To dislike seeing young children with pierced ears.

[Singsongsungagain]

Inspired by a picture on FB today of a friend's young child (6 years old) sobbing her eyes out whilst getting her ears pierced.
Why the hell would any decent parent hold their child steady to allow their ears to be pierced? What is it all about??

My daughter got her ears pierced at 6. She was desperate to get them done. No crying and she said it was just a nip.

Easier to ensure they get cleaned/checked twice daily at this age rather than when they're a stroppy teenager!

Each to their own.

Pierced ears looks awful and tacky on young children (pre-teens) IMO and I do definitely quietly judge the parents. Urgh.

Dd had hers done at 11y before going to secondary. She had wanted them done for ages but her school was strictly no earrings so that wasn't going to happen. I'd have relented from about 10 I think otherwise as she is sensible and mature and was very capable of making the choice and being able to care for her ears etc independently.

I do think children should not be allowed to wear them, even studs, for pe and sport. So if they cannot remove them for school pe then they shouldn't have them done. Wearing plasters over the top is not enough.

Dd is 13y now and is toying with wanting her naval done. I know the local piercing places say 14 for that with parents permission so I have a few months to relent

By the way - my Dd said it didn't hurt in the slightest, though she was older.

I hate to see tiny babies and toddlers/small children being done, normally in places like Claire's. It is only those I tend to see crying and upset - it's horrible.

However, older children - I'm talking top end of juniors at earliest - ime seem to know what's coming and don't seem to feel the sting so much. Obviously that's only the experience I have of my Dd and her friends.

Hate it. I don't know how parents can inflict pain on children - especially babies - for something as superficial as earrings. Taking them for injections is traumatic enough!

I used to work in a role where customers had to remove earrings for treatment.

If you saw how much gunk was sometimes trapped behind the stud and earring you'd see them in a different light.

Awful things, unless hoops then no gunk, hopefully!

Young children with pierced ears is common in certain cultures, but in the UK not really. Personally I think it looks awful - one is immediately affronted by it.

I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 16 and only because it was for the High School Prom.

For girls, I think 14 onwards is acceptable. For boys - never, ever - not ever, never ever - not even if they are an adult!! I think earrings on a man - awful.

It looks horrible on boys - to me you instantly think that the boy comes from a single parent family on a housing estate living with siblings from multiple fathers. I know it is terrible stereotyping and horrifically snobby but its the first thing that comes to my mind.

ear piercing is misogynistic.

It's teaching (primarily) girls that their appearance needs improving at an early age.

It isn't misogynistic at all

of course it is.

No it isn't. What a ridiculous argument. Are clothes, hair clips, pretty shoes misogynistic?

well duh yes of course.

The sexist way in which society assumes women should be interested in their appearance, pay extra money to maintain it, the way it is encouraged that we should 'hate' aspects of our own bodies...and then pay yet more money to 'fix them, the modification of babies and young girls bodies to make them more attractive is absolutely 100% misogynistic.

what else could you possibly describe it as?

ever seen a boy in a pretty hair clip? would they get the piss ripped? Why? because girls are inferior...and pretty hair clips help maintain that inferiority.

So nice clothes, shoes and hair for boys is fine then Ice?

Girls get the piss ripped if they are "manly" too

do see lexlees comments to indicate just how sexist and misogynistic ear piercing is....

And earrings don't make someone more attractive. I've never met a man remotely bothered about earrings unless he's into piercings in general.

tali there is no way you are dumb enough to actually think those things are equivalent. tomboy isn't even considered an insult. Nancy boy...sissy...you throw/run/hit like a girl...these things are INSULTS.

That's one individuals stupid opinion. Doesn't mean ear piercing is misogynistic

are you under them impression that women aren't misogynistic to each other or to themselves?

Woman hating in its purest form is someone looking in the mirror and hating themselves...and setting out to modify themselves to meet societies expectations of them.

Ice no tomboy isn't. "Man beast" and "he she" words that are often said about girls who are manly are though.

I'm not remotely bothered about ear piercing in young girls. Most girls are going to want to get their ears pierced at some point and, when they do, I think parents should go ahead and let them. It's not a battle worth having for something that is harmless and incredibly standard.

I absolutely loathe and abhor tattoos and babies with dummies, however.

Ice no I'm not, but I can't stand the type of feminist who thinks wearing makeup, skirts and having an interest in fashion is misogynistic. You're not a better feminist because you wear doc martens and have short hair.

IceBeing, I think some mothers get their baby girls' ears pierced partly to signify they are female (which may be partly your point). In the same way they dress them in those effing horrible headbands with giant bows that make them look like big Easter eggs. Babies are cute in their own right, in a completely androgynous way, like a puppy or kitten.They don't need improving or being made to look artificially attractive IMHO.