition to have babies ears pierced at around 6 weeks or so.
When we had our DD I was adamant we would wait until she was old enough to choose but DH went and took her anyway when she was around 10 months old. At first I was absolutely livid but tbh they didn't bother her in the slightest. I kept them scrupulously clean, they never got infected and combing her hair bothered her far more than the after care ever did. She is 4 now ,only ever wears little studs and no, we are not chavs! Grin

begonyabampot · 20/01/2011 12:46

Mad- 'Same goes with putting your baby through the pain of having holes put in their ears because "it looks nice" - which it doesn't'

but that's only your opinion mad - obviously millions of people think differently and probably so would you if you were of that culture. Saying that I think it should be illegal to have it done in the UK at a shop or whatever.

LollipopViolet · 20/01/2011 12:50

You're all going to hate me! I had mine done at 18 months apparently. In a way I'm glad because I'd never voluntarily have them done (too painful!) but I personally don't like to see it.

YANBU, and the fact your DD was upset shows it's not a generational thing (not saying it is but ykwim?)

ToysRLuv · 20/01/2011 13:22

My mum is from a culture where ear piercing is done routinely to every baby girl, but her parents (my grandparents) were wise and though it absolutely barbaric. Neither my mum or my aunt (also unpierced) ever had any trouble or felt different to anyone despite everyone else having earrings. Just because something is traditional in a culture does not mean that it has to be done.

I was forbidden and discouraged to have my ears pierced until I was an adult. I was intrigued about the whole thing, so got my ears pierced at Claire's when I was 24 (!). One ear slowly got a bit infected (I was cleaning it), and I also felt uncomfortable sleeping with earrings (and could not be arsed to fiddle with taking them on and off all the time), so gave up the whole thing. Now have two pointless (probably closed up) holes in my body. Great. Regret ever doing it. Really do not understand people who inflict that pain and discomfort on their infants.

toddlerwrangler · 20/01/2011 13:30

Sorry - I utterly detest seeing babies and toddlers with poerced ears, but it on ANY (cultural, asthetic, ect) grounds.

queenofthecapitalwasteland · 20/01/2011 13:39

LDNmummy I think most things inflicted on children should be left until they are old enough to choose. I was babtised as a baby and pushed into confirmation as a 10yo by my school- as an atheist I really wish neither had happened. Circumscion, while normally done for religious reasons, has no medical benfit and really should be done later in life after the child is sure that this is a disfigurement procedure that they are happy with.

Whilst peircing babies can be a cultural thing, it doesn't make it a right thing to do. {hides behind big rock} as previously mentioned polygamy is a cultural thing, who wants to introduce that to the UK?

My main issue with baby peircing is that Claires and various hairdressers are allowed to do this, how does selling scrunchies qualify you to shove holes in someone's ear? Angry

mumsgotatum · 20/01/2011 14:13

YANBU....it's very vulgar. Why on earth would Claire's do it so young?

taintedpaint · 20/01/2011 14:26

IMO earrings on babies are disgusting. They look awful and I shudder when I see them. It should be a considered choice to be made by the person having holes put in their body.

I also don't think saying 'but it's a cultural thing' is anywhere near a decent defence for doing this.

Earliest I would allow it would be 11/12, but definitely not while at primary school.

hairfullofsnakes · 20/01/2011 14:31

I do not like it but in a lot of cultures (including mine) it is the 'done' thing and if i were to hazard a guess, I bet a lot of these babiesd we see with pierced ears are from other cultures. my ears were pierced at a young age too but I definitley will not be piercing my daughter's ears until she is a lot lot older and can decide for herself.

hairfullofsnakes · 20/01/2011 14:34

I think it is unfair to have a go at a lot of the mums here who do it - it is a part of many cultures and like someone said, noone would have a go about circumcision

I dont like it and wont do it but I am from a culture that does so can see both sides

bicback · 20/01/2011 17:11

hairfullofsnakes - i agree with you with what you said about it being unfair to have a go as alot of people who do it it is part of their culture but about the circumcision, there was a HUGE thread on here recently with threaders screaming about child abuse because a mum said something about her son being done!!

jessiealbright · 20/01/2011 17:16

But loads of people object to circumcision! Male and female. Infant female circumcision is actually illegal.

toddlerwrangler · 20/01/2011 17:19

FGM is 'cultural' in many parts of Africa. Doesn't make it right.

And I am against circumcision on religous grounds as well.