...to believe that piercing a baby's ears is abusive

[TheAlphaParent]

1. It causes unnecessary pain.
2. It removes choice and respect for bodily autonomy.
3. It puts the infant at risk of infection.
4. It provides no benefit to the infant.

I'd be interested in hearing from any pro-piercing parents; However if you're anti-piercing, I urge you to sign this recently approved Government petition:

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/20646

P.S. I know this is an old school debate, but the Government are yet to act, so the piercing of babies debate is still hugely relevant.

Not the same, no - she had the option to refuse. A small child doesn't.

somewherewest had it bang on the head. Let's concentrat on actual abuse. I had my ears done as a child and am grateful I didn't have to endure the pain in my tee

teens.

Presumably people would think it was abuse if you forced a baby to have 100 piercings...or even 10....so in my opinion its abuse even if you only do it once.

Its also odd that people think of babies as belonging to them - as if they were things to own. There would be uproar if you pierced a baby that 'belonged' to someone else, but its okay to do it to a baby you 'own'.

Really they belong to themselves...and shouldnt have other peoples ideas of beauty or culture forced on them just because they are too young to prevent it.

So OP YANBU and society should protect the rights of babies not to be physically altered in any way by anyone, including their parents.

Whilst it's not something I'd do, it's not something I can get concerned about.

Non-medical circumcision is far more abhorrent.

Piercing is more or less reversible and I'd be happy to have my ears pierced in the same way as a baby. I'm not sure you'd find many male volunteers for a circumcision.

Damn bloody right, entropygirl.

I think calling it abusive is ott.

However, I hate seeing it and can't understand why anyone would ever want to do it to a baby or young child. Not only the pain at time but the risks involved with infection, getting them caught etc.

Personally I don't think it should be allowed until the child is able to look after them without needing help/reminding.

YADNBU!!
I personally think it is sick and smacks of treating your child like a fashion accessory. Wait until the child is old enough to know what it is and whether they would actually like them because the damage they do to some babies ears is horrible, allergic to the metal etc. But no, most parents don't think of this and just do it to seem 'cool' it bloody pisses me off!
Did I mention YANBU?

'Presumably people would think it was abuse if you forced a baby to have 100 piercings...or even 10....so in my opinion its abuse even if you only do it once.'

That's a bit silly now isn't it..... just because I allow my children to eat the occasional hamburger doesn't mean that I agree with them eating them for breakfast, lunch and dinner all day every day.

No, entropy is right, belgo, if 100 piercings is abuse (and would anyone argue against that?!), then 1 or 2 piercings is a small degree of abuse. Of course it's nothing compared to what some children go through on a daily basis, but that's not the point. If things aren't challenged, nothing will change.

If anyone can tell me how it actually benefits a one-year-old to have her ears pierced, I will reconsider. The parents are doing it purely for themselves.

Had our ears pierced as babies, absolutely love it 30+ yrs on as do nieces and all other girls in the family- cultural for us tho none of our parents would do more than raise an eyebrow if we let it close. Funny thing is hardly anyone has pierced another hole and the beautiful gold and natural stone sets I get given make it more than worthwhile. Personal choice just as it is yours to leave it if you don't like it. Abuse it is not, babies don't feel it- my son was circumcised at 3 weeks as well and aside from the discomfort of his legs being held apart went on the breast straight after and didn't cry. He also had his tongue tie snipped at 3 weeks which busy bodies would have said wasn't necessary but it disrupted his bfeeding so badly & my supply never did recover fully so had to supplement- it was snipped in a min in theatre & he was given to us to put on breast & that was the end of the crying.

Stop trying to control others!

People disliking it isn't about trying to control others, if anything it's about them saying what they think is right/fair for the child and as the majority on here think that it isn't right to subject a young baby to pain when there is no need to then of course that will lead to people judging those who do so.

"It's nothing compared to what some children go through on a daily basis, but that's not the point".

Yes it is the point. Until we can guarantee that there will never ever be another Baby P then we are crazy to waste even a fraction of the state's time and resources on something this trivial. The more we dilute the concept of 'abuse' the less likely we are to focus all our energy on stopping the real thing.

"Babies don't feel it" - BOLLOCKS. Anyone who has even held a baby knows how sensitive to touch they are.

Also, my brother had a medical circumcision and is always quick to point out that it absolutely DOES hurt, for quite a while afterwards as well.

"babies don't feel pain like adults do" Tell that to the police officers who have to watch child abuse videos, AtYourCervix

They may not remember in the same way but their nerve endings work just fine.

I don't love piercing but god yes there are more important things for Parliament to debate, like affording sex-trafficked women and children the same rights as those seeking asylum in the UK. That's abuse.

I think I disagree actually Somewhere.

I would say the more we strive to make our society one in which children's bodies are respected and in which their rights not to experience any unneccessary pain are upheld can only also have positive effects on our societal consciousness around guarding against, stopping and punishing abusers.

entropy, it doesn't work like that. Shouting 'NO!' at your child as he/she wriggles out of your arms and tries to run across a road isn't abuse, but shouting at them day in, day out is.

Same thing here. You could argue that the mum who shouted at the child is abusing him/her but really ? she's not.

Right, so in the event that a baby does have it's ears pierced what would you like to happen? Social Services called in and remove the baby? What about the children that are actually being abused? Would you take resources away from SS investigating children who are being beaten/starved etc just so that they can investigate pro ear piercing parents?

happyhorse - you suggest that male circumcision is a more important issue than piercing babies ears. I agree that it is an important issue. However did you know that the rate of complications resulting from circumcision is far lower than the rate of complications resulting from ear piercing.

Coolsticks, that's great that you still love having pierced ears 30 years on.

Of course, it should be personal choice as you say.

But ... um ... it wasn't your personal choice, was it??! You were a baby and had absolutely no say in the matter.

i think it's horribe to cause unecessary (i can't spell today :( completely braindead please don't shoot me down in flames) pain to a baby.

Dd asked to have her ears pierced at age 4, i did it for her, and she loves them.

I insisted on getting them done age 3, i still love them, they will however never heal over (have gone several years not wearing earings and they don't close.

I have 4 other piercings i n my ears which seem to not want to close over either. So you can't really argue that they can just leave the earings out and they will close up!

Lol at 'stop trying to control others' - unless its a baby and then its okay not only to control but to modify their bodies for them.....

casserole thank you for saying so very eloquently exactly what I was trying to say and failing. That is bang on. Stopping this small seemingly trivial thing puts the whole issue of seeing children as possessions into the light and sends a message to everyone that babies are human beings too.

oh and the thing about shouting and manhandling being something its okay to do once a day if necessary but not 100 times a day...well duh of course you are right but the clue is in 'if necessary'. When has a piercing ever been necessary? You arent trying to keep babies safe or give them strong boundaries you are trying to pretty them up to match your own stereotypes.

Agree that they dont always heal up I still have inactive ones from 20 years ago which landed me in hospital with endocarditis (not done as a baby I should point out, though if it had been done then I would not have survived).

I think its digusting and chavvy, I look at babies with their ears pierced and actually feel sorry for them.

It must cause discomfort for the baby too, not only getting it done, but I bet the parents dont take the earings out every time the baby sleeps...and i know from wearing earings(occasionally) myself that sleeping with earings in is rather uncomfortable as the backs dig into the side of your head. poor babies.

Grangran, where are you?

TECHNO TECHNO TECHNO TECHNO