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.

Damn, missed a good discussion.

Anyone remember that scene in Friends where Rachel's sister babysits baby Emma and gets her ears pierced 'to distract attention from her big nose'?

Would I force a small metal bolt through one of my childrens delicate skin? er, no. Child abuse.

My friend is married to an Italian man and apparently pierced ears are very common over there too. She has two DDs but has refused to have their ears done (age 6 and 4 at the mo). When last on holiday in Italy with her DH's family, she overheard her MIL say to a friend that she was going to get the girls ears pierced when she took them out alone - luckily my friend has been having sly italian lessons so stopped her. I would have completely kicked off!

havent read the whole thread as its too long and im too lazy!

When i had my Ds i was 16, and couldnt wait to pierce his ear
I had it done when he was 3, it was definately my age, i wanted him to look cool.

My Dd is 2, and im 30 now, and would not pierce her ears, maybe if she asks when she is older, then i will consider it.

Also, i will add that i used to do ear piercing in the jewellers i worked in, ( a very reputable one!) and we were able to do from three years old, the first child i ever did was three, and she didnt bat an eyelid, i also remember doing a girl of eleven who screamed the place down!!

sindoor is restricted to married woman only, indicating a desire for their husband to have a long life, and it has a religious basis. The first time a woman wears sindoor is when her husband applies it at the marriage ceromony, and it also brings blessings from a goddess. Widows are not supposed to wear it. Bindis have various meanings and mostly don't follow any strict form. Though black does traditionally indicate single/widowed.

to the op, (havent read the rest) I agree 100%. It's cruel and purley cosmetic.

No I wouldn't. I don't like to see children wearing jewellery, other than a bit of play stuff when dressing up. I took DD, then 3, with me last year when I had my ears repeirced as they had healed over. It hurt, especially as going through scar tissue. As a reult, DD says she'll have her ears done when she is 100!

child abuse - my feckin arse

cant believe i missed this..ive joined in so may of the others! so without reading it all..whats the general consensus?

Tbh i hate seeing babies with pierced ears..and for some reason i hate seeing babie boys with just one pierced ear even more. The parents don't even have the "it looks pretty" excuse. Personaly i think they just want their sons to look "hard" it really gets my hackels up. I saw one such mum at the park today screaming at her 2 year old "get the fk out that fing mud Beckam (Beckam?! Yes seriously Beckam) before i f**ing come and get you"
Fattiemuma- Dd will not keep shoes, socks, gloves or hats on. Ever. No matter what the whether.

sorry to ask..read most of the theread but i might be missing something.....is it 'common' to take your child out with no shoes and socks?

Have to agree 'child abuse' is going a bit far for Gawds sake.

I think its not common...though fairly wipespread...

I don't give a feck, shoes are crap for under 1s anyway.

I do dislike it on all babies but I dont have any piercings of my own at all so I'm probably biased. I assume parents who do pierce their babies' ears do it with the best intentions so each to their own BUT, I hate Hate HATE HATE little boys ears being pierced - male pierced ears are supposed to symbolise rebellion - bizarre to have rebellion imposed on you by your parents. Saw a very small boy must have been under 2 in Brighton last year with 2 earrings in one ear and his hair spiked up and I felt so so sad.

Im all for letting them choose when they are old enough to do the aftercare routine themselves. I wouldn't have it done to my child personally, but live and let live I say.
Oi Misdee....has your tongue swollen up yet? Have you bitten the large bar yet? God this brings back memories, Can't believe that I have had my tongue done for 7 years now!!!

really cant see the reason so many of you seem to be so angry about it.

if i came to your house with a guna dn tried peircing your childs ear i woudl understand you getting rather annoyed but what i do wiht my on child (within reason obviously) is my own afair and i really cant see what the big deal is.

It is not illegal, not abuse and has not left my daughter traumatised or damaged in any way. so why do you feel it necessary to be quite so personal and get so angry by it?

oh and the sock thing was the first thing i could think of at the time. and no i dont mean when the chidlren just pull their socks off i mean children of about 2 years + who sit with bright red feet becasue they are so cold yet the mums are all wrapped up in their nice M&S coat. again its not somehting that i get particularly hot under teh coller about, just something i notice and am glad i dont do myself.

You have followed these children from their front doors and know that their mothers didn't put socks or shoes on them?!

of course she has

when i was dashing about last week, the ambulance crew had to remind me to put socks on dd3 feet before we went to the hospital. she pulled them off straight away in the ambulance.

No!!

Do you know though, the people who peirce only have to have an hours training?
My sister did it!

Would you walk into a Doctors surgery and let a brand new student inject your baby or carry out an invasive procedure?
I'm not all angry and on a mission but i am baffeld how people think it's o.k!

my DD didnt have her ears doen at Claires or any other high street fashion shop s no i dont think i would trust a spotty teenager to effectivly make a wound on my child.
it was done at a prvate clinic cost me a near fortune and everything was oncredibly sterile.

like i said not sure why the sock thing has become such an isuue. i mentioned it because i look and think "prro kids feet must be freezing" and at that age they culd be wearing a pair of shoes to kee their socks on, and if in the cold weather your child still pulls their sock off get a fotmuff or something. i dont get angry about it though. if i saw the kid with frostbite or generally un cared for then yes i would speak out but its not and probably on a short journey to the local shop so i take no notice.
its not how i would tak my child out but each to their own.

I used to put my dd in tights always.
That baffled her

My mum had my ears pierced when i was about 2, i can still remember screaming the place down and i think they only managed to pierce one ear!!
I haven't been damaged or traumatised by the experiance but certainly wouldn't put Dd2 through unneccessary pain she looks pretty enough without studs in her ears!!

"Mutilate" means to injure or disfigure by irreparably damaging body parts.

No, if they want ears pierced then they can decide.