Babies & Toddlers With Pierced Ears

[StarlightLady]

AIBU to suggest that there should be a minimum age for ear piercings on young children, in particular those who are unable to consent?

For the record, I am not anti piercing. I have 3 ear piercings and 3 others. In particular I had my ears pierced when l asked and was old enough to fully understand.

Of course YANBU. Nobody should be putting holes through a human who can't consent.

Why would this be unreasonable?
Making unecessary holes in anyone too young to consent should be illegal

Not in the least unreasonable, but this comes up on here as regularly as ‘toxic’ MILs.

To clarify, the reason l am asking is because l have seen a number of toddlers and even a baby in a pram with pierced ears of late.

There are lots of babies and young children with pierced ears where I am.

My daughters are 6 and 13 and neither has ever asked, but I wouldn’t allow it under 18 anyway. They can do what they like then but not younger (I have a huge aversion to any type of jewellery though, it’s like a phobia, I can’t have it near me!)

There may be different cultures and traditions involved. Not the business of random bystanders really.

Over 18 is quite ridiculous for a reversible, relatively painless and common decision

I do agree with consent though, and being old enough to understand there will be some pain, initial looking after and being able to manage the faff of covering up for sports etc. I think that’s hard for anyone of pre-school age to understand. That said, it’s not lasting damage or highly unusual and I doubt there are many adults walking around fuming that they had their ears pierced as a young child

Still fucking cruel and unnecessary

My niece has an 8 month old and she has already pierced her ears. I think it’s so cruel. The initial piercing hurts, it’s uncomfortable for sleeping, and changing the earrings is sore, not to mention possible infections.

If slicing off baby boy's foreskins is OK, then a pin hole in the earlobe is nothing.

I get that there are different cultures but I remember both of mine went to through a phase as babies and younger toddlers where they would kind of tug their earlobes when tired so I'm glad they didn't have piercings.

I don’t think it’s a big deal really. In Spain they do it in the hospital for newborns. Much more concerned about circumcising.

I can't understand why anybody thinks it is reasonable. Plenty of time for piercings when DC are older.

Meh, I can't bring myself to get worked up about this. There are far worse parenting sins than piercing ears.

I hate seeing little kids with pierced ears. I think once they can ask and understand they’re going to hurt a little bit then it’s fine if that’s what they want.

I had mine done as a baby, normal in the culture.

Always comes up periodically on here, with MNers citing it as cruel and low class.

Female genital mutiliation is a matter of culture and tradition.

Are you okay with that - or just lesser mutilations?

I'm not okay with any.

I think it's an abusive act. I always judge people who do it. Your baby isn't a bloody toy for you to pierce because you think it looks nice.

Why is it anything to do with you?

I'm quite fed up with culture and tradition being used to okay abusive acts.

Many many cultures and traditions are misogynistic and happy to tolerate abuse against women and children.

Why can't we stand up against that?

because hurting children is everyone's business

I couldn't bare to pierce my dc ears. They all did it as teenagers.

But

Its no one's business. MN has always been snotty about this and its been discussed many, many times...

Rubbish. Do you think domestic abuse and child abuse is 'none of people's business either?

I was thinking the same. This old chestnut is up there with formula feeding for a good old fashioned antagonistic mumsnet debate that’s been done to death over the years.
people will say it’s 1. Chavvy/cruel 2. A Cultural practice 3. Parental choice
and nobody who thinks any of these things will change their opinion.

I've always found it tacky and a little cruel, but I have to admit that now I have my own child, and have been responsible for the well-being of a little person, I really, really judge parents who choose to inflict pain and discomfort on their tiny children for purely cosmetic reasons.