To be upset that 'Claire's' pierce babies ears...

[ConstantlyFrazzled]

.... right in the main window for everyone to see...

I hate to think of little babies having painful things done to them that they have not consented to, need or asked for. I know ear piercing isn't the end of the world, but I was really upset to see a baby today sitting on her mother's lap being held still, about to be 'pierced' for the sake of 'beauty'. Seconds later the baby did of course scream out in pain and cry, and I have to admit I felt extremely angry and upset for her sake .

Am I being unreasonable to think that a child should be old enough to consent to have their ears pierced or is it right to allow parents to make this decision?

I would like to see 'Claire's' setting a minimum age for ear piercing - am I being unreasonable to suggest that?

Nobody was comparing piercing ears to FGM. I was simply pointing out that the argument that ear piercing on babies is cultural is also applied to FGM - something almost everyone agrees is bad. You can't pick and choose what bits of another culture you do and don't like

Getting my tattoo was less painful than getting my ears pierced.

Oh and 20 years on my DH's pierced ear still hasn't closed up completely.

Yanbu at all BUT while personally I passionately hate babies having their ears pierced it worries me how their ears might be pierced if hygienic, trained places like Claires didn't offer it to them. If their parents are determined for cultural, taste/vanity whatever reasons then they might use alternative/dangerous home methods.

To me, just because something is done for 'cultural reasons' doesn't make it right or OK, and I think it is perfectly reasonable to be annoyed by people inflicting pain on their babies for no good reason, except for the sake of two earrings. I don't understand how anyone can stand to put their children through pain just due to culture or religion; I feel the same about circumcision without anaesthetic. Anyway... besides all that, it looks awful.

sugarpasting- i will for free if the mother wants it done. althoughi thght it was just my folks that encouraged shaving the babies head several times to ensure a good strong thick crop of hair lol.

You can't pick and choose what bits of another culture you do and don't like

Of course you can. What a strange thing to say.

But then it would be 1) illegal and 2) obvious to anyone that the child suddenly had pierced ears.

"If their parents are determined for cultural, taste/vanity whatever reasons then they might use alternative/dangerous home methods."

To the people defending the practice for cultural reasons, ok, it part of your cultural heritage to do it to your babies, but so what, what happens if you don't do it? Are you cast out? Does your child suffer?

Genuine question not having a go, just wanted to know if there are any consequences.

Don't Muslims/Hindus shave a babies head as a rite of passage? then bury the hair?

I have never been able to understand how it can be legal to stick needles through a child's ears, for no reason other than to look "nice." I definitely think there should be an age limit. If you were to stick needles in any other part of a baby, other than for medical reasons you'd be arrested!

Not read thread but am immediately struck by the first reply:
alot of babies have their ears pierced for cultural reasons, whether you or I like it or not and we have to respect that even though it may not be our view or belief it is that of others

So we have to respect anything that is done by anyone so long as it is apparently in their culture?

Um..... no actually.

Piercing the ears of anyone who has not asked for it to be done to them is an act of violence. The only pain I can respect being inflicted on a child is vaccinations. That's in their own interest. Wearing earrings is pure vanity on the part of the parent.

Mine hasn't healed entirely. The insides have. I can't get earrings through my ear any longer, but there is still a hole at the front and back. It is visible closer up but not from a distance.

Still only 30 signatures on the petition! I'd expected a lot more, given it is a form of mutilation.

have signed already.

oh there is already a bigger older petition for ear piercing than this one. whoever created this new one didnt check first.

I have signed the big one.

YABU and way too oversensitive.

Perrsonally I let my DD decide when she was old enough to understand what it was all about. But I don't think piercing a babies ears is so awful it requires intervention. It's down to parental choice IMO.

YANBU in my culture it is needless cruelty.

In a civilised world culture and religion should never be allowed to be used as a justification for abusing children. End of.

Sadly is is though. Every single day.

YANBU, surely at least wait until they are old enough to communicate how they feel about it. Poor loves don't get a choice. Horrid.

Here is the link for the bigger petition:

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/20646

I don't like the idea of piercing babies, but I can see it might be better than a four year old, say, as they are likely to fiddle with it and get grime in it, or be reluctant to let somebody clean it. I have seen a baby screaming in Claire's as well. The problem is, they don't cry until they do the first ear because they don't know what's coming. Then, I suppose you can't not do the second, for obvious cosmetic reasons. The only other thing you could do is fiddle about taking the first stud out of a freshly pierced ear, which is probably worse.

I would wait until they can ask, though, and understand the consequences. Probably I would grudgingly let an eight year old who really wanted it done to go ahead.

I was 11 when I had mine done, with a gun. I'm incredibly needle phobic, but I think this happened when I had an injection at 12 given by a very nervous nurse who took three attempts and jabbed the needle into my muscle. I have a very low pain threshold and am a complete wuss, but I don't remember it hurting.

I don't like the idea of piercing babies, but I can see it might be better than a four year old, say, as they are likely to fiddle with it and get grime in it, or be reluctant to let somebody clean it

That's why imo they should have to be around 12yrs of age and able to clean it themselves.

OP, YANBU.

A medically unnecessary and painful procedure? Not for my DCs, thank you very much.

I quite agree it can't be defended under the banner of 'it's cultural'.

i don't like ear piercing but don't want the government making laws against it.

It is abuse.

So is circumcision, male or female. Non-medical circumcision is cultural bullshit of the highest order.

Anything causing pain for ANY reason other than medical necessity is abuse, so smacking/piercing/circumcision all come under that.
Why would anyone with a morsel of intelligence see it any other way?