If your DC had their ears pierced under the age of 2...

[doodlydooo]

How was it?

DC is 18 months and for about 9 months now she loves earrings etc. I feel like she is too young to have her ears pierced and won't understand and might tug on them. I wasn't planning on getting her ears pierced until she was about 5 really. But my mum said my sister and I had our ears pierced around the age of 2. SIL also had her ears pierced as a baby.

Ahh she’s a little baby! She doesn’t need her ear’s pierced! She might love earrings but doesn’t really get what they are. Plus it’s a lot to look after a pierced ear. My two are a teen and a tween and have zero interest!

if you feel like she is too young, she is. If you were thinking of doing it when she is 5; stick with your plan.

I wouldn't pierce a babies/toddlers ears.

Why would you inflict pain on a baby for some misguided notion of them ‘looking nice’?

Oh please don't do this. She will not understand and might pull down the earrings. She isn't able to say what she wants yet.

Wait until she's older. There's no rush.

She starting liking “earrings etc” at 9 months old?! Sorry… what? She doesn’t understand them enough to like them. She doesn’t want her ears to be pierced because she “likes earrings”. She doesn’t need her ears to be pierced full stop. Just buy some stick on ones if you must and wait until she is older. 5 is still too young. My 5 year old loves stick on earrings and kids jewellery but has never asked about having her ears pierced.

Don't be pushed into ignoring your instinct to wait.

Why would anyone do this to a baby ???

Nope. Mine had their ears pierced when they were old enough to ask and understand. I think 6 or 7.
Your child is a baby. No way you should equate that from 12 months she was attracted to (your?) earrings to she wants her ears pierced. You would be inflicting pain and body modification on an baby who is far too young to consent.

I don't think it is something anyone should be doing until the teens. You dont need to change her body to add bits of metal. But it is also dangerous IMO. She could rip them out, they could get infected, she could get it out and eat it.

And you do know that having pierced ears isn’t a necessity? She might never want them piercing. People seem to see it as some sort of guaranteed milestone which is really odd.
My 10 year old has never asked to have her ears pierced.

This is often. Cultural thing to get babies ears pierced when they're v little. The Spanish usually get them done at birth or soon after.

If you want to do it OP, then do it. If you don't, then wait. My DD was 6 when she had hers done and she wanted it doing.

If you do go - go to a proper place. A tattoo parlour or similar where they pierce with a needle. Don't use the guns

If you want to do it OP, then do it

Why should the OP get to choose to inflict unnecessary pain on a baby? There is no benefit to the baby of getting her ears pierced. It’s purely for aesthetic purposes. It should be illegal.

🍿 🍿 Settles in

Why does it matter what anyone else says?

I wonder if people would condone putting holes in any other part of a baby’s body with needles purely to make them look ‘pretty’, or is it just ears that are fair game?

I want to hear more about the 9 month old baby that decided they loved earrings and wanted to get their ears pierced.

You cannot be serious!!
Babies don't like earrings they'll pull at anything
Mine used to pull my glasses I didn't think oh they want to wear them I'll get them a pair.
I hate earrings on little kids though as they look tacky and the child can't consent

Please don't do it. Apart from the safety issues, it looks absolutely ghastly.

Extraordinary!

So if your baby started reaching for a packet of cigarettes (because that’s what babies do, they grab everything), would you spark one up for her?

Your 18 month old doesn't ‘like earrings’ ffs, she’s a BABY. Unnecessary pain, infection and injury risk and they just look bloody awful.

It's definitely a cultural thing. I'm from a Mediterranean background and it's really common for parents to pierce baby's ears at around 6 months. Mine were pierced then. I'm actually so glad because I can go for long stretches without wearing earrings without worrying they'll close up. I had my second holes done in my early teens, and they've closed up 3 times! Friends of mine who had theirs pierced later in life always have to have some studs in whether they like it or not to ensure the holes don't close.

It's an unpopular choice on Mumsnet but hey ho. It's not akin to child abuse and your child won't be traumatised for the rest of her life.

She was probably just attracted to something shiny or that jingled. No way a small baby understood that she 'liked earrings'.

Also be aware that when she starts school she may have to remove them anyway. My DD school is zero tolerance on any jewellery. So even having them pierced at 5 might be a waste of time.

Personally I would happily ban it in under 10s.

but that aside I would have thought 18 months old about the worst age possible to do it because they can’t understand not to pull at the things that have just appeared in their ears

It's not akin to child abuse

Would you be happy for people to stick needles into other parts of your baby’s body for nothing other than aesthetic reasons then? Or just ears?