When to pierce your child's ears?

[PrincessBabyCat]

If you have kids with pierced ears when did you pierce them? Did it cause any problems?

We want to pierce our baby's ears maybe at 4 months so she doesn't play with the earrings and cause an infection, and has had a couple rounds of vaccines.

Doctors have recommended waiting until at least a month, but it might be difficult if she can't hold her head up. We're currently playing with the pros and cons of when to do it. I had them done at 4 years old but I kept fidgeting with them and it caused some problems, my cousins that did it at 6 months were all fine.

I'm not particularly interested in a moral debate on this, more a practical weigh in. Thanks. :)

How about when they can choose for themselves whether they want a hole punched in their body?

dd is allowed fom this summer onwards, old enough to take responsibility for herself, she is 11

When they are old enough to know what is being done to them, not to play with them, and to decide it is what THEY want done to their bodies.

You should totes do it now while she has no chance to defend her rights, hun.

Your bubz, your fashion accessory. Punch holes in her everywhere.

I really dislike pierced ears on babies, toddlers and young children. It is not a pain free thing to do and there is no reason for a young child having pierced ears.

Also bear in mind that many primary schools don't even allow earrings to be worn at school, and none for PE some allow you to cover them with tape, more and more say they must be removed)

DD had hers done at 11y - the first week of summer holidays on finishing Y6, before starting secondary. This was the earliest I was willing to even discuss it with her. She has not had any issues at all and has dealt with them entirely herself from day 1 - cleaning, removing, etc.

It is very mixed among DD's friends - about 50/50 with/without pierced ears. Only 1 of her friends had her ears pierced before leaving primary - she had hers done after turning 11.

What everyone else has said. When/if she asks for it and is old enough to take care of the piercings herself.

How old is she now?
Is she even born yet?
If still in utero, is get it done now. Get the 18yo sales assistant in Clare's to draw targets on your belly, cross your fingers and shoot!

11-12 years old is about right if they actually want their ears pierced that is....

Oh, this won't end well.

I personally dislike pierced ears in babies - I would wait until she asks then discuss it (i.e 10/11 years old.)

Whenever you want.

When a child is old enough to ask for it to be done and to care for them alone.

I would happily see a law introduced banning piercings on under 10s tbh

please don't I think it's foul.

DD is begging like crazy at the moment.

I've yielded a fraction - I've said she can have them done just before (rather than after) the end of summer term of Year6 do she can show them off to her primary friends. Only about 15 months of whining to go!

When DD was little she used to sick up a lot of her feeds. Lying on her back a lot of the sick ended up on her ears. For this reason, apart from anything else, I would wait until your DD can sit up unaided and stops sicking up feeds.

Personally, I would wait until your DD decides for herself whether she wants pierced ears and can look after them herself. I have been in shops where babies have had their ears pierced and the screams are heartbreaking.

We let dd1 have them done at 10 as she wouldn't have time for them to heal between 11 and starting secondary school ( late August baby) and primary school were more relaxed about letting her keep them in.
That became the rule and dd2 also chose to do it at 10. I wouldn't do it earlier as they need to understand and be able to follow the care instructions. Small babies and toddlers are too likely to get infections or catch them on something for me to feel happy doing it any earlier beside the whole consent issue ( I wouldn't get any cosmetic surgery done on a child that young either).

OP if you had them done at 4 and fiddled with them causing problems, surely that indicates you were too young, rather than too old?!

M

Maybe it's a cultural thing

( )

14 years old is about right I think.

4 months is ideal, just be careful with the matching necklace and bracelet (choking hazard).

I has first at 10, second at 23 and third at 27! Babies don't need pierced ears, wait till she's old enough to decide. Why on earth does a 4 month old need pierced ears!?

When they are old enough to understand and take care of the piercings. The summer between primary and secondary seems to be a popular time although if I can get away with it I'd make my dds wait a bit longer.

Idiot

Idiot

Double numbers would be my rule. I nagged asked my parents when I was 10, and had them done as a 11th birthday present.

I won't encourage them. I think it's something they'll ask for when they are ready to discuss it.