Baby ear-piercing

[cherryred]

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!

I agree with you. My mum got my ears pierced when I was 1 and I never thought much about it. Now I have a daughter that's about that age and I wouldn't even consider getting her ears pierced, I don't understand why anyone would. My mums reason for getting mine done by the way was because everyone thought I was a boy(!)

It's very common in the Mexican culture as well to have baby girls' ears pierced at a very young age. They also put rings, necklaces, and bracelets on babies (both boys and girls).

yanbu poor babys

Ear piercing in babies/children is horrible, its common, tacky and painful. Why on earth anybody would willing inflict pain and put holes in a child in the name of vanity is beyond me.

It should be illegal until 18, as an adult you have the right to mutilate your body if you wish.

I think it is a parents choice. I got my ears pierced around age 4-5. Remember the horrific event!but I got over it!!
Lots of cultures, e.g. Spain, it's the norm. The practically pierce babies ears in hospital!
Interestingly. I don't really wear ear rings now! But I could if I wanted to! They never close if if pierced that young!! :)

Dolanette - if i come and stick a bloody great needle thing in your ear without your permission or even without warning, you would have me arrested for assault, because you didn't CHOOSE to have me do it. Come ON, it absolutely should NOT be parental choice. Lamest ear peircing argument i have EVER heard. Are you new to mumsnet? And yeah, we know about the cultures etc. But in our culture, i assume you are English, it is simply a fashion adornment - totally unnecessary and should be illegal imo.

Are you new to mumsnet?

What the bloody hell does that mean?

just wondered if dolanete hadn't come across the venom which is inspired in mumsnetters when it comes to mutilating a small child. Because lets face it, this argument is done to death no offence intended though

Well shes entitled to her opinion ...just the same as anyone else

yes, you are right, i apologise if my post came over as aggresive. Which having just read it back it does

My DDs both had their ears pierced from an early age they were taken to a specialist child piercer ..I was able to care for them properly and tbh although they were young they actually wanted earrings as it of no special issue/rite of passage/assault/abuse in my family..

I do remember my own ear piercing as a child i was 8yrs old and my mum did it with frozen sausages and a sterilised needle..

I have also seen a toddler in Claire's getting her ears pierced - her mother was holding her down as I guess she'd had the first and was trying to escape the second.

I am not a fan.

To come back to my previous post: Even if something is usually done in a culture, it does not mean that individual thinking's out of question.

I agree with the posts thats state it should be illegal to have very little childrens ears pierced.

I don't see any reason to pierce a babies ear but I do see lots of potential problems with it.

The child should have to be mature enough to want it doing and to understand the care side of things before it is even considered.

Gave my DD a limit of age 13. She has been nagging me since she was 2. She is 11 now and I have remained firm. I think she is the only one in her friendship group who does not have her ears pierced.

I waited until DD asked to have them done. She was 7. Having them done earlier might be a problem in terms of taking care of them until they heal, I imagine.

My DD2 was 3.8yo, but she kept asking me to have her ears pierced. I felt she was too young, but I went ahead and got her ears pierced along with DD1 who was 7.8yo.

No problems whatsoever, however DD1's got infected, her earrings had to be removed and her ears closed in. DD2 still has her earrings in, has had no problems and loves having pierced ears!

I would never have decided myself to get DDs ears pierced, esp if they had been younger.
So YANBU

You are supposed to care for them...being a parent an all...

I think when you don't question why you would do this to your child, and all you can come up with is ' its my culture', then really i think your children have bigger problems than having hole punched through their ears with a gun.
Its depressing, really.
I thought it was a given that as a new mother you want to keep your baby safe and comfortable, sticking metal through their ears, does not, IMHO, seem to demonstrate you have this instinct.
It seems like such a nasty and unnecessary thing to do to a defensless little thing, none the less, your little defenseless thing.

god this topic pisses me of - particularly since it's been done to death.

Really disagree with it and don't understand why any parent would want to do that to their child.

Lets allow the kids to choose this one shall we? My daughter nagged to have hers ears pierced for her 6th birthday, I explained the procedure to her fully (including the "it hurts" bit) and after careful consideration, she decided to have it done anyway. No problems ever since, although I must add I hate the sight of earings on babies, they should remain "au natural" until such time as they decided for themselves that they need accessorising!

Lets allow the kids to choose this one shall we? My daughter nagged to have hers ears pierced for her 6th birthday, I explained the procedure to her fully (including the "it hurts" bit) and after careful consideration, she decided to have it done anyway. No problems ever since, although I must add I hate the sight of earings on babies, they should remain "au natural" until such time as they decided for themselves that they need accessorising!