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Original poster

Ear Piercing in children - DD had hers done yesterday

52 replies

SPARKLER1clausiscomingtotown · 29/12/2006 10:34

DD2 (5) has been asking to have her ears pierced for a couple of months now. I was unsure as to whether I thought she was old enough so held back. I was in town yesterday with DH and DD was watching another girl (6) having her ears pierced and mentioned that she wanted them doing again. DH and I agreed but explained to her that it would pinch and that she would have to let me clean them three times a day. She was happy with this.
DD has been as good as gold today. Woke up this morning and said "mummy don't forget to clean my ears". Bless her.
DD1 (7) isn't even going to go there. We have explained to her that we are happy for her to have them done and she only has to ask. She's not ready though - would love to have them done but is frightened of the pain. Poor love.

OP posts:
Fimbo · 29/12/2006 14:36

My dd (8) would love hers done but I have told her she must wait until she is a teenager! . TBH I think the sight of the gun thing would be enough to send her screaming out of the shop. I don't think she would be comfortable either getting them done in a place like Claire's Accessories for all to see.

Mincepiedermama · 29/12/2006 14:43

I guess it's inevitable they'll all have their ears pierced eventually. My dd isn't yet applying pressure on this matter (she's 8) but it'll come.

I must admit I think 5 is a bit young Sparkler. But I'm probably just being fogey-ish. I bet her friends will all be hassling their mums now.

How did she deal with the gun bit? Do they freeze the ear?

burstingwithfestivitybug · 29/12/2006 14:46

I had mine done for my 10th birthday, my parents wouldn't let me have them done any younger.

Ready · 29/12/2006 14:48

It's funny, I was going to ask about ear piercings the other day. A friend of mine has just had her 2yo dd ears pierced and I stood open mouthed in horror. She didn't like my reaction and obviously wanted to justify it by saying her friends 1yo dd has pierced ears so 2yo is not that young!!!

Am I being really naive or something? But I think it is disgusting that a child that young has pierced ears! Can't quite decide at what age I think it is ok!!!

Mincepiedermama · 29/12/2006 14:51

Two is far too young simply because, it could be seen that the mother is mutilating the child for her own ends and not through the childs choice. Once done it can't be taken away. It's a choice every girl should make on her own and no-one should be allowed to do it to her. I think that's the difference. I'm also saddened to see very small kids with peirced ears. Imagine if their mums decided they'd like a tattoo for their dd or ds. Obviously a tattoo is more visible, but the principle is the same.

Ready · 29/12/2006 14:56

I'm glad I am not alone thinking this is too young.

jampots · 29/12/2006 14:58

dd wanted hers done a few years ago. I put it off until she was 13 and now she doesnt want it done. Phew

Ready · 29/12/2006 14:59

I had mine done at 13, and had always thought that I would not allow it until 13. Thinking perhaps 10 is the earliest I could accept.

PinkTinsel · 29/12/2006 15:02

had mine done when i was5 and loads of other girls had them before me (germany) and when we moved to ireland when i was 7 only 2 girls in a class of 32 didn't have them done.

as long as they're old enough to understand it'll hurt and they have to take care of them i don't see the harm tbh

charliecat · 29/12/2006 15:04

Does it not frigging HURT? I never got mine done. Think its looks grim, even on adults. Nose piercing though, prefer that

2nervesnapartridgeinapeartree · 29/12/2006 15:05

A colleagues 20 month old nephew visited my office the other day and he had a pierced ear. I stood staring at him in horror and then had too say how handsome he was to cover my reaction (he wasn't). My DS in the same age and I wouldn't dream of mutilating him the same way. My ds will hand bang when he is tantruming imagine if he could get his hand on an earring and rip that out.

Stockingsofdinosaurs · 29/12/2006 15:06

Gun piercing is unhygienic and unreliable - the bit of the gun that holds the earring can't be sterilised and piercing with a blunt stud causes far more probs than a sharp needle. My kids will have to wait until they are old enough and brave enough to go to a proper piercing studio.
Plus I don't like it on young kids anyway so this all the above is a handy excuse!

gegs73 · 29/12/2006 15:18

Sounds nice. Don't see the problem with ear piercing on girls if they have asked for it a few times(don't like it on boys but just a personal thing). Do think 2 is abit young though as they won't even know what it is at that age.

Original poster
SPARKLER1clausiscomingtotown · 29/12/2006 19:50

DD was absolutely fine. Grinned from ear to ear as they put the guns to her ears (she had two people doing it, one on each side, so it was all over very quickly) when the earrings went through her smile disappeared for a split second and then she grinned from ear to ear again. Not one tear. She was a very brave girl.
I was going to wait a couple more years but she was so keen to have them done. I have no regrets whatsoever and they actually look really lovely. DD has been brilliant with them all day and is still telling me not to forget to clean them (have to be cleaned with lotion three times a day and turned).

OP posts:
snowwonder · 29/12/2006 19:54

my dd had hers done in the 6 week hols age 8, she has been fine we cleaned them and pit savlon on them at night time

JollyOldSaintNikkielas · 29/12/2006 20:12

dd1(7) is going round telling everyone that they use a drill to do it and she is never having hers done.dd2(5) listened to this and said "can I have a tattoo?"

Original poster
SPARKLER1clausiscomingtotown · 29/12/2006 20:19

PMSL JOSN - your kids sound like mine. DD1 isn't going anywhere near earpiercing. She wouldn't watch dd2 having hers done and said afterwards that they looked ugly and nobody should ever be allowed to have them done. [ginr] To be honest I there was a visit from the green eyed monster for a couple of minutes. DD1 would have them done now if she knew there would be no pain at all.

OP posts:
ChristmasPresence · 29/12/2006 20:36

DD had hers done for her 10th birthday and very nearly fainted! She had to lie on the settee for the rest of the day, looking very pale and feeling sick. REally don't think she would have had it done if she'd known it would hurt that much! I think 10 is a minimum age - hate to see young children, particularly those below school age, with pierced ears. There's a boy at DS's pre-school who wears an earring, chunky gold necklace and matching bracelet. FFS!!! And they have a no jewellery policy, for safety reasons. Why are some people so bl**dy stupid?

2ManyPimms · 29/12/2006 22:11

I know I'll piss someone off over this...but piercings on under-10s looks tacky. I'm on the side of 13 and up. My poor DD!

wrappingpaperBOwZZAndribbons · 29/12/2006 22:16

There is no way my DD will be having her ears pierced at age 5. I donh't think it is suitable at all.

Judy1234 · 29/12/2006 22:30

I can be completely snobbish about this and say it's a class issue and a lot of certain types of schools don't allow it on the girls either so school and home can be as one.

Original poster
SPARKLER1clausiscomingtotown · 29/12/2006 22:33

I have always felt the same as the people on the last few posts but dd has asked me for months if she could have it done. I had been saying no. Everytime we went into town we would go to the same shop and she would watch other girls having their ears done and everytime would still feel the same. We explained to her at home that it would hurt and all about the cleaning procedure etc etc etc. DH and I had discussed it together very seriously and decided that if that was what she wanted then we would be fine with it.
DD has been fantastic with her earrings ever since. I have no regrets at all. And I actually think they look very pretty and not tacky at all.
Now if there was a thread about babies having their ears pierced I would have other things to say .
The shop told me that the minimum age they did piercings for was four months!!

OP posts:
nothercules · 29/12/2006 22:41

I would consider at the age of 13 maybe but not before. I wasnt allowed until 16 but my mum relented when my grandmother bought sent me some at 13.

Amanda1 · 29/12/2006 23:26

Message withdrawn

Blondilocks · 29/12/2006 23:30

Sounds like your DD was braver than me at 20 then - I went white & was shaking. Still love having them now.

My DD (8) occasionally mentions it but when asking if it hurts (I had to say that it did hurt momentarily) she decides that she'll wait until she's older. I'm not really happy with the idea of her having them done until she's a bit older but it's everyones choice.