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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think Claire's should not be piercing the ears of a hysterical 13 month old whilst she is held down?

201 replies

ScottishG · 14/08/2018 00:56

I was in Claire's Accessories with dd today. A small child was crying hysterically. I looked around to see what was going on and was horrified to see a baby being forced to have her ears pierced. She was being firmly held on an adult 's knee (? mum) surrounded by 3 or 4 men who seemed to be with her and the assistant doing the piercing. Her ears were held by the adults whilst they were pierced. It was horrible. She was so upset it was distressing to see.
I have no clue why anyone would put their baby through this and think it is wrong to hurt your child in this way. However, I also felt Claire's were wrong to go ahead with the piercing when the child was so very distressed. Surely they could have refused to continue? I can't get the scene out of my head and Dr(13) was upset too.

OP posts:
Mummyoflittledragon · 14/08/2018 05:27

That for me is child abuse. I would definitely complain to head office. You could also speak to the police. If they were interested there will be cctv.

Dd had her ears pierced at 9. She wanted them done at about 7 but she had to wait until I decided she was ready and able for the piercing as well as to look after her ears as well as her earrings with my help. Even then I asked for two people to do it in case she got upset. She also has a medical condition (luckily very mildly), which potentially could have been triggered by the actual event so I had to be doubly sure she was ready to ensure it wasn’t.

MarthasGinYard · 14/08/2018 05:32

'They'd try to hold them down and beg me "PLEASE! Just do a nose and whiskers then??"'

Bloody hell

As for the Claire's thing I'd report to Head office

Barbaric

Parents are selfish thick fuckers to put dc through that

cordeliavorkosigan · 14/08/2018 05:33

My Colombian friends say it's very standard there for small babies. I wouldn't do it. But how many of you saying it's child abuse had your sons circumsised? Fwiw I wouldn't do that either, but it's still considered normal, and it is protected from people's outrage because, you know, magic sky fairies and tradition and all ...

babycham75 · 14/08/2018 05:39

DD (10) asked for hers done - I took her to a professional piercing clinic. No noise, very calm, perfect placement. She hardly felt a thing.
She had previously had them done with a gun at a beauty salon - completely bodged it, had to remove them and them grow over.
I hate seeing little girls having them done in Claire's.

olivesandcheesef · 14/08/2018 05:46

If Claire’s were any kind of reputable business they would have a clear policy for their staff to follow, i.e a minimum age of say at least 5.
And if the child is distressed they have to stop.
Claire’s should see this thread and the public opinion that holding down a baby and forcing metal through its ears is abusive.

Shame on the parents.
Shame on Claire’s.

Cuppaorwine · 14/08/2018 07:28

emoty headed idiots.

If I hear another twat use ‘it’s cultural as an excuse for inflicting needless pain on a child! Angry

My dds has them done at 8 and in Claire’s. They were begging for years and I found the assistant very professional.

This is awful op. They shouldn’t be doing this.

Apehouse · 14/08/2018 07:39

I don’t really understand why that is allowed when other harmful cultural practices (like FGM - yes, I know, that’s an order of magnitude worse) are rightly banned. How is it normal to make holes in a baby’s ears?

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 14/08/2018 07:42

Parents are selfish thick fuckers to put dc through that

Yes pretty much sums it up. Claire's were equally in the wrong too.

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 14/08/2018 07:51

I wouldn't do it. But how many of you saying it's child abuse had your sons circumsised?

In the U.K. i think that is very rare. None of my friends have had their sons circumcised and it was certainly never mentioned to me with regard to my DS.

trulybadlydeeply · 14/08/2018 07:53

If it's cultural then it will be done straight away. In Colombia, the girls have their ears pierced and the boys are circumcised before the mother and baby are discharged from hospital after the birth. Not condoning this, of course, but that's what happens there.

CoolCarrie · 14/08/2018 07:55

Earrings are tacky and common looking on babies and toddlers imo.
Claire’s shouldn’t be piecing the ears of a small, distressed child, that’s awful, very unprofessional.

user1471426142 · 14/08/2018 07:56

I saw something similar when I was about 12 and the baby was tiny and screaming I s head off. The mum was sat there going ‘oh am I a nasty mummy’ and my friend and I turned round and said yes and left. We were both very shy so it must have affected us to have said something. I can still picture it over 20 years later.

SouthWestmom · 14/08/2018 07:58

Saw this recently. Poor sobbing baby and stupid woman flapping some tat in its face trying to cheer it up.

kaytee87 · 14/08/2018 07:58

Disgusting. I hate piercings on babies and toddlers. It would really upset me seeing that op Thanks

JacquesHammer · 14/08/2018 07:59

Parents are abusive.

Claire’s are butchers who shouldn’t be piercing anyone’s ears

crispysausagerolls · 14/08/2018 08:01

Disgusting. And to the person who mentioned circumcision, I think that’s equally as bad, probably worse really.

LoveInTokyo · 14/08/2018 08:01

I don’t like it but sometimes it’s a cultural thing

So is FGM.

I think there should be a legal age restriction on piercing.

I'd say 10 or 12 for ears and 16 for anything else.

Peoplemaynoticeus · 14/08/2018 08:01

I was held down screaming at 5 to have mine done at the hairdressers. They went badly infected and scarred but I was taken back and had them redone in another spot. I won't even wear earrings and haven't since I had a choice. My daughter is 8 and Is the only girl in her class who doesn't have pierced ears. She doesn't want them done and has never asked, especially after watching the video of me having my nose pierced with a needle.

MrsMaryMooFace · 14/08/2018 08:02

I do not agree with piercing a babies ears AT ALL but I'm just wondering, if the Claire's staff member felt very under pressure/threatened if there were "3 or 4 men" holding the baby down?

LaContessaDiPlump · 14/08/2018 08:03

It sounds like it was horrible to watch - certainly the store should have stopped.

However.... I had mine done aged 2 and my sister's were done aged 4 days (free service provider by the hospital - they didn't even ask first)! Everyone I knew growing up had theirs done - it was so normal. I don't really understand the antipathy in the UK, but it has a whiff of class warfare about it IMO - certainly none of the middle class mummies I'm friends with would dream of allowing such a thing.... If either of my DSs ever ask for ear piercings I'd happily let them! Over the age of 8, possibly.

GoblinSharts · 14/08/2018 08:03

A few months ago I was in Clare’s and a small child (about 4) was having her done. She was crying and saying no. Her father was going nuts. Pacing the shop floor and holding his head in his hands. Poor little girl looked terrified and, sadly, ashamed. Her mother was cross. It looks like the shop assistant was refusing until the girl said yes.
Now it could have been that she had been begging for her ears done and they were cross but actually I think they wanted her to get them done. Who knows but good on Clare’s for refusing! Perhaps different for baby’s because they can’t consent!

ghostyslovesheets · 14/08/2018 08:04

Awful story op - but I thought Claire’s always had two assistants doing piercings- one on each side - not one

Original poster
ScottishG · 14/08/2018 08:05

Lisa, atter the ear piercing the group carried the shocked child around the shop whilst they did some browsing. I overheard one of them saying she was 13 months old.

OP posts:
EduCated · 14/08/2018 08:07

13 months is a very specific age. How did you know?

emma2939 · 14/08/2018 08:07

I would be so upset to have witnessed that, I would have had to leave the shop :( I personally think piercings on babies and toddlers look awful aswell. Poor baby I would deffo complain.