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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think piercing of childrens ears should be banned

404 replies

lucyellensmum · 26/06/2007 18:57

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.

OP posts:
MarshaBrady · 26/06/2007 21:36

Think there should be a minimum age, I never had mine done, but am sure it hurts like hell? more worried about how much it hurts and a baby cant understand why than how it looks
(even though not partial to that either)

Rachmumoftwo · 26/06/2007 21:38

When my 2 had theirs done, on different occasions, I warned them it would hurt. I don't think it did, as I mentioned earlier, neither child even flinched. It may have been because they were so determined to have it done. I think it is underestimating 4/5 years olds to say they won't understand enough to make the choice. My children did.

divastrop · 26/06/2007 21:40

i think theres a slight difference between making an informed choice for your baby to have immunisations which will prevent them catching serious illnesses,and having your baby's ears pierced just because you think it looks nice

divastrop · 26/06/2007 21:41

rachmumof2-i agree a 4/5 year old can understand that ear piercing will hurt.i jsy have a problem with babies/toddlers having it done.

Hulababy · 26/06/2007 21:41

skay - to me innoculations ARE necessary. They prevent (or should) my daughter from getting potentially dangerous illness. There is a benefit to my daughter from having those vaccinations.

An earing in either ear has NO benefits to the child at all. It is simply not the same as vaccinations and is not comparable at all!

Original poster
lucyellensmum · 26/06/2007 21:42

i do think it looks tacky tbh, and i hate to say this, cos i am going to get jumped on and beaten but, for some people, isnt the whole point of jewlery and make up to make themselves look sexually attractive.. hardly appropriate on a three year old. But its the pain and risk of infection that i have a problem with so my thoughts are when i see babies and toddlers with peircings are, blimey, your mummy thought it was ok to hurt you that much, just so you can wear earrings.

OP posts:
essbeehindyou · 26/06/2007 21:45

Message withdrawn

TheMuppet · 26/06/2007 21:46

I don't agree with it on young children and certainly wouldn't do it to any of my children

cylonbabe · 26/06/2007 21:47

calling ear piercing of a child 'abuse' is a bit strong......
i personally wont get my dd's ears done till she is old enough to ask for it, i'm expecting it around ten or eleven. but she is only four right now, and qutie happy weith her little stick on diamonds.
i was six when our parent shad ours doen. i'm really really really glad mom did it then. it means i have the oppurtunity to wear earings now. because i am such a wuss, i wouldnt ever go and get them done.
and lets face it, in our society pierced ears are perfectly normal and even expected in women.
men and boys on the other hand???????????? ds's will have to wait till they are legal adults if they want theirs done! unashamedlyl sexist here.

Aloha · 26/06/2007 21:47

I really dislike the idea of small children having any kind of piercing - it hurts, for a start, but what age would you ban it until?

geekgirl · 26/06/2007 21:50

it doesn't really hurt that much though IMHO - had my ears pierced earlier this year and it barely hurt, the anticipation was much worse. My ear lobes just felt a bit hot for a day and that was it.

And if we're going to ban ear piercing, wouldn't it make much more sense to ban high heels on small children? Just think of the amount of orthotic problems these girls are being set up for - shortened tendons, bunions, deformed feet etc. - much more harmful than a pierced ear. (I would get my children's ears pierced btw because I think they look fine as they are)

Menarefrommars · 26/06/2007 21:52

Nasty nasty nasty. Saw a beautiful little girl in Asda the other day (prob about 6 months) with diamond earrings.

Why?? Why would you do that to your child?? It's a child not a p*ssing accessory for you to play with!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

geekgirl · 26/06/2007 21:53

what about little babies in stiff denim jeans? also more unpleasant than a pierced ear.

IcingOnTheCake · 26/06/2007 21:53

6 mths is a bit young.

Rachmumoftwo · 26/06/2007 21:53

I'm not convinced earings are directly linked to being sexually attractive. I think they look pretty, not precocious (if that's how you spell it).

Hulababy · 26/06/2007 21:53

I agree that high hels on little ones are not nice either, and definitely not necessary. I struggled to get 5yo DD some party shoes in Next last weekend as they all had heels! I was appalled. I just wanted little girl's pretty shoes.

DD has had one pair of heeled shoes - her ballroom dance shoes, which she wore for 30 minutes or so a week. But that was a very specific style and for a very specific reason.

Hulababy · 26/06/2007 21:54

Not sure I agree there though geekgirl. The baby denims I have seen in shops have always been very soft material, nothing like the denim they have for older children and babies.

cylonbabe · 26/06/2007 21:56

i've seen some pretty nasty cheap stuff on sale for babies. andi've seen people put their babies in it.
just because someone pietrcs their childs ears doesnt mean they are bad parents. it just means they have different ideas to many here on mn.

Genidef · 26/06/2007 21:57

nasty but I am another hypocrite (sp?)- had it done at seven (after a good deal of nagging) but was only allowed to have small gold studs for years.

my mother is now really sensitive about having let me have it done: "It was in line with your peer group!!!"

mumto3girls · 26/06/2007 21:58

Skay - why do you want it done before your daughter can decide for herself?

Rachmumoftwo · 26/06/2007 21:58

If we were all the same MN would be a bit boring IMO.

mumto3girls · 26/06/2007 22:01

Thats true, but I'm just interested in people's reasoning?

Would you for instance tattoo a baby if you thought it looked cute?

divastrop · 26/06/2007 22:01

i had my ears pierced when i was 6.it was my own choice,and it didnt hurt IMO(but i do have a high pain threshold and have never been bothered by injections,either).

i just really cant understand somebody doing it to a baby who is too young to say 'i dont want my ears pierced ',just because they think it looks nice?!

lillochum · 26/06/2007 22:01

Personally I think any kind of permanent-type "beautifications" should be left until your child is adult, and can choose these things for themselves. I appreciate the holes in your ears can close up, but the messages here seem to say that the younger you do it the less likely that is to happen. I think it makes a good "coming of age" rite - I chose to have mine done when I was 16 (and I thought it was pretty painful). Having said that none of my children are badgering me to have their ears pierced....yet! (Eldest is coming up 9yrs).

UnquietDad · 26/06/2007 22:04

You're perfectly reasonable. I think it looks horrific.

is this a "popcorn" subject? I hadn't realised.

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