Baby Ear Piercing

[kelnsoph]

After watching a baby no more than 6 months old screaming in agony whilst having her ears pierced in a Claire's Accesories shop window I was distressed and disgusted that this was allowed to happen to an innocent baby for the simple sake of the mothers vanity. I spoke to the NSPCC, who are following this up and they and I were shocked to discover there is in fact no legal age restrictions on this happening. I was also told by the shop assistant that it is "no different than a child having thier jabs", as many I'm sure will agree there is a world of difference between a potentially life saving vaccination and mutilating a baby for superficial reasons. Babies have the right to grow up and CHOOSE whether or not they wish to have their ears pieced when they are at an age to make an informed decision. The pain and potential infections they are subjected to must be prevented, this is an area that has been terribly neglected by the law. Please help this move forward so the children who have no voice to stop this can be heard. Thank you.

To sign the petition please follow this link

www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/stopbabypiercings

My mum got mine done when I was a few months old. She also asked when I would have dd's done o explained I wouldn't be it will be her decision when she's older. O don't know what age tbh.

Fwiw I went and had a second set of ear holes added at around 12/13. I haven't worn ratings for ages, ever now and then maybe once a year I pop through the overgrown holes and wear some.

I would never take anyone to have them done at claire.

That's not exactly a parenting decision and a bad childhood doesn't have to be irreversible, just because you can't go back and change it doesn't mean you have to live in it. I don't need to read the relationship board to know that. I've not made a single irreversible decision for my children.

I breastfed them but they can eat a bad diet when they're older.

They might go to church with us now but they don't have to when they're older - my OH is the only one of his family, including his parents, who still goes to church and in my side two out of five of my grandparents children don't go to church or believe even though they're the children of a minister, my brother doesn't go to church, they all made their own decisions.

I might put them in clothes that will embarrass them when they're older but they'll develop their own dress sense and hide the pictures from their friends.

Whatever decision I make now they will chose their own path when they're older based on what they believe.

And yet again I'm adding I HAVE NEVER SAID ANYONE SHOULDN'T PIERCE THEIR CHILDREN'S EARS, JUST THAT I DON'T BELIEVE IN GUNS. I don't have any relationship issues with anyone, thanks very much. Why is it I disagree with the OP and get stick for it, not from the OP but the people who also disagree with her?

Its up to the parent what they decide to do with their child I s'pose,.. Personally I would not have had any of my childrens ears pierced - I would leave it for them to decide when they were older.Its not a necessary procedure so I can never understand why people would impose thi sonm their child. My daughter has had her daughter's ears pierced - and I think she is nuts - but its her decision.

I'll sign it.

It's a fucking horrible thing to do to a child, cultural or not.

It also looks fucking awful seeing babies with pierced ears.

Age limit of 10 is imo.

I agree with the age limit on babies getting their ears pierced I think I was about 5 but don't really remember. I hardly ever wear earrings now at all. Is there anyway you can change the spelling of pierced in your petition? I imagine you will get taken more seriously if the title is spelled correctly.

Would it not have been more effective to create a petition through Number 10?

I agree that earings look awful on babies and toddlers but a personal choice of course.

I'm intreaged as what other method you use other than a gun???

I used to be a therapist and pierced people's ears, some children were ok others awful. Had to pierce baby twins once, poor mites cried dreadfully and I didn't enjoy the experience so I decided to put an age limit on it - the salon didn't have a choice as I was the only one that could do it anyway.

Apart from all this I really do think that the world is so corrupt, there is so much damage to children happening everywhere the last thing I would be concerned and petitioning about is babies ears being peirced. I would prefer to put more effort into raising funds for reading books in classes or give up your time to help children read in overcrowded schools...lots of charities out there that I would deam a much worthier cause.

samoa, I was questioning confuddled's bemusing assertion that no parenting decision can be irreversible.

For the record, I would be delighted if no-one chose to pierce their baby's or small child's ears as I think it is tacky, pointless and potentially dangerous (wrt earrings being pulled out, etc) BUT no-one died and made me Queen of the world and my belief in individual liberty is stronger so I am opposed to banning a practice that is, when you boil it down, a matter of taste.

I just realised I misread Samoas post, mobile browsing again!

I am yet to be convinced that parenting any parenting decision is irreversible. You've laughed at the idea yet you haven't proven it.

Again, we agree on ear piercing but you are still responding to me as though I have said I think it should be banned. I'm rather bemused by you too.

kelnsoph Trying to get something banned can hardly be described as just expressing an opinion. You are trying to stop people doing something that they want to do. You are trying to restrict their freedom and control their actions; however, much you respect their right to choice you are trying to impose your opinions on others for no reason other than you don't like it.

confuddledDOTcom: My post was in response to MsHighwater who believes that parenting decisions are irreversible and girliefriend who thinks that earpiercing on children is assault. Sorry I should have stated that in my post.

Yeah, I realised when I read it back at my computer, I had a totally different idea in my head that was obviously wrong when I re-read it.

"I am yet to be convinced that parenting any parenting decision is irreversible"

confuddled, I have one word for you.

circumcision

i have signed,and reposted to facebook

i hate it.

it is abuse.

in what other situation would you put a hole in your baby,and it be considered okay?!!

btw ive had my ears pierced with a gun,and a needle,the gun hurt more by a long shot,and that is what they use for babys,
i have also had my nose tongue and belly button pierced at various times in my life and the most painful of them ALL was the ears with the gun.

I agree with some posters. I also come from a culture where girls are identified by their earrings and the god parents give as gifts earrings that are expected to be worn after baptism.

I did not pierce my baby's ears as I do not see this as a significant cultural heritage and I have seen that in Britain the trend is to let girls have ears pears when they are older.

However, to say this is mum's vanity is rather short sighted .... Not to mention starting a petition about this. Do we need a law on this? Really???

But there has to be a law about everything to do with children, now, Carmen. We parents can't possibly decide when to let our children have pierced ears, or when they can babysit, or when they can stay at home alone for 10 minutes, or when they can walk to school alone (etc.). Really, all such decisions should be left up to a committee at the NSPCC in future. Obviously, the NSPCC and government representatives must know best . Parents aren't qualified to get such things right, are we?

FriggFRIGG, you put a hole in your baby when you allow a doctor or nurse to inject them with a vaccine. Of course, this is not vaccination; I know that. The potential for harm from vaccination, according to some parents, is far greater than from ear piercing.

i have never caused my children any UNNECESSARY pain.

on purpose