to think piercing of childrens ears should be banned

[lucyellensmum]

why why why would anyone want to do this to a three year old????? I went to a childrens party at the weekend, there was a lovely little girl there with the most awful blingy "diamond" earings pulling her ears down - ear piercing hurts, it is tantamount to child abuse IMO.

what is it all about giving a little boy an earing??

I don't like seeing babies, toddlers and other quite small children with their ears pierced since they clearly haven't chosen to have it done themselves. Our daughter is due in September and we will not be allowing her to have her ears pierced until she is at least in secondary school and is mature enough to deal with them, keep them clean etc. I was allowed mine done when I was eight but I think that was too young really.

I think it's horrible too. I know that's probably horribly middle class and snobby of me, but I think it's awful.

As for other cultures, maybe. But if they see themselves as part of British culture, then no.

I don't think it's quite abuse but I do really question the parents motives.

I think it's really mean to cause a baby/child to suffer just to do something that you think looks nice - it's not!

NDP - I know what you mean.

Just adding another side to the discussion!

Heavy earrings and babies = no for me.

My dds wanted theirs done....both were 5...

both kept them in 'till last year, and haven't worn them since.

Experienced a fair amount of resistance from family members.
My dad made me wait till i was eleven...by time i was 21, i had 13 piercings.

Ooh - I shall sit in a corner and watch here - dd (9yr) is currently hassling about getting her ears done, and at times it is hard to resist. I had to wait until I was 14, and had planned a similar age for her, but when faced with the dejected one dragging herself upstairs because yet another of her friends had had their ears peirced, I do find myself wavering.
So far I have fended her off saying that while ds was young there was too much risk of her earrings getting pulled out. But he is 4 now and that excuse is slightly running out of mileage.

what a croc of shit you load of mddle clas hippies- go get yer tie die withyer popcorn yo cowards.

My grandmother wanted to have my ears pierced as a 'christening present' to which my dad, quite rightly, said 'not on your life!'
So my grandmother/mother did it anyway...
I think i was about 3-6 months.
As a consequence i have never really been a fan of earings, I can go for months/years without wearing any and the hole never closes (I'm 31 now so I don't think it ever will)
I couldn't make an informed decision about what was done to me, let's face it you wouldn't tattoo a child so why do this?
And i've certainly never heard of baby asking to have their ears pierced!!

You're probably being unreasonable.

It's naff, but if you ban ear-piercing then you'd have to ban circumcision.

Not abuse but not something I'd let dd have done. She's been pestering me for over a year now and she can pester me for another few. It didn't help my arguement when her half sister (1yo) got hers done for her 1st birthday WTF?....like she asked, tut, tut!

Definately don't agree with babies or toddlers having it done because the parents think it's cool but when they're older and whinging, parents choice.

...we didn't make big issue about it.
They had it done....novelty wore off...they chose not to wear them

you got in before me muppetgirl. totally agree.

hasn't this already been done?

my dd had her ears done when she was a year old, i thought it would be better for her to have them done early rather than have to go through it when she was older, in hindsight, i was probably wrong but parenting is a learning curve and i didn't have mumsnet to guide me back then

Several times J20.

Both my Dd's had theirs done at around 3, can't remember exact age. Never had any problems with either.

I think it is a safety issue too, as it is with ANY jewelry on small children, regards to getting it pulled off!

I saw this pretty little baby girl, in this lovely pink outfit, maybe just 8 months old, at least not more than a year old, with big round gold studs, and two gold chains around her neck. Silly and totally unsafe.

Can't bear seeing babies in Claires window screaming their heads off having their ears pierced, while all the families stand around grinning.

DD will probably have hers done this year when she is 10, old enough to understand and look after them.
I am half cypriot and my godfather bought me some beautiful earing for my christening, but my welsh mum refused point blank to have my ears pierced despite the pressure from the in laws. I was 13 when I finally had them pierced,

I was coming to say the same thing Squirrel.

Should also add that mine were done when I was 2, and neither me or my dd's have ever had any accidents involving their earrings. They are allowed to wear studs and studs only.

But surely it's ok if it distracts attention from their big nose?

(sorry, reference to a Friends episode, not serious.)

No problem if they are asking for it and understand that it may hurtand they have to clean them etc.. So I think its fine at around 6 or 7 really, its not that big a deal

I really dilike piercings on young children and babies, and can think of no reason why it is necessary to do it to them.

I would say at the very earliest the summer between primary and secondary school - so 11, but ideally as late as possible.