to think that getting ur ? month old babys ears pierced is awful !

[em83]

i was in town yesterday in claires accessories and was appauled to see a mother sitting with her baby on her lap about to get the babys ears pierced !! it was visible the baby coulld not quite sit up by herself so im guessing she was around 6-7 month.
i moved away to the top of te shop and heard a high pitched scream... poor baby !!!
the mother needless to say was a bit of a "chav" and dripping in gold herself,
my 2 girls are 1 and 2 and i wouldnt dream of getting their ears pierced for a good more few year yet !
i think this is awfu that shops allow this sort of thing, aibu to think this !

Frankly, I'm amazed that it is actually legal to pierce a child's ears in this country before they are old enough to give informed consent.

From the Children Act (2004):

"for minor assaults committed by an adult upon a child that result in injuries such as grazes, scratches, abrasions, minor bruising, swelling, superficial cuts or a black eye, the appropriate charge will normally be ABH for which the defence of 'reasonable chastisement' is no longer available."

So in other words, if a parent injures a child in such a way as to leave a mark, that would be treated as ABH. But to make a permanent hole through their earlobes is fine? Or would it only be wrong if you did it as a punishment?

Absolutely anybody with pierced ears or tattoos is in my eyes a chav unworthy of living in the same world as I do!

There!

And what exactly is different about getting a baby's ear pierced as part of a regional culture or as part of a 'chav' culture. Both ways its the parent's judgement. And who are we to judge how parent's bring up their children? As long as the child is well looked after and happy, and proper care is taken with the aftercare, it should be none of anyone's business but the parent's own.

Oooh good one morloth re who decides which cultural practices are acceptable and which not

Good point Scarlettlilybug.
I hate to see babies with pierced ears, cannot see any reason why parents can't wait until the child is old enough to decide.
The fact you are causing them a permanant hole, (or scar if they late choose to let them heal up,) and the risk of getting them ripped out whilst playing makes it a no no for me.
I feel the same about circumcision or any other practices that cause pain/scarring. Even for cultural reasons, it should be the individual's choice when they are old enough.

morloth lol lol lol at the formula and the ear piercing. or are you trying to turn this into another bf/ff argument? you, know... formula as bad as piercing ears...

Gosh, I'm bored today..slow day at work... forgive me my fellow MNers

LeQueen
it would still be cultural. Just because you think southern european culture is superior to white working class british culture it doesn't make the practise better (or worse), it just chimes with your prejudices.

Or are white working class british people not allowed to have a culture?

So "chav" culture is an unacceptable culture then? At what point does a culture become acceptable? Is there a tipping point of number of people/years when something changes from a "fashion" to a "culture"?

There are plenty of "cultural" practices I find pretty vile and stupid, but that doesn't make them any less cultural.

"Filibou, I think you are straying off into a territory not covered by the initial AIBU question. While I agree with everything you posted it is not adding the initial question."

I am responding to another post on the thread. That is what discussion is about

Morloth, that's what I was trying to say. You just put it across better

gobsmackedetal Nah, I am pretty chilled about the FF/BF thing (I quite selfishly don't give a fuck how people feed their babies as long as they feed them), was just freaking out at loss of control I think, which is something I am having to work through this time around being pregnant so far from home.

The connotations that 'chav' conjures are pretty unacceptable, it smatters of 'crib' lifestyle, all money and no books, aspirations of wealth in 'designer' labeling but no job....I have yet to meet a clever chav.

Here in Spain they do it in the hospital before you leave. Apparently the baby can't feel it at that stage.

Baby girls without pierced ears (even if wearing pink frilly dresses) are often mistaken for boys.

It's a cultural norm but so was footbinding in China till the early 1900s.

So that makes it not a culture then? posieparker?

YANBU I hate this my little sis asked me if I was going to get dd 3months done like some of the other mummy's and was v shocked when I said no for all I know dd will not liked pierced ears as some people hate piercings and I am not going to choose for her.

I also think it is cruel and they are too young.

Just because it's a cultural habit doesn't make it right though!

No, it is a culture....just a pretty hideous one.

I think when people argue 'cultural reasons' they are usually referring to a traditional practice found within a culture, not a new fad culture where a practice happens to be common.

each to there own, but i could never willing hurt my child, and my main concern would be infections and them catching them and ripping there ear to bits!

I think if a child is so young that they need holding still (physically or with bribes) to get them pierced, then they shouldn't be getting it done.

If you ask most people who had their ears pierced as a baby or @ a young age, whether they feel angry with their mum for that or feel like it was so cruel unreasonable etc, you will find most people saying no, they are fine with having had it done and saved them getting it done later. So YABU. I don't have a problem with it at all and I would probably get it done quite young if I had a girl.

oh and I think people suggesting age limit of 13 is crazy, many many children ask for it done well before that age. They can easily make an informed decision about it younger than 13!!

scarletlilybug, that is my view exactly!

We can't mark our children whilst disciplining them, but we can shoot (permanent) holes in their ears. It crazy!

i saw a similar thing in my shop a few months ago: baby was about 6months old. no need. it looked awful. the mum didn't look particuarly of a class, so i'm not judging on that at all. she also was not dripping in jewellery, but she had one set of earrings herself.
i believe that there should be a legal minimum age for any kind of body mutilation.

i do not believe in circumcision either: religious and cultural excuses are not enough of a reason to mutilate your child's body parts, especially one as sensitive as a penis. i do not agree with female genital mutilation either.

for medical reasons, i can see the point of circumcision, but for no other reason.