To think there should be a minimum age limit on ear piercing

[Forthepurposesofthetape]

Was in a well known accessories shop yesterday and witnesses a mum getting her child's ears pierced. The child could have only have been about a year old and screamed the place down. She was so distressed. I really don't understand why it's necessary to do it at that age, it seems so unnecessarily cruel!

I think they should be teenagers . Old enough to decide and to look after them .
Also at that age they will know it hurts a bit and their choice

My daughter had her ears pierced at 2.5 and she didn't even cry. (At Claire's)
They were amazing with her and asked her whether she wanted earrings, I explained it would hurt and she amazed me by not crying.

The younger the better as they are less likely to touch the ears and get them infected. I have never cleaned her ears and they have been perfectly fine. She is 5 now and loves changing her earrings for party.

P.s we are not a 'chavy' family. We are a well educated non English family. I love my earrings and change mind everyday. I have worn earrings since I was 3 months old. Earrings are very special in my culture.

I think I was 5 when I had mine done.

I remember I was desperate to have them done, I asked my mum for what seemed like forever to have them done, and she let me have them done the day I broke up from reception. I don’t remember it hurting, I just remember being thrilled to be honest.

I wouldn’t pierce a babies ears though. I think I’d follow the lead of my child, if they wanted them done, and they had wanted them for a while, and could clean them themselves, even with my help, I’d allow it.

No it's not, it is for vanity purposes in the western world.
Many cultures believe it acts as a form of "acupuncture" or as I said above about religious rituals.
Some also as a rite of passage for a baby girl to have her ears pierced.
If you ask any westerner who pierced their baby's ears, I doubt it would be anything but vanity or fashion statement.

Yup. Superdrug have started this shit too now

16 is about right.

No it's not, it is for vanity purposes in the western world.

Well it's traditional in Spain for one. The 'western world' encompasses many different cultures. But if we're talking about the UK then yes, vanity reasons. But why does it matter. The baby doesn't know the reasoning behind being pierced and again, cannot consent to it.
yet some may look down at the "western culture" for things we see as totally normal.
People look down on all sorts of stuff and they can do. I'm not looking down on people but just being consistent with my views on bodily autonomy.

I thought the minimum age was older than 12 months in Claires.

Having said that for me it is cultural and if that's not your culture, you won't have the understanding.

I had my ears pierced around 4-6 weeks old, same as my mum and the same with my nieces.

It's the same as male circumcision. Some people think it's brutal, but it's part of my culture.

You can have your opinion on it, but that doesn't make it wrong.

Sadly where I’m from girls have their ears pierced and boys have healthy parts of their body removed without pain relief, just because something is a custom it doesn’t mean it isn’t cruel or barbaric. Personally my sons needs and welfare will alway be more important than any custom.

What are the cultural reasons? Why can no-one answer this question? Being a "rite of passage" is IMO not a valid reason.

We make all sorts of decisions for our kids for various reasons

Absolutely.

Including the type of food we give them and the clothes they were.

In America they put fake tan on little girls and OTT hairstyles in beauty pageants. I'm not fussed on it and do think it can look ridiculous at times, but that's their choice.

If the practice of ear piercing at a young age was considered harmful, it would not be allowed in the UK in 2019, in a time where health and safety and child protection laws are priorities.

In my culture little girls also have their hair braided from a young age, which some may not agree with. My DDs headteacher was one of them, until I informed her that this was part of our culture and if she wanted to challenge it I'd be taking it further. She didnt say another word on the matter after that.

Circumcision is wrong if human males were meant to be born without a foreskin they would be. You know that thing called evolution, it would have taken care of it.

Then there is fgm it's a cultural thing but good god not acceptable. So is stoning someone to death for being gay all bloody cultural all bloody wrong.

Indoctrination is what you need to be looking up if you are so convinced it is ok to inflict pain on a child unable to understand or consent for aesthetic reasons.

Sandy what you list other than the piercing is not inflicting pain unless you are force feeding shite like coke and sweets or a bloody whole scotch bonnet to your child from weaning.

I don't agree with pageants either but that's mental and emotional abuse on children forcing them to believe there self worth is only in their looks and ability to shimmy with some swim wear on.

I’m from Nothern Indian heritage. I’ve seen young girls in my circles who have had it done - I’ve asked why but never given a reason just think it’s what is acceptable.

Personally I won’t get my kids done until they’re at least 10 and then has to be their choice.

It is sad to see very small girls with ears pierced as it must have been very painful. I still remember mine I think I was 11 or 12. My great grandmother said in India they do it with a hot needle. I remember the gun hurting a lot.

TapasForTwo

What are the cultural reasons? Why can no-one answer this question? Being a "rite of passage" is IMO not a valid reason

There is no acceptable answer to this question, which is why it is never answered.

The best you'll get is someone saying every female in their family had it done at 3 weeks old.

As if that is an acceptable reason.

I would also ask anyone willing to pierce a baby's ears if they would consider piercing a child's navel or nipples acceptable?

And if not, why not? After all, a hole in the body is a hole in the body, regardless of where it is.

I judge people who do this harshly, and that includes my own sister who pierced my nieces ears when she was a baby. My sister now admits she regrets it, and had waited until my niece was old enough to make her own decision about whether to put holes in her body or not.

All the women in my family are alcoholics by my age does that make it ok if I just go and start sticking spirits in my morning brew? It's the done thing you know.

Ah it's the lack of thought process applied by most that destroys my faith in humanity.

I would also ask anyone willing to pierce a baby's ears if they would consider piercing a child's navel or nipples acceptable?

For me this isn’t a good way to argue against piercing a baby’s ears because the sites simply aren’t comparable (and one is covered by an age restriction anyway).

Just to clarify I’m completely against piercings a baby’s ears, but the act of ear piercing should be enough to discuss without other non-related piercings being used as a comparison.

JacquesHammer

I understand what you're saying. I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that physically a hole in the ear and a hole in the navel is still a hole in the body. One is just considered more appropriate and normal than the other. You're still punching a needle through skin without consent (if it's a baby) for non medical reasons.

You're still punching a needle through skin without consent (if it's a baby) for non medical reasons

That to me is all that’s needed to be said against piercing - I agree with you totally.

The thing about lobes is they’re unlike anywhere else on the body in terms of ease of piercing, pain level and healing time. I would imagine somewhere along the line their immediate visibility together with the quick healing time had some bearing on why they became so popular to pierce.

I'm very laid back about my kids deciding what to do in terms of hair cuts etc - but ear piercing will wait until they decide to start asking about getting it done - I'm not going to force it onto them.

So far the 7 year old has no interest in it, and the 6 year olds interest was just looking at everything sparkly in the jewellery shop with Grandma the other day - and then buying a necklace.

Surprised my eldest hasn't started asking since her best friend has hers done to be honest. I'm happy to hold off as long as possible because there's a lot of issues with jewellery allergies in our family.

No! This isn't China ffs.

Eh?

When you start comparing this to being an alcoholic you've lost any semblance of a point.

Being an alcoholic is damaging to your health and has an age restriction. Having my ears pierced as a baby hasn't done any damage to anyone in my family.

I don't agree with pageants either but that's mental and emotional abuse on children forcing them to believe there self worth is only in their looks and ability to shimmy with some swim wear on.

Yet many pageant kids, now adults say they loved it and it gave them confidence.

The pain of ear piercing isn't anything more painful than an injection for a baby.

My DDs pretty much had the same reaction with both.

Ear piercing is not brutality, child abuse or assault as people are trying to say here. You can disagree with it and chose not to do it for your child, but you're never going to get any laws passed over it.

Other ethnicities are entitled to maintain their traditions when in the UK.... where those traditions are unlawful, for example forced marriage, shariah law or FGM, then you can expect to be dealt with by the full force of the law.

So for the many (and others have this same view globally) that argue the case, are you trying to say that child welfare/protection experts such as social workers, doctors, psychologists and child development workers have just ignored how life damaging and abusive ear piercing is at an early age? That their education and attainment has ignored something so very critical! Seriously... you just need to put it into perspective and make the choices you feel are right for your child, without being so judgemental.

People from my country of origin are sometimes amazed, that you can have child after child in the UK and depend on the welfare system to house and feed them.... that your lack of financial resources are limiting your child from day 1.
They make a judgement on your parenting for bringing a child into a life on the breadline which has a lifelong impact for your children, not a few seconds of crying.

So while you feel free to judge and I totally accept it's human nature to do so, accept that others could also take a dim view of your parenting choices too.