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.

Thirty years ago my mother used to beat me with a bamboo cane when I was naughty (Admitally I wasn't hit very hard). This is now completely and utterly illegal.
Surely ear piercing is more painful to a small child than being tapped with a rod.

I think that body piecing should be made illegal. The cultural arguement is bollocks. Fundamentalist christians are not allowed to beat their kids with a rod when they misbehave even though the Bible supports corporal punishment.

I think the minimum age for any permanent (and arguably, disfiguring) cosmetic procedure, such as piercings and tattoos, should be 16, by which age a person is old enough to fully understand the consequences and make an informed decision.
To perform such procedures on small children is IMO an abuse of power and violates the child's future right to make his/her own choices.

DD (7) has asked me when she can have her ears pierced. I started the bidding at 21. She wanted 8. We eventually compromised on 16. I'd hope she won't want to, even then...

I'd go with 16 aswell 80smum

I took DD with me when I had mine repeirced last year or year before. I have had them done at 10 and then 13 and both times they healed over after several infections. At 30 odd I thought I would try again. DD was about 4 I think. It hurt. It was really sore. It went through scar tissue from previous piercings and it really did hurt. DD saw all this. She still remembers, and now says she won't have hers done ever, not even when she is a 100

What are the cultural reasons though - I genuinely do want to try and understand if there is a religious reason why people would do this to a baby?
When your beautiful baby is placed in your arms and you count each tiny finger and toe, marvel at their eyelashes, smile at their tiny nose, when you get to their gorgeous shell-like ears do you suddenly stop and say ' oh yes, a nice pair of gold studs will look just lovely in those ears!!!'

I agree that just because something is done for 'cultural' reasons does not necessarily make it right. I loathe ear piercings on babies, it is sooo grim. Still hoping someone can explain what the cultural justifications for baby ear piercing are so I can try and understand

earings on women are considered the norm in a socitey. so parents dont want their dd to be the only ones left out. so they pierce their ears for them. they think/feel that the younger this is done, a) they will feel less pain b) they will get so used to them that they wont play with them putll them etc etc, so wont have accidents etc c) it done young enough, the parents will be able to ensure the area is kept clean and sterile and infection free.

it's no different to buying your child similar clothes to everyone else. so for example, if everyione else in school was wearing high street clothes, most parents would send their dc to school in homespun.

Would having a 5yo ears pinned back be an abuse of power, 80smum

I think it looks chavvy on small children tbh. It is also silly putting hoops or ones that can catch on a baby. Not sure if should be banned though. I would let my DD's have it done about 9-10 yrs upwards. I had to wait till about 12 also.

I find it almost laughable that people are comparing a pair of pretty sparkly studs on a child to hitting them with a cane, abusing them, tatooing children, etc. Let's get some perspective!

I haven't got my ears pierced but if my dd wanted hers done as a teenager, I wouldn't have a problem with it as long as she understood about keeping them clean.

As well as the overwhelming tastelessness of small children wearing ear-rings, early ear piercing is linked to nickel allergy which can cause unpleasant rashes and itching.

Child abuse is a bit strong though!

That's a good question Mrs Scavo. When I used the term "cosmetic" procedures, I was referring more to things that are done for reasons of fad or fashion, rather than those done for corrective reasons.
If a child is born with a severe disfigurement, such as cleft lip, or has a milder problem, such as particularly protruding ears or misaligned teeth, then I don't think anyone would object to the parents approving corrective procedures on behalf of the child, as the purpose is to make the child's quality of life better.
Piercing a baby's ears does nothing for his/her quality of life. It is purely for fashion - and that's what I find objectionable. It is not the same as dressing a child in faddy clothes; it is a permanent and potentially disfiguring procedure.

Ear or other piercing is an old tradition often related to status, wealth or as a rite of passage. And afaik gold studs are used not hoops or cheap metal.

"I find it almost laughable that people are comparing a pair of pretty sparkly studs on a child to hitting them with a cane, abusing them, tatooing children, etc. Let's get some perspective! "

It is a matter of taste whether you think bits of metal stuck into flesh look nice.

Have you asked the baby if they think the studs are pretty? Its one thing to pierce the ears of a six year old who can choose to cooperate, its another to pierce the ears of a child who isn't old enough to walk.

If it is so painless, then why do the babies scream? Why is it necessary to pin down a toddler to pierce their ears? I expect the poor baby is terrified as it has no idea what is happening.

There is the potential for the ears to get infected and cause the child more unnecessary pain. A baby cannot to consent. Unlike immunisations or an operation there is no medical benefit.

What the original poster described is outright child abuse.

Babies and toddlers scream because they don't understand what is going on, and it must be pretty scary. In my posts, I have been referring to my children who had theirs done age 4. They didn't scream. They wanted it done. I didn't hold them down and they were warned it may hurt. And yes, it does look pretty and they are really pleased with their earings.

I read recently that in just one hospital (edinburgh I think) they see a child a week with infections due to piercings, mainly because gold wasn't used. I would never use Claires when my daughter finally gets hers done because they don't always use gold and also when I was younger no jeweller would pierce a child under 3, whereas Clares are quite happy to do babies.

It should be banned, it always makes me want to cringe when I see young girls with piercings

In Claires, you chose the earings you want your child to have. I would personally not go for the cheap option in this choice, as it is irresponsible to not use gold (I think some kind of steel is OK too, but not sure). If you are going to let your children have it done, get it done properly and keep the ears clean.

I think that ear piercing is supposed to have health giving/acupunctural benefits? It is one of the Hindu ceremonies to welcome a child into society? Less painful than circumcising little boys I would imagine.

But if Claires are letting people have their ears peiced with non gold earings, surely they are being iresponsible?

But if Claires are letting people have their ears peiced with non gold earings, surely they are being iresponsible?

I agree with you there, but as parents it is down to us to be responsible, as you can't trust others to be.

Waiting for posts telling me how irresponsible I am to let DDs have ears pierced...

I think it partly depends on what cultural point you are looking at it from - some happily pierce children's ears and others recoil from it as being unnatural.

FWIW, some people see circumcision as assualt if it was done to a man as a baby. Can't regrow a foreskin as easily as holes can be neglected and close up...