When did your DDs get their ears pierced?

[Sundaydress]

I have a one year old DD born in UK where we live.

Dh is from a country where baby girls get their ears pierced pretty much at birth - I think hospitals there even offer to pierce their ears as part of post birth services!!!!

I'm totally against this and so is DH (he's lived many years in UK) its treating baby girls like objects to decorate and not letting them choose if they want it or not. Also could be a choking hazard.

We're visiting family in his country later in the year and one of the aunts is already talking about how she'll pierce babies ears as she's a qualified nurse!!!

I've explained on Facetime that it's not what we do over here and we don't pierce baby girls ears at such a young age etc but don't think the message is getting through. I'll have to be extremely clear when we arrive but it's clearly so ingrained in their way of doing things.

I know I'm not BU to avoid piercing her ears but it's got me thinking about what age is the right age? Baby/ toddler is far too young imo

I was thinking that when DD is old enough to decide for herself - maybe 12? I think i was 10 when i had mine done but I remember I had a friend whose father was very strict and acted like it was the same as getting a tattoo so she wasn't allowed until she was 16.

I was 9 or 10. When you do I would really really strongly recommend getting them done at an AP approved piercer who will pierce with a needle. It's significantly safer and less painful, and they will use good quality jewellery. Using a piercing gun forces a semi sharp object through the ear at force and is more traumatic to heal, less sanitary (as you cannot autoclave a piercing gun),the earring won't allow room for swelling and will be lower quality.

Personally I wouldn't pierce a child's ears until they 1) ask for it themselves and 2) are able to look after their piercings themselves aka cleaning twice a day, not touching/fiddling.

While lobe piercings are a minor piercing that can in theory close up, they are still a body modification that I wouldn't do on a person who couldn't consent fully

My DD is 8. She’s been asking for a couple of years but I’m not keen to be honest. Lots of the girls in her class have had it done so I might let her have it done during this summer holiday if her dad agrees.

My daughter was 12 I think. She had 1st and 2nds done at the same time. She was only allowed them done when she was old enough to know she had to be responsible of cleaning them

Mine were both 11 - the day they left primary.

Oldest is now 16 has 3x ears, then septum done at 14 and helix and nose done at 16.

Youngest is 12, she has 2 ears and will have belly button done on 13th birthday and 3rd ears at the start of summer holidays.

I'm quite relaxed on piercings - I had a ton and did many myself with a needle so I would rather take them to get done properly.

Dd2 had hers done when she was about 10, they closed up and she had them redone when she was about 12? She's just has her 2nd lobes done at 14. Dd1 had hers done when she was 19.

My girls had theirs done in the summer between years 1 and 2, so they were nearly 7yo.

It was their choice, but it was a very good age because they were happy for me to check and clean, and came to me if it hurt. At least a couple of their friends who had it done at 10/11yo ended up on antibiotics and having them cut off in A&E because when it started hurting they hid it from parents because they wanted to keep them in, so it got worse.

For her 13th birthday

DD is 10 and I've said she can have them done in the summer holidays.

I got mine done when I was 10 but DD at 6 begged and beseeched and I finally relented when she was 8.

I think the best age for pierced ears is when they're old enough to clean and care for them independently.

DD was 11. January of year 6.
I wanted to make sure they had plenty of time to heal before she started secondary school in PE the following Sept.

Secondary PE teachers are a lot less tolerant than year 6 primary teachers and she'd have risked an infection doing it the summer and having to take them out in class.

Absolutely not ! I think if and when the child wants their ears pierced then decide. I was 13 but that was a long time ago !

Mine all had theirs done in the summer holiday before going to secondary, so they were all 10/11.

My daughter had her first hole at 4 and the second hole at 9. I honestly don't really see why people get their knickers in a twist about it all. Waiting till their 16 etc, if they want it done then what's the problem? It's just earrings

My eldest was 10 when she decided she wanted hers done. And my youngest is almost 5 and she chose to get them done last weekend. I've never liked them on small children but I always said when they asked and understood what it meant and knew it would be painful and need upkeep and care then that's up to them. Obviously we help the little one do the cleaning but she knows it needs doing twice a day and she's so happy with them x

I was 7 or so. One of the first of my school class to have it done lol. I was so chuffed! This was way back in the 70s lol. They’re still there now. I had some more added over the years but stopped using them as I got older. My sister was 5.

my own girls were 6 and 8. When they asked.

my little ones I care for, the 5 year old has been asking for ages, since her best friend had hers done. I’m contemplating having them done at start of summer holidays.

DD had hers done after school on the last day of year 7 (so she was 12). That meant they were healed by the start of year 8. Her school didn’t allow earrings of any kind to be worn and I totally support that stance. It also meant she was old enough for our local tattoo parlour to do it with a needle as there was no way I was going to allow a “gun” or “cartridge” piercing.

Mine is 14 and I would allow her, but she’s not interested.
I was 19 when I got mine pierced.

My DDs had their ears pierced when they asked for them and when they understood that it may be briefly painful and involved lots of cleaning.
My eldest daughter was about 4 and didn't bat an eyelid and my second daughter was 6-7 and didn't cope as well with the cleaning and changing studs etc

DD is 9 and doesn’t want them done but I’d be happy anytime now onwards if she changes her mind. I think I was 7 or 8 when I asked to have mine done.

Another one aged 11 in the summer between leaving primary and starting secondary.

14th birthday. She was the very last of all her friends but I really don't like pierced ears on young girls.

7, before junior school. Several girls from class went together

To the posters saying they plan on getting their children's ears pierced in summer - it's worth bearing in mind that you can't go swimming for a few weeks after getting them done as both pools and oceans have bacteria that put you at risk of infection.

They're essentially open wounds being kept open by a bit of metal.

9th birthday

When they kept asking, so between twelve and fourteen. have three DC, all with pierced ears. I never offered or suggested it, they asked. Neither DH nor I have any ourselves.