To think that babies with pierced ears is not a good idea?

[Blackbootswithredribbons]

I wouldn't trust a baby to not fiddle with their earrings, cleaning might be a difficult etc. And then there's the whole business of an infant not being able to say whether or not they want them done, the pain and having to hold a squirmy baby still while it's done.
I also cannot fathom a single reason to pierce a baby tbh, when they're old enough to fully weigh the risks and benefits, that's old enough.
What are your thoughts on this?

@cherry2727

It's a cultural practice where I'm from op! I don't have a girl so won't have to make that decision luckily but I don't see it any different to people choosing to post baby pics of their kids online without their kid's consent. I certainly wouldn't judge someone as "chavy" either! I think there are bigger issues which would turn my head but then again I am from a place where it is widely acceptable so of course it a bias opinion!

You don't see punching holes in someone's body without their permission, as any different to posting photos of them?

Are you serious?

I went to a posh restaurant once where we got mushroom flavoured popcorn.

@Blackbootswithredribbons

I agree that children should not have pierced ears until say, 8 or 9 years old. Can you start a breastfeeding thread next?

A piercer won't do it with a needle until 16. The safer and more hygienic way to do it.

As it's done with a gun, with poorer materials by lesser trained people on minors who can it consent to the entirely cosmetic procedure ... I am against it entirely.

@Porcupineintherough- is there a significant reason in your culture for piercings?

Just curious- no judgment.

Also the whole consent argument isn't a strong one in my books. Surely as a parent you are entrusted to make the right decision for your kids ? Of course kids cant give consent to have their ears pierced but neither do they for a long list of other things like getting vaccinated. Surely not every vaccinated child grows up to be pro vaccine ? Why make such decisions for them?

@Shiningpath

I’m so glad you’ve raised this issue OP. It’s something that isn’t discussed enough on Mumsnet.

🤣🤣🤣

It’s just earrings. It’s not that important. Some people pierce their baby’s ears for cultural reasons and those people should be respected. The UK is about the only country in the world where people get hysterical about ear piercing. Yet we have a problem with obese kids that counties other than the US don’t have 🤷🏻‍♀️

@MarthaFokker you view it as punching holes- in my culture we don't!

A piercer won't do it with a needle until 16.

That only applies in Scotland. In England and Wales it's at the discretion of the piercing studio.

@LinuxPenguinPCnerd

A piercer won't do it with a needle until 16. The safer and more hygienic way to do it.

As it's done with a gun, with poorer materials by lesser trained people on minors who can it consent to the entirely cosmetic procedure ... I am against it entirely.

A lot of piercers I know usually do earlobes with needles from 14 with parental consent.

@Rua13

It's common in certain cultures eg India.

Does this make it ok? All the reasons for it being a bad idea still apply.

@phrow

Some parents do not mind that they are subjecting their children to a minor surgical procedure, to which they are unable to consent, in full view of the High Street.

Other parents do mind, so they wait until it something that the child understands, agrees to and is taken to a professional to perform the procedure.

My daughter is not getting her ears pierced until she is at least ten, she can tell me I'm the meanest mummy ever, but it's not a battle she will win.

So you're not giving her autonomy then?

Are there any statistics which prove that this outrageous act is an impediment to a child's development, future , education etc or is it just a practise which
most English people tend to turn their nose down at? I'm genuinely interested in the long term effects of this act. Where I'm from we do pierce babies ears but strongly against women drinking alcohol when pregnant- which tends to be acceptable in the UK. Isn't it just cultural differences??

Me and my sisters all had our ears pierced when tiny babies back in the 70s and 80s. We're of West African heritage.
My mum wanted to know when I was piercing my DD's ears when she was a few months old. So, "everyone will know she's a girl!"

@thebellsesmereldathebells

I think there needs to come a point when "it's part of my culture" doesn't cut it. There are many traditional cultural practices which can't happen in the UK because they are in conflict with our standards for human rights and child welfare.

Having holes made in your baby should surely fall into this category. I STILL haven't seen anybody actually try to engage with the question of how it is acceptable to perform a procedure on someone who is too young to consent to it, when there are NO behefits to that person and there are both risks and pain involved in performing it.

This. Completely.

WHY do people do it?

Imagine if your DP declared this evening they wanted to get a part of your body pierced for no good reason whatsoever except "cultural norm". It will only hurt for a few minutes.

How many of us would be up for that?

Personally I don't give a fuck about 'culture' !!

Body modification is something that the 'body' itself needs to choose .

Nothing more
Nothing less

Maria Tash will pierce with a needle from 8.

@Itsbackagain

I don't subscribe to the 'not able to give consent' beliefs at all - up to parents how they raise their child. I don't like it but if it's not my child my opinion isn't relevant.

At what point does a child have bodily autonomy?

It's been done to death but hey ho.
Ultimately it doesn't really matter what you think. You decide for your kids and I decide for mine.

We all make various decisions for our kids and ear piercing is far from being one the riskier / more problematic decision a parent can make. The pain element is a red herring. Done properly it's quickly done. A baby is likely to suffer more harm from say being left to cry to sleep for instance. Or being away from his mum/dad when mum/dad goes back to work (there are studies suggesting children should stay with their primary care giver until they're 3). Or being formula fed (there are inherent risks with that though formula is absolutely fantastic when needed and should be used. But as a choice it can be argued that it is not the choice that benefits baby who may have stomach pains, be possibly sick more often etc). Or overusing some of the toys initially meant for physical development (walker, bumbo seat etc). Or being put in front of a screen too early/too long.

Ultimately in the grand scheme of things it is pretty small and insignificant.

I did my girls' when they were 18months. It was done properly (needle) and there is a cultural aspect to it for us. I never regretted it and neither did they. Easier to do it early and have it heal fully and completely before school.

Ultimately I am sure my kids will find a lot of things to criticise in my parenting when the time comes but I am also confident that this will not be one of the issues raised.

[quote cherry2727]@MarthaFokker you view it as punching holes- in my culture we don't! [/quote]
What do you view it as then? Do you not put holes in their ears?

How do the earrings stay in?

@Chasingaftermidnight

I went to a posh restaurant once where we got mushroom flavoured popcorn.

Ooh, now that is interesting. I've only ever eaten salty and sweet. I need to be more adventurous with my popcorn.

Where I'm from we do pierce babies ears but strongly against women drinking alcohol when pregnant- which tends to be acceptable in the UK. Isn't it just cultural differences??

I don’t think drinking in pregnancy is viewed as acceptable in the UK at all.

@SickAndTiredAgain

Where I'm from we do pierce babies ears but strongly against women drinking alcohol when pregnant- which tends to be acceptable in the UK. Isn't it just cultural differences??

I don’t think drinking in pregnancy is viewed as acceptable in the UK at all.

It's really not acceptable and I think that poster knows it only too well. There's really no excuse for parents to punch holes in their kids to decorate them and no amount of clutching at straws will change that.