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Original poster

Ear Piercing

48 replies

jenny2998 · 09/07/2002 23:49

I was out in town today when we walked past a shop where a baby (aged around a year?) was being held down in the window and having her ears pierced while she screamed the place down.

It really upset me and I just wondered how other people felt about young children having piercings.

I have quite a lot of piercings myself, but I would never, ever inflict them on anyone else - it is a matter of personal choice and expression, not something that someone should choose for anyone else.

Anyone have any thoughts?

OP posts:
Original poster
jenny2998 · 09/07/2002 23:51

Ps. does anyone know why it always says 'archive' on the subject line????

OP posts:
threeangels · 10/07/2002 00:07

Jenny2998, I agree ear peircing should be a persons choice considering you are puncturing holes in someone elses flesh. My dd 9 got hers peirced several yrs ago which was her decision when I offered to allow her to have them done. They got infected so she allowed them to close. The holes closed up but the prints never went away. She finally got them done again her choice and now she is having no problems. I felt bad enough that she still had the hole prints but it was her decision to have them done. I agree it does look cute on a baby but I just dont agree with putting holes in someone else skin when they are too young to express if its what they would want. I do agree defanatley with you.

SofiaAmes · 10/07/2002 00:58

My mother wouldn't let me have my ears pierced until I was 16 and even then I had to agree to take an extra year of latin before she'd let me.
I agree with jenny2998 that piercings shouldn't be done to a young child, and in the same vein I also feel very strongly about circumcision. I don't think it's fair for a parent to make that choice for their child at a young age.

SoupDragon · 10/07/2002 08:06

Personally I think that having a baby's ears pierced "without their permission" is close to mutilation. Apart from that, it's dangerous; ear rings get caught, backs can come off & get swallowed... They should be old enough to ask and understand their choice.

My neice was 6 when she asked to have hers done (and was allowed). I was allowed to have mine done at 13 - they never healed properly and I let them close up. I never felt like repeating the experience either

I guess we're mostly talking about baby girls here - do you feel differently about baby boys having an earring? For some reason I can't fathom, I find this even less acceptable!

Tissy · 10/07/2002 08:38

Jenny2998

Doesn't the local council have to approve/ licence places that do piercings (like tattoo parlours)? I'm sure that they would take a very dim view of the situation you describe.

I agree with Soupdragon that this amounts to assault, and would even go so far as to bring the problem to the attention of the child protection authorities. Parents can give consent for their chuldren to have medical procedures/ operations done , but piercing a baby could not be construed in any way to be in the child's best interest- I could imagine a one year old pulling at a sleeper and tearing the earlobe, or removing a stud and putting it in her mouth and swallowing (or worse) inhaling it...

jodee · 10/07/2002 08:40

Babies are beautiful just as they are and don't need bits of gold attached to them (although in some cultures and religions it's 'the norm', which is different).

Jenny, there's 2 separate threads called Other Subjects (the archive one contains the really, really old stuff, going back to 2000).

Joe1 · 10/07/2002 09:53

I totally disagree with having babies ears pierced. I have seen alot of babies done and it makes me feel quite sick to think of the pain etc they went through and not understanding any of it. I have seen a boy aswell with one earing in.
It can be dangerous when done due to infection etc if not looked after properly so Im sure a poor baby would go down hill very fast with an infection from this going wrong. Poor little mite.

Binker · 10/07/2002 11:43

I have several piercings but I think piercing babies and children's ears is vile - partly because they are unable to give their consent and also because it is dangerous for little kids,especially at school to have bits of jewellery dangling off them which could easily get caught,pulled etc. And finally I don't think it looks cute at all - just a bit common.

chinchilla · 10/07/2002 11:45

I used to have to pierce babies' ears when I had a Saturday job in a jewellery shop. It was always done by two of us, so that there was only one 'shot'. However, I hated doing it, and I always think that mothers who have their babies' ears pierced are of a certain 'type'.

Sorry if this offends anyone, but it always seemed the case IME.

I was not allowed my ears pierced until I was 9, when I was desperate to have them done. I had the second ones done when I was 13 (hey, it was fashionable in the eighties!), but I felt that it looked common, so stopped wearing two earrings. However, the holes have never closed up.

If I ever have a daughter, I will wait until they express a wish to have it done, and even then, I don't think that I would let them before 9.

SofiaAmes - you were conned. At 16 it is legal in this country to have your ears done without parental permission, so the extra Latin was not necessary!! Having said that, I vaguely remember you talking about living in another country, so maybe I'm talking c**p. Wouldn't be the first time I'm sure

ionesmum · 10/07/2002 19:59

I really agree about it being unacceptable. It's a way of making babies into mini-adults. I'm sorry if this offends anyone but where I grew up it was the done thing for the young mums to dress their babies and toddlers like themselves, which meant that little two-year-olds had denim mini-skirts, tight t-shirts and big hoop earrings just like their mums. That's without the issues of consent and the pain it causes. Dd had her 3rd vacs this week and screamed so much that I was crying but at least I knew there was a good reason for it. To do it for the sake of the parents' vanity is just disgusting.

I think it should be against the law for children under 7 to have any piercings.

Lucy123 · 10/07/2002 20:05

piercing the ears of babies seems to be a cultural thing. I find the very idea abhorrent, but here in Spain it is very common for very very young babies to have their ears pierced (not sure on the exact age - I've never asked). I get a Spanish baby magazine and every week in the readers' babes section, at least 25% have their ears peirced (not sure how representative that is though...).

On the other hand they don't half know how to put a child in "Sunday Best" here - it makes me feel like a right scumbag!

jasper · 10/07/2002 23:27

I always thought it was an IQ thing, ie only thick people get their babies' ears pierced.

susanmt · 11/07/2002 00:57

I got my ears pierced for my 13th birthday. I dont think I would let my dd (or ds!!) have it done before they went to secondary school.
Did anyone else out there ever pierce their own ears? It was a bit of a fad in my school circa 1985 and although I didnt do my own I did do my sisters! My dad nearly flayed both of us alive when he found out!

angharad · 11/07/2002 10:03

Have to say that I go along with comments that it's done by a certain type of parent! I think the situation in Spain is similar from comments made by my Spanish Godfather.

By the way, why do people think that if something is "cultural" it's somehow ok/acceptable? Female circumcision is a cultural practice but I can't imagine there's anyone here who would defend it.

Queenie · 11/07/2002 12:56

Yes, I agree that a "certain type" of parent would think ear piercing a baby was cute. I think its common and would not have my dd ears pierced until she's at least 7 or 8 (if she wants it done). Where I live there seems to be a fashion for baby jewellery with baby boys and girls wearing not only ear-rings but rings on fingers and gold chains. Its bizarre imo.

Tetley · 11/07/2002 13:43

Me & my sister weren't allowed ours done until our 13th birthday - which I think is plenty young enough. Before then , surely it's dangerous, with the risk of earrings being pulled out....ouch!

I hate seeing young kids with pierced ears. Just to side track a little it usually follows that the 2 year olds with earrings are the ones with high heeled slip on fashion shoes too!

Bozza · 11/07/2002 15:57

I was never allowed my ears pierced as a child and then when I grew up I couldn't be bothered. Had my belly button done a few years ago though which everyone thought was odd.

Totally agree about children having them done for all the reasons mentioned.

leese · 11/07/2002 18:47

Funnily enough jenny2998, I expereinced the same thing yesterday - a baby about !, screaming whilst her mum held her down to have ears pierced, in a shop window. I couldn't believe how much it upset me, and had to trail round after them awhile to satisfy myself the baby calmed down a bit (don't know why - wouldn't have done anything would I?!)
Anyway, I absolutely loathe the fact that shops will pierce the ears of anyone not old enough to make the decision for themselves - and as for looking cute, I think pierced ears in babies looks vile.

sb34 · 12/07/2002 00:03

Message withdrawn

ariel · 12/07/2002 10:54

I have a relative who had all her girls ears pierced when they were 6 weeks old!!! i thought that was "sick" personally i hate seeing young children with pierced ears, dh wanted to get dds (4) ears pierced when she was a baby and i refused point blank, and i also think it should be made illigal for shops to pierce anyone under 13 even with the parents consent, why does any parent want to inflict unnecasary pain on a child ,its barbaric.

Batters · 12/07/2002 23:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Tissy · 13/07/2002 11:15

Circumcision does, at least, have some justification on health grounds as well as the long-established religious grounds. Ear-piercing, as far as I'm aware is not done for any reason that might benefit the child.

chinchilla · 13/07/2002 21:14

Does circumcision have a health reason? My ds is perfectly healthy, and has not had the operation. And so for that matter is my dh. I would be interested to learn about these health reasons, as I am yet to be convinced that it is not purely a religion thing.

Although I do not agree with mutilation of a baby's body on the basis of something that was done hundreds of years ago, I would not argue the case against someone whose religion it was. However, I fail to see why 'health reasons' could be used as an argument for it in this day and age.

Please do convince me, as you can never learn too much.

Queenie · 13/07/2002 21:59

I have to agree with chincilla on circumcision - if it's medically necessary then that's a different matter but not as an "ancient ritual" in the name of religion without question as to the effect on the child. I respect peoples choices but they must be informed choices.

Batters · 14/07/2002 09:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.