Having a baby's ears pierced?

[MumOfOne92]

AIBU to think it's absolutely ridiculous to get a baby's ears pierced?

Each to their own but...

This thread gets repeated sooooooo many bloody times!! Just search through mumsnet and you will find many. Yes some people think it’s cruel and some don’t .....who cares

YABU in some cultures it's considered important. I d9nt see what the problem is. It's not something I would do myself but it's not a permanent thing... it's not as though the child cant remove earrings if they dont want them as an adult.
There are tonnes of cultural choices we make for our children... just because this is not one you would choose doesn't make it wrong.
I certainly think some cultural choices such as circumcision are wrong because they are permanent and so are taking away the childs choice forever...
But when it comes to things that can be rejected or undone by the child as an adult I do not see what the problem is.

@Ribbonsonabox

It is permanent. See whenisnappedandfarted's post above.

@Ribbonsonabox it's permanent.

My friend's still got hers and we're 30 now. My DM had loads up her ear and only wears one set now and the others are still there and she says she hasn't had them in for 20+ years. I had them done and the first one wasn't even so had another one done, the other hole is still there and still hasn't slightly closed up.

I don't think this subject gets enough of an airing on Mumsent.

Do it or don’t
Judge or judge not

As for the comment about that’s how evil starts, thinking ear piercing is treating your child like a possession

Give me a break

Absolutely not. It's abhorrent, completely unnecessary and so tacky.

The thing about ear piercing in young children is that even though they may not cognitively remember the pain, their bodies will. Untreated pain in infancy can lead to a change in pain perception and coping ability down the road.

I'm not crazy about piercing babies' ears, simply because they can be much harder to keep clean and turn properly. We weren't allowed to have pierced ears until we were 11 and could take care of them ourselves.

I th I k it looks cute, especially if they have those stretcher earrings.

Piercing a baby's ears is absolutely disgusting. Just vile.

It's absolutely ridiculous to get anything pierced with a gun. We waited until DD made the decision herself (she was 13).

It is wrong, anyone can choose what they want to do to their own body. Fair play. A baby doesn’t want or need this. Let them reach a stage of understanding and ask for this, whether that’s 8 or 15, depends on the child

Permanent I guess would depend on the individual. I had mine done as a baby and I took them out at sixteen, the holes have grown over and you can't tell at all. Not my cup of tea but couldn't care less what other people choose.

@Mycathatesme tell me you're being sarcastic? You must be joking!

Are people actually comparing something that many people voluntarily do as they get older to FGM? Are they seriously minimising FGM like that?!

Ok you might think piercing ears is the choice of the navy in question,... fair enough... but please stop trying to make it into something horrific.

I got my ears pierced as a baby and glad I did. The rest of the piercings I chose to get were much more uncomfortable seeing as I was old enough to remember them. But it's a cultural thing where my parents are from and most baby girls get their ears pierced.

What I find hilarious is that I genuinely know some people who have wept when their children have had their vaccines but then gone on to have their ears pierced as infants! Total hypocrisy.

@ID81241 the older ones were your choice, great. I’m sure as a baby you didn’t scream or cry for pointless jewellery

I am amazed it’s still legal. You shouldn’t be able to consent to this on behalf of a baby. Once children are old enough to make their own decisions, then fine. I am not sure where the line should be, maybe 8 or so.

YANBU.
It needs to be illegal. It's disgusting.

I have noticed a change about piercing.

When DS1 and DD1 where kids (they are in their twenties) most of girls had their ears pierced and a fair amount of the boys. DS wasnt bothered but DD was and hated that I made her wait until she was 10. She was very unusual in not having them done much younger.

DD4 (DC6) is 7 and not a single child in her year has pierced ears and she has never mentioned it. We live in the same village and she is at the same school the others went to. Of the others, the 17 year old had hers done at 10, the 14 year old DD was never bothered and neither was 13 year old DS.

It looks common/tacky and a sign of maternal ignorance and vanity Also piercings can not only lead to life-long metal allergy but there's a risk of infection and keloid scarring. The child should be old enough to have received their Hepatitis B and tetanus vaccinations - that should tell you something.

Earrings are also a choking hazard.

HerRoyalNotness - agree 100%.
Also ID81241

Comparing it to FGM trivialises FGM in a way that is really very dangerous wrt perceptions of FGM.

Nobody is going to die in childbirth as a result of getting their ears pierced as a baby. Nobody is going to go through life never experiencing sexual pleasure as a result of getting ears pierced as a baby.

A lot of people here need to get a grip.

Can anyone posting about piercing, kids food, kids parties etc post in parenting and not in AIBU!