For those who pierce their baby's ears...

[Username7654321]

Would you see it as okay to pierce their nose? Eyebrow? Tongue? Why is it okay to stab a needle through the ear lobe, when presumably most people would be horrified by any other piercing on a baby?!

Hate to see it. Chavvy.

Is it GF week on MN this week?

So I'm a goady fucker for asking why one is acceptable and others not? Hmmm ok then.

There are many far worse things you can do to a baby, but in my opinion they all of them stem from the same moral and ethical issue.

Does a baby's body belong to the baby or the parent. If you believe in respecting a baby as a whole independent person then it is inconceivable to decide to pierce their ears.

So whether or not its trendy, cultural, painful or not, whether you think it is harmful or worth the risk of infection or not, the really important point is do you respect your baby's body as their and not yours to modify.

That is way the debate is heated - because its the ethical line that matters, not the severity of harm done.

I don't really like pierced ears on babies but I can't get too worked up over it.

While I wouldn't pierce my child's ear unless it's their choice, piercing a baby's ears is really not comparable to FGM. On that alone YABU OP.

Morphene Well said!

It hurts them momentarily, it isn't end of the world. Not something I will be doing myself, but why start a thread about it?

It's not as clean cut as that.

A baby spends a lot of it's time led down sleeping, very often on it's side, so lying on tender ears that have studs in them can be very uncomfortable for the baby.
Even worse, the baby can't say anything about it.

Even if it's for 'cultural reasons I still think it's cruel and unnecessary

oh well that must make it fine then. We may aswell carry on happily with FGM in that case.
There's a huge difference between those two things...

sprinkles - I wasn't comparing it to FGM, I was pointing out that using the argument of "it's been done to boys and girls for millenia" isn't a great argument for it.

I think we can't mention it because it's cultural or something.

Good post, Morphene

My mum had mine pierced when I was about 2. The back of the studs stuck into my neck behind my ear and it was scarred and infected for ages! I have no desire to pierce my children's ears, but if I did knowing what had happened to mine would put me off! I got mine repierced only 3 years ago.

I don't really get why people pierce babies ears, aside from culture. But if people do then that's up to them. I don't put my judgey pants on if I meet these people. I can tell them how and why I don't like it, but what's the point? They've done it. That was their choice.

Honestly its not about the pain its about treating someone else's body as something you have the right to modify for aesthetic reasons.

I personally don't get worked up about it because I don't think it's that harmful

But it’s obvious harmful. It sets a message that it’s ok to do things to someone’s body without consent, because ‘it looks pretty’. Especially with young girls, it sets the message from a baby that they should only be ‘pretty’. It can have long term effects if done incorrectly (as most idiots take their young children to places that use guns instead of needles).

It may not be as serious as circumcision or FGM, but it’s definitely on the scale. If you’re modifying someone’s body without their consent, it’s always ‘harmful’.

So you're anti-vaccination as well, I presume, OP?

Why do you say that? This is a thread about cosmetic piercings, not vaccinations.

So you're anti-vaccination as well, I presume, OP? - erm, nope. Considering vaccines are necessary and save lives. Tell me again how many ear piercings prevented deadly illnesses?

I've always wondered how it isn't a choking hazard for a baby to wear earrings? Surely it would only take them a second to pull them out and stick them into their mouths.

That is way the debate is heated - because its the ethical line that matters, not the severity of harm done.

I can't get myself interested in someone else's ethical line. Why is it "ok" in Spain/Latin America, but "chavvy" in the UK?

I find the majority of people in the UK (especially on these threads) protest against it because they're massive snobs.

Bollocks does it 'hurt momentarily' it's sore for at least a day afterwards.

Interesting question op, shame you've yet to receive a reasonable answer.