AIBU to feel uneasy seeing a baby having his ear pierced?

[JoannaVictoria]

My 11 year old daughter has been asking for a long time about getting her ears pierced and I have given in.

Went into a chain store to have them done and there were two women and the piercing lady who was very young holding down a baby boy (he must have been about one) ready to pierce his ear.

AIBU Im thinking this isn’t right?

I know it’s legal etc and Im not a judgemental person but it just felt so wrong. Needless to say we left as I didn’t want to witness it. He was already screaming and thrashing around.

It just seems so unnecessary at that age. Other people in the store didn’t seem to have an issue with it.

No we went in and waited by the piercing station, assumed it was his mum having a piercing , realised what was about to happen and left.

Awful can't understand why you would do it to your child

I agree that it should have an age restriction.

It's not just the actual procedure, it's the aftermath that can also be very sore.

Hurting your child for aesthetic reasons is nothing but shallow, IMO.

So how much unnecessary pain do you think is acceptable to inflict on a baby, given that they forget quickly? I doubt a 2 yr old would remember being smacked, but that doesn’t make it ok.

Ha,one of MNs favourite topics.

I just think if it as a cultural difference. I wouldn't do it myself but I truly don't understand the uproar. It's less trouble than getting it done later in life, it's a very normal thing to have done anyway and it's extremely minimal in terms of effects on the body or appearance.

It's different from circumcision because I have never heard anyone say "my parents pierced my ears when I was a baby and I feel I was violated/affected for life".

Depends which kind, male is quicker than female

Why would any decent parent deliberately inflict pain on their child for no good reason?

I actually don’t believe the OP

Friday evening. innit. Always good for a good old MN froth thread.

Why?

It means the OP may as well have asked if water is wet.

I am very open minded about a lot of things but I can’t stand people who pierce their babies ears.

If I held a dementia patient down and pierced their ears, even though they couldn’t consent and they were crying and struggling - I’d probably be arrested for assault.

Great. Bring back smacking!

Neither are good.

Unless it’s for medical reasons, neither sex should have their genitals mutilated.

If an adult wants to be circumcised, then he can do so once old enough to give consent.

Yes the pain of a vaccination is very quick and both adults and children usually forget it very quickly.

Piercings are completely different as there is a foreign body stuck inside and so the pain can last weeks.

I was being facetious

“Chain store”
”baby being held down”

what chain store do you reckon would pin a baby down to get their ears pierced?

That’s true

I was my ears pierced as a baby, back in the 80's. I don't wear earrings and wouldn't have chosen to have my ears pierced. I wish my parents had given me the choice. I had years of sore ears where I reacted to different metals and now I have scars. Ok they are not big and don't affect my life but I would have rather had the choice

did you ask how they knew?

Pretty sure nowhere pierces ears under the age of 6.

Ah, yes. I was thinking only of a sharp pain and done; but you're right about the healing process.

there was a video of this happening at a chain store shown on here a few years ago....might have been a Claire's but I don't remember.

this https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/distressing-video-viral-ear-piercing-25252107

I didn't, but she was fine pretty soon after, so I'm guessing he knew what he was talking about.