Would You pierce Your Babies Ears?

[jellybrain]

There was a phone in on Radio 2 at lunchtime asking the above question. A woman had been in a shop and seen a parent holding down a clearly terrified child (6 months or so) who was having her ears pierced, she was quite justifiably horrified. Those in favour argued their babies looked cute. One woman said her daughter had very little hair and people mistook her for a boy (she had ears pierced at 2) er whats wrong with a dress, something pink or just girls clothes if you're that concerned?
As you can probably guess I am against it babies and toddlers can't give their consent. It made me mad to hear parents saying that their dds looked cute or really pretty . Yes babies are cute but, they aren't fashion accessories . Of course there is a safety risk too.
Ok rant done over to you lot now.

Born Hackney family all Bethnal Green Shorditch area for years but most have moved away or brown bread now.

I live in Hillbilly land Hertfordshire now.

born in hoxton, lived around shoreditch all my life, recently moved to london fields. like the way we hijacked the ear piercing debate

yeah came to the conclusion we may be only ones awake, cant see much movement on the other threads.

Dont know a Jackie Sacker then?

nope?

Friend of mine also there all her life, you never know its a small world.

i reckon most other people have given up on mumsnet for the night, think i might join them.

took the words out of my mouth. Toodle oo

very small world, could well have bumped into you in tescos in bethnl green, even though im a sainsburys girl now

night

Mine was an innocent question, Hunker, no need to get tetchy. Sorry, in my wide experience of having a huge family, all with earrings, no one has ever got it caught on anything, which is the reason I asked. Perhaps we are talking about the wrong thing here. I wouldn't put long dangly earrings on my daughter and neither does anyone I know. They all wear tiny gold studs.

no

I really don't think it is nice. I wasn't allowed to have my ears pierced despite being white working class. And by the time I was allowed I couldn't be bothered so do not have pierced ears and neither do either of my sisters. Very unusual for 3 sisters aged between 33 and 29 I would have thought. I did however have my belly button pierced in my mid 20s. I put it back in after DS but after DD everything is too far gone to contemplate it.

And what is this shoe and sock thing? I really don't get that. It is better for children that can't walk not to wear shoes. And of course they take their socks off if they can. I just got an old coat out and found a size 0-0 sock in the pocket. My DD is 2.

Not keen to see it in babies, of any culture, but each to their own.

I would allow piercing at maybe 9-10 (I have boys so might not come up anyway). Before puberty is actually preferable because the chance of keloid scarring is significantly higher afterwards.

Absolutely no way. I know that in some culture's it's the norm but personally I think it's really horrid. No only does it look unnatural but what if the earrings come out and the child swallows it / chokes?

Also it could get infected, it's another thing for them to fiddle with plus when they grow up it would be nice for them to have the choice.

NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER

If they want their ears pierced, they can wait until they are old enough to get it done without my permission.

Im not scarring my babies!!!

i might get my dd3 a tattoo, would that be acceptable? or an eyebrow piercing?

I certainly wouldn't do it to my little one, I just couldn't inflict pain on her for my own frivolous purposes and she's beautiful and perfect enough without adding jewellery. Anyway it would take all the fun out of arguing about it when she's older.

But then I am that mummy with the baby with no socks on although it's Balham not Wimbledon. What can I do? She hates socks, they stay on about 20 seconds if I'm lucky.

I prefer to balham to wimbledon - at least you spend less money and there's no shops to tempt you.

My DS likes pulling his socks off and sucking them. Shoes are the only way to keep his socks on

Very true Sandradee - nearly bankrupted myself on my last trip to Wimbledon.

OOHH i missed this.

No i wouldn't . I think it's crual, unjustified and the outcome looks bloody awful too.
Nothing worse than a baby with hoops in. bleargh!
My sister worked in Claire's Accessories and they had a system. If they were 'doing' a baby then they both have a gun at either ear as apparenyl it was less traumatice for the baby. So very very kind of them to think of that i think while they unnessaccarily(sp) inflict pain on a tiny baby for the Mothers pleasure.
Personally i think it should be illegal and i do see it as a form of abuse.
I agonise over every jab my babies have had, (not really for that pinprick but for the possible outcomes) so why anyone would do something so incredibly risky to see a peice of bling in their babies ears is way way beyond my understanding.

Aside from all that, babies are beautiful presicley because of their innocence and babyness. They don't need bling

My sister had to go and have her ear stitched after having an ear-ring ripped out too hunker.

Don't want to hijack the conversation but Piccalilli I can't go up the hill to Kath Kidson or I will spend money(I know it's twee but I bought a lovely lampshade in there for DS room with cowboys on. They did not have the football one). I've got my eye on a really sweet cowboy apron for him (sounds weird but it's so cool)

Don't want to hijack the conversation but Piccalilli I can't go up the hill to Kath Kidson or I will spend money(I know it's twee but I bought a lovely lampshade in there for DS room with cowboys on. They did not have the football one). I've got my eye on a really sweet cowboy apron for him (sounds weird but it's so cool)