Poor wee screaming baby forced to get her ears pierced!

[Rumpel]

I heard a wee baby screaming today and passed by Claire's shitey accessories to see a LO of about 12 months, bright red and hysterical having her ears pierced whilst her Mother just stood like a doughball watching. It made me red and and very, very sad.

I think piercing babies ears should be outlawed in this country. No freedom of choice for baby is there?

Not because I think it is chavy (which I do) but because it is not the child's choice, they have more chance of infection, scarring, tearing, hole closing up etc.

The more times you get your ears pierced = the more scar tissue= more complications. I had a client once whose lobes were split into 3 different pieces because of this - please I implore you - let it be your child's choice.

Excuse me......did you read about DH?

As you say....different cultures have different views but my dh was totally messed up as a result of his abuse and basically is lucky to be alive but he's quite offended by what YOU just said!

Dearie dearie me!

Piercing is NOT abuse. I'm sorry looney that your dh is offended by it and I'm sorry for the experiences he has had, but I doubt ear piercing can be related to that in any way shape or form.

It is very crass to accuse others of abuse. It is not a word that should be bandied about so freely.

I would never ever get my children pierced, I have not had it done myself. But I don't claim to tell anyone else what to do. Piercing does not leave mental scars, it does not corrupt a child's childhood. Gross it may be, but comparing it to abuse is ignorant.

looneytunes and

Now get off your high horses and have a group hug!

Go on, you know you all have a lotta love to give - agree to differ and just HUG! Spread the love man.

onebatmother and 3andnomore, I am truly sorry for the "ignorant twat" bit. I just reacted to people calling "idiots" and "cruel" other people, -by extension, my family, friends, etc- and I regret having reacted that way.
I don't mind any disagreement, I just mind the "form", not the content. I think generalising and saying that people who do that to their babies are this and that is tactless, insensitive and ignorant (if you don't know just how widespread this practice is). And it is tactless and insensitive because this forum is used by many people who belong to the cultures that are so openly despised here.
I agree with rhubarb that abuse is being used a little bit loosely in this context.
thank you and goodnight

Hey - a sorry! Now why not all apologise and just hug huh? Surely none of you are too proud to apologise?

You are all lovely so just put away the meat cleavers and if you can't hug, then shake!

lol rhubarb

We all have our opinions about whether ear piercing constitutes mutilation or abuse and these of course are coloured by our backgrounds and experiences. We don't seem to disagree on two main points though: 1) ear piercing hurts
2) it is unecessary in small children.

Please sign the on-line petition using looney's link and searching for ear-piercing if you feel able to. Thanks!

Only read opening post but I agree that it shouldn't be allowed to happen to babies. Apparently when I was a baby I screamed so much after having the first ear pierced I had to be taken back on another day to do the other. I then would cry every time I passed the shop where it had been done. So there's no way I'd put my own baby through some thing so unnecessary.

I've refused to allow DD1 to have hers done until she is old enough to make the decision for herself. I know that either my mum or dad would get it done given half the chance.

piximon - you can use looney's link to find the governement petition if you feel so inclined! Looney can you put the link up again (soz dunno how?!) tar!

PETITION LINK HERE

Thanks Looney!
There are currently 46 signatures on the petition. There needs to be more than 200 before the government will even look at it. Just to emphasise this petition in via the Downing Street website and completely legitimate - incase you are visualising a scrappy bit of paper with some die hard protester attached to it trying to post it through the Prime Minister's door!

mummyofgirls well said what many of us do agree on and apols for distracting from the main point.

onebat - no apol needed. I just want folk to sign the petition!!!!!

Bonita, I really appreciate you apology! And sorry you felt that I behaved like a Twat, but I suppose I do have strong views on this issue.
However, I would still be interested why it's done so early, i.e. what is the thinking behind it?

your not you....can't seem to spell even the simplest words today.

I HATE Claires for this and have seen them do this before. Totally unecessary and cruel. WTF are the parents thinking .

have added my name to the petition
hope it goes through.

3andnomore, thanks for that. I think it is done mainly to distinguish the girls from the boys, although most people do it without thinking why. It is just a tradition. It is considered not to be very distressing or painful for a young baby (according to witnesses I hardly blinked, busy as I was suckling happily, but mind you, mine were done by a doctor with a needle, not a pistol in Claire's and because I was so little I didn't have to be restrained or held down in any way). It's also thought that since girls will usually want to wear earrings at some point, it is better to do the perforation of the earlobes early to avoid adding to any possible pain the recollection of it as well as the recollection of the fear. At 1 month old there is no fear, because there is no "anticipation" of the procedure. In the case of a toddler, there is some understanding of what is going to happen, etc -- more fear, more pain, more trauma. IMO.
Having said that, some people, especially the younger generations are starting to question the practice, but not based on any concerns of child abuse or mutilation, but rebelling against what they consider "branding" of little girls since birth. And TBH I partially agree with that.

Thanks Bonita...I think, you hvae a point about using a canula rather then using the force of a pistol and the bland tip of a earstud....
I had my "normal" holes put in as a young girl and do remember how painful that was, however, a friend of mine did my other holes (have several in my ears, lobes and upper ear) and we cooled the ear first with ice and numbed it and then used a canula...can't recollect any pain.....however, might have been a bit down to the alcohol I consumed beforehand

bUMP

mummyof
new thread not inviting opinion but telling those who don't like it where to find the petition?
bit biz today but will do later if you think it a good idea?

Great idea - I don't know how to do it or I would have done.

Great idea onebat! I'm sure we won't be able to avoid opinion but a catching thread title might just get more folk to sign up rather than having to trawl through many opinions! By the way I do not know the lady whom started the petition, I have never come across the website until I followed Looney's link. I have 2 girls and just feel really strongly about this. I'll leave you to come up with a catchy thread title - I'm rubbish at that sort of thing!