To physically restrain DD6

[Earringsallstuck]

I'm horrified to have typed that.

She had her ears pierced last month and one of them is infected. It's getting worse and she won't let me clean it, just screams hysterically and flails so I can't get at her.

It doesn't hurt; she has told me so. But she's scared to touch it herself or have me touch it.

I am using antiseptic spray on it which is hopefully helping, but it's starting to look really grim.

WIBU to physically restrain her so that her dad can clean her ear? And if not, what the hell should I do? She's a very sensitive child and I don't want to lose her trust but we have to do something soon.

And for anyone who says that we should never have got her ears pierced, I certainly did it against my better judgement and am now thoroughly regretting it.

Professionals use needles. Very few professionals would pierce a 6-year-old.

Professionals use needles. Very few professionals would pierce a 6-year-old.

It happens.

This is exactly the sort of thing I was worried about happening when my 2yo niece came running in with freshly pierced ears. I might forward this thread actually in the hope her mother takes the stupid things out and leaves them out. 2yo indeed.

I hope your DD is OK OP. You've done the right thing in taking her to the hospital. Don't beat yourself up any further, what's done is done.

Egg cup with surgical spirit or tcp in it ? Let her dunk her ear in it

She needs antibiotics. Please see your GP. You MAY be able to save the piercing if the AB kick in quickly.

Very, very rare! There is a reason it's the majority who won't. It takes 5 minutes of research to figure this out.

I assumed the op went to Claires or a hairdressers for this type of service and aftercare.

I’ll be judgey on a public forum and agree with others, 6 year olds don’t need pierced ears do they, why are you all trying to be your kids best mate instead of a parent?

Hope your daughter is doing ok op. Glad you are being seen.

@Sometimeswinning

I don't need to to research to know that piercers do ears on 6 year olds sometimes!

Yes, but they offer proper aftercare where you come back to have the bars changed and are free to call in if you're worried about anything. Claire's just sells you a bottle of lotion and waves you goodbye.

Hope she’s ok OP, bless her

That's great and all but I just said OP hadn't said where they were done. Didn't want to get into a debate but people laying into OP for getting a gun piercing without OP clarifying is just shit behaviour when OP DD is unwell

Good luck Op hope she's okay

A girl at my school got an infected ear piercing. We were teenagers. I don't know why her parents didnt get medical attention sooner. It turned into a running sore down her neck and left quite a bit of scarring. It put me off for life. My mother never really approved of ear piercing but told me I could get them done and was surprised when I said I didn't want them pierced. (I suppose she thought I might want to fit in or something at 15.)

Well, seeing as the OP posted on Mumsnet for advice instead of asking the piercer, it's not a stretch to think asking the piercer wasn't an option. But maybe you're right, maybe she did get it done professionally then just chose to not get advice and instead watched it fester until it sent her daughter to hospital.

Gosh, poor little thing. And not much of a fun Saturday night for you either. Hope it gets sorted.

Hope she feels better soon

You've done the right thing and you're in the right place. Best wishes. ((hug))

@BadNomad

It's possible either way. I don't know. What I do know is OP left it longer than she should have done to seek help, be it from a piercer or a medic

Have you done a Covid test?

@CheshireCat1

And why would she need to do a covid test when her priority is just getting to the hospital with her daughter? There’s more going on in the world now than covid. Ffs.

It's Friday!!

I meant research having your child's ears pierced. I didn't. My 6 year old suffered because of it. A quick £30 at clairs. Plus a solution. Plus an infection. No aftercare and constantly having to find the smallest, bloody hole. A professional, trained piercer will not do your child's ears at 6. Their lobes are tiny!!

I dont judge anyone who made my stupid mistake. I definitely judge idiots who refuse to give a bit of time to check it out.

As a word of reassurance op. When I was 16 (more than 40 years ago) a local hairdresser started piercing ears with a gun. Quick, easy, lemon squeeze. All my friends went
.
My mother put her foot down and wouldn't let me. At the time I was dating the son of the local GP. He pierced my ears. I sat on his desk, got a squirtnof something cold on each lobe and he did it with a stitching needle with a retainer held behind the ear and put in a sleeper.

I used surgical spirit judiciously. All my friends were fine. My ears went septic. Bloody awful mess.

I am allergic to gold, less than 22ct in my ears. Even allergic to surgical steel. Silver is OK. Even now if I wear a cheap earring my ears start weeping within hours.

DS went to the piercing parlour at about 16 and got a cartilage piercing. Never healed, ended up with an infection behind it. DD did similarly. No problems at all.

There's blame and there's nature.

I hope she feels better soon.

I wish the judge brigade would separate their moral/ethical position from science.

Goodness well I have missed a lot.

The doctor checked her over and it turns out that she actually has a throat infection and it's just coincidental that it happened at the same time as the ear. He's prescribed antibiotics, and very kindly cleaned up her ear (and yes she kept still for him!) and told us to take the earrings out.

The piercing was done with a gun, and I'm afraid I knew no better as I've never had my own done. A lot of DD's friends have them done with no apparent ill effects, so stupidly I believed it would be okay. I do take issue with the posters who said I did it to be her to friend, or left it to fester or whatever. I'm just a parent who made a mistake and then got it sorted out as quickly as I could. But if it makes the sneery posters feel clever and superior, then I'm glad my daughter's infection gave you your moment to shine.

Thanks to everyone who posted with genuine advice and well wishes. Daughter is clean-eared and fast asleep so looks like the worst is over!

The symptoms could be Covid related and if she does go to the hospital there are vulnerable people there.