Ear Piercing

[Erika]

What do you think about piercing babies and young childrens ears? When would you allow your children to get their ears pierced? Would you allow them to get their ears pierced?

[Christine]

We decided not to pierce our girls' ears until they were old enough to understand what it took to keep them clean. My three older girls all have pierced ears now (8, 6, 5) but Danielle won't for awhile still. I think she'd look adorable with little earrings in, but I don't feel right choosing that for her.

[Erika]

I have to say that I am very much against having youg children's ears pierced. I just think it looks awful and is done mostly for the parents sake rather than the childs. I always remember friends of mine saying how they screamed and fought having their ears pierced when they were younger.
I don't allow piercing with guns (they can never be fully sterilised) and I just won't stick Sasha with a needle (or with a gun) for no reason except pure vanity.

Once she can afford to get her ears done (and she wants them done), I think she is old enough (ie probably not before 10), and I know she can take full responsibility for the cleaning of them, she can get them done.

[Kami]

KyLynn was 4 when I let her pierce her ears. I wanted her to understand that they needed to be kept clean and that she had to make sure the ear rings were always put up in the jewelry box. She has done wonderful with it!

[Emily]

I'm usually the odd one out on this question. Kamryn had her ears pierced on her three month birthday. They have never been infected, she has never messed with them, and she loves wearing earrings (and changing them out). Kierra was going to get her's done on her three month birthday too but she was in the hospital. She never did get her's done. Kianna got her's done this past Sunday. She cried for all of 2 seconds and was done. Way less trauma than getting her shots. She hasn't pulled at them or seemed bothered at all.

[Beka]

like pretty much every aspect of parenting i say each to their own as long as a child is not being abused emotionally or physically we should all be open to make our own parenting choice- for me however i am not big on babies with earrings (probably as my girls are really bald as babies... i don't know? Possibly because i am quite an earthy woman who doesn't really follow fashion? possibly... i don't know)

I let my kids (not just the girls- it'll apply to Jude and Loks too) have their ears pierced when they are of an age where the can understand it is going to hurt AND cope with that fact and they can be responsible for their own piercings (changing studs, cleaning etc) David and i both have piercings but we both also had them done at ages where we could comprehend fully (12 for my ears, 18 for my nose, 18 for Davids ears, 22 for his tongue)

Chase asked to have hers done at age 7 and so we had them done at the same studio that did David's tongue as we knew them to be reputable, safe and qualified.

Noses, belly buttons etc we'll see how the land lies when the subject comes up- noses aren't really flinched at around here anymore.

I would like them to be 18 before they contemplate any non-visable piercings though (ones that are largely sexual in nature like nipples, tongue etc) and to be honest i'd probably be more willing to allow the boys to have their nipples done as they don't have to consider impact on future bfing like the girls do.

[Desirae]

While I think babies look adorable with their ears pierced, :lovealot I would probably wait till she could understand what was happening and could take responsiblity for cleaning and caring for them.
As for piercings other than the ears, I would want them to wait till they were at least 18.. preferably older since we all know 18 isn't a really mature point. ;)

[Beka]

I would want them to wait till they were at least 18.. preferably older since we all know 18 isn't a really mature point. ;)

see although i acknowledge 16/18 isn't the most mature point i do see it as an age where they should be permitted to express their individuality outwardly- the way i see it with piercings is they can be short lived if style does change (i'd feel different i am sure about flesh tunnels etc as they leave permanent body changes)

My nose was a "fad" according to my parents when i had it done at 18 (their rules i had to wait so i did it after Chase was born) and i still wear it daily.

[Erika]

You can't legally get body piercing here until you are 18 and that is what will have to happen with our children. The only one I may relent on and allowed before 18 is a nose piercing. Same with tattoos. I have no issues with body piercing or tattoos, but they will have to wait until they are of age.

I got my eyebrow pierced when I was 21. My mother assumed it was just a phase and here i am at 29 with it still in LOL

[Desirae]

Oh Beka, I agree... I would just personally hope that they would waitto be sure they really wanted it. ;)

[Lori]

I'd want my kids to wait until they were old enough to be somewhat responsible for the care of the piercings before they got them. I remember that it was something painful when my parents had to turn the earring and put alcohol on it, right after they were pierced, and I'd want to make sure my child understood why I was doing that and why it was necessary, or were able to do it themselves.

But, while I personally wouldn't pierce an infant's ears, it's not something that causes any harm, and it can be largely a cultural thing, so I wouldn't judge anyone for doing so.

As for body piercings, as long as they weren't on any private parts, I really wouldn't have a problem giving my teenager permission for one. I'd feel very differently about tattoos, since they're permanent, and I'd want my kids to be 18 before they got one, but piercings can always be removed (I wouldn't want them doing anything that would cause permanent changes, like one of those huge circles people use to stretch out their earlobes), and as long as they were capable of doing the necessary care, I'd be fine with allowing my teenagers to get a facial piercing. Some I'd be less aesthetically enthusiastic about ;), but since they can always come out, it's not something I'd personally get into a power struggle about. But I would be upset if they got one without my permission, before they were 18, because that would be irresponsible on a number of levels, especially since reputable piercing places won't do them on anyone under 18 without a parent's permission.

[wendygrace]

I am close to Beka in that they will need to wait until they are older and fully understand before they are allowed. I will also add that they would need to use their own money to do either piercings and/or body art because I want them to full understand the committment this would take and the impact it could have on their lives.

For the record, I had my ears pierced as an infant (culture thing) and I still have the holes in my ears even though I haven't worn earings in over 15 years except for twice. It sometimes bothers me that I have these holes in my earlobes that I didn't put there. Especially since you can buy earings that are clipons. As for body art, both dh and I wanted them as youths but both of us are glad we didn't get it. Me due to money and dh because he went into the army and worked his way up the ranks. Without visible body art, he was able to do things others who did have some, couldn't do.

[Danielle]

We waited until Takara asked to have it done (6 years or so).

like pretty much every aspect of parenting i say each to their own as long as a child is not being abused emotionally or physically we should all be open to make our own parenting choice- for me however i am not big on babies with earrings

ITA Beka.

[Jurgita]

If I ever have a girl, she will definitely have to wait until she is old enough to get her ears pierced. Who knows maybe she won't even want it, so unless she is old enough, really wants it and is able to take care of it, she won't be getting it.

[Kristi]

When we first had Izzy I really wanted to have her ears done. We had plans to do them when we got back to the U.S. and our housekeeper even bought her her first pair of earrings. But once I started thinking about it and why I was getting it done (because I thought it looked cute) I changed my mind. I did not want to make her go through any unnecessary pain. I already hate taking babies to get shots and things like that. After talking it over Tim and I decided that she could have her ears piereced when she was able to take care of them and understand what was going on (If she wants to of course.) It is her body and I don't feel I should make decisions like putting holes in it for her. ;)

As for any other piercings I think those will have to wait til they are old enough to pay for them themselves and understand fully what they are doing.

[Beryl]

We actually felt fine doing it early, but the DH thinks it's best to wait, so the family has something to fixate on that we don't really care about. How twisted is that? I still think she'd be cute with them now... and she'll have to wait on the 2nd, 3rd, & 4th... and nosering until she is older and responsible. (I've had my nose ring 15 years and counting.)

[Mary]

I'm not comfortable with it. I don't think "looking cute" is enough of a reason to bring the pain and discomfort on my kid. I don't really care if she's bald and people think she's a boy so that doesn't figure into it at all.

When Madalyn is old enough to take care of her ears herself she can have them done if she wants them. I don't have a set age in mind. At this point, though, she has figured out that it hurts and she wants no part of it. Every once in a while, just to tease her, I say, "Hey, Madalyn! Want to get your ears pierced?" and she claps her hands over her ears and hollers, "Noooooo!" LOL She is not a big fan of pain so I predict it will be many years before she's willing to consider it, which is fine, as I don't care whether she ever has it done or not.

[Jo]

There are a couple of reasons I won't do it. I willingly sign off on things to put my children through pain even if they don't understand if those things are medically necessary. Rai needed botox, she got it. Laura needs tubes, she is getting them. I eventually get around to vaccinating because I feel it is the right thing for them. But I am completely unwilling to put my children in pain for a procedure that isn't necessary. I just don't find stinging ear pain for vanity necessary.

The other reason falls along the same lines that I wouldn't circumcise a son or obviously a daughter since I am pretty sure that is illegal. I don't believe in altering their bodies without their permission or again what I consider to be medically necessary. I don't get wound up over what other people chose but I just won't make that choice.

Dave and I have decided finally that the earliest they can have them done is sometime in elementary school and we are looking most likely at 5th grade graduation. The reason is petty. In 6th grade, they will be entering the real world of cliques and those weird little things are going to matter. They will be allowed to make the choice for themselves at that time.

[ColleenC]

At first I was against it, but in Steve's culture they do it as early as possible on girls. SO I told him if he took her, paid for it and kept them clean, he could get her ears done. So when she was 3 months we took her in. After seeing how they do it and seeing her go through it I will definitely do it again if we were to have another girl sometime. She cried only because she was hungry(gave her her bottle and she was fine) we have NEVER had an infection, she never plays with them and doesn't remember.

I was 8 when I got mine done and I still remember how horrible it was. I ran out of the place and cried. I played with them constantly and got infections.

But like everything else, it's whatever the parent believes works for their family :)

[Kate]

Because I had no cultural reason to have Maia's ears don early, it was never something I contemplated...and to be honest, seeing my niece's ears pierced while she was still a baby only ever made me want to wince.

At this point, Maia doesn't want her ears pierced, but at any point from now, she can request it, and I would allow her, because I do think she's capable of taking care of them. If she ever chooses to have her ears pierced, or later on, her nose or anything else I will be taking her to see my tattooist/piercer and have the piercing done with a needle rather than the gun...and she thinks that's a very cool idea, she's just not ready to deal with it yet. And if she never is, then that's perfectly okay...but given the way that she's been eyeing off the earrings I've been making myself lately, I don't think it's going to be too long before she asks.

[Stacy]

Cecily had hers pierced around 6 to 8 weeks old. She did great and still has hers pierced. She didn't cry and never had any problems with them.

She also got her belly button pierced. She was 16 when we let her do that. She did a great job taking care of it too.

We took Mandy when she was one to get hers pierced and she cried and played with them and they got infected.

I believe this is one that is up to when the parent is comfortable getting them done.

[Jennee]

i had tashas ears pierced at 5 months, it didnt bother her. she left them alone for a few months then started pulling them out (the studs and sleepers, ouch. but that didnt bother her either)
she still has the holes and now loves wearing earings

[Kristen]

I don't have really strong feelings one way or the other about it, as far as what other people do.

I haven't done it for my girls, mostly because I feel like I don't WANT one other thing to mess with. Having to deal with getting three girls' hair done in the morning is quite enough for me. :giggle I'd just rather wait until they are old enough to deal with their earrings themselves. I got mine pierced when I was 12, I think? Anyhow, if they get to be 10-12 and are interested, I'll certainly take them in to get it done.

[MistressAndMaid]

I'm with Mary on this one. I don't like the look of baby girls with earrings - I personally think it's tacky. If your daughters have it done, OK, but I wouldn't let my daughter have it done until she was old enough to ask for them, and then she would be expected to care for them on her own. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was eleven, and Charlotte will ask when she's ready.

As far as other body piercings go, I have no problem with them as long as Lottie is of age. I have a tongue piercing and an HCH piercing, and no way am I permitting either of them with her until she's well over 18!

[malcontent]

I don't like the way pierced ears look on babies or little girls. If I had a daughter, I'd make her wait until she was a teenager to wear earrings.

[Jejune]

It's not something I feel strongly about in terms of other people's children, but I do feel strongly that I won't have any of my children's ears pierced at a young age. I had to demonstrate responsibility by keeping my room clean and caring for my pets consistently for a number of months before I got my ears pierced. I like that, and would probably do something like that with any of my kids should they want a piercing. My ears got infected the first round, even though I took good care of them, because the piercer used cheap metal. I would take any of my kids to a body piercing studio to have it done, to make sure a needle is used, and that they get gold for their first earrings. It was very frustrating to have to let the holes close up and pierce them again, but I wouldn't say that it was traumatic or that it hurt much.

I was 10 when I had my ears pierced, so that's what I assumed was a good age, but Daniel wants 15 as the age when any of our kids can get anything pierced. I'm fine with that, so at the moment, 15 is the age.

[Lisa]

My Dh who has a few piercings and tattoo's thinks that piercing a baby's ears is cruel. Esp since most times it's used with those piercing guns. Thats his opinion. I agree to some extent but not as passionate about it as he is.

*Not meaning to offend anyone, just stating our opinion.

[Heather]

My mom had mine done when I was 2 months. While I don't remember getting those ones, I DO remember getting them pierced a 2nd time when I was 16 and it wasn't bad for me at all. My problem is that mine were always getting infected.. even when I was a little kid. I can really only wear stearling silver without having problems, so when I had all my big hoop, dangly earrings in jr. high and high school it just made my ears worse. I don't wear earrings at all now. I don't really care about jewelry though, either.

As far as Virg is concerned, I still feel now the way I felt before I had a daughter. And that is- I don't see the point. I really don't care who gets their kids ears pierced and who doesn't. Like Beka said.. to each his own! I remember being little though and my ears bugging me because they were infected again and it sucked. As far as I'm concerned lol, if she wants to do it to Herself.. then by all means we'll go for it. But i'm not doing it before she's old enough to know what she's taking on and can deal with it herself.

my opinions on the other kinds of piercings have changed some over the past couple of years. I used to feel that they(any of the kids) would have to wait until 18. But knowing that most places will do it for a 16 year old with parental permission, at this point it's something I would consider at least. There are a lot of factors that will play into it though and tattoo's are a no no. Who knows what will be "IN" by then though. I shudder to think after seeing pics of the tongue spitting crap they do now.
Now, dh on the other hand... he's very old fashioned(as some of you may remember) and he's not down for piercings much at all on any of them, EVER, let alone eyebrow piercings ect. So.. we'll see what the future holds lol. As it stands though, Virginia is 8.5 months old and we haven't done it and don't plan to anytime soon. Who knows.. she may never even want them done. We'll see!

[Marzipan]

I really dislike the way young children look with pierced ears. My daughter will be 3 in June and her ears are not pierced. My husband and I will consider it when she starts grade school, but are not thrilled with the idea even then. We're hoping to make it a special thing she can have when she gets her first period, kind of a symbolic thing since that is the time when she will really begin taking stewardship of her own body. As an aside, I have had a number of piercings and am not inherently opposed to body modifications.

[Shiloh]

My daughter is 8 and she doesn't have pierced ears and has never asked. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was in my twenties and I rarely wear earrings. I would never pierce a baby's ears and I think 12-13 is the youngest that I would allow my daughters to have their ears pierced. I just don't like the way it looks and I think it's unnecessary. I have friends who don't have their ears pierced and don't want to have them pierced. I'd hate to make that decision for my child and find out later that she didn't want it. I know the holes can close up, but the scars rarely go away.

That said, I don't really care if people do pierce their kids' ears.

[Shasta]

I wouldn't get their ears pierced when they were babies. I don't think badly of people who do, that's their choice and I don't think it's a horrible thing to do or anything.

It's just not something that I want to do, myself. I only have boys but if they ask to have an ear pierced when they're older, I would probably allow it. I wouldn't do it the first day they asked, I would wait a while to make sure it's something they really wanted. I don't see it as a huge deal, it's a hole, it can grow shut if they change their mind later. Now holes all over their face, that's a different story. I have a cousin who is a beautiful girl and she has 3 piercings below her lip, she just turned 16, had them done at 15. But anyway, I just worry that in a few years she won't want them anymore and she's going to have these 3 scars on her face and she'll really regret it.

I was 7 when I got my ears pierced and I really wanted it done. My mom had hers done for the first time ever, with me. I made her go first!:giggle

[SabrinaJL]

I don't believe in altering their bodies without their permission or again what I consider to be medically necessary. I don't get wound up over what other people chose but I just won't make that choice.

I totally agree with Jo. I don't think it's abusive or that people who have it done are bad parents. But I do feel that it isn't respectful of your child at all. I wouldn't want someone altering my body for the sake of looks without my permission, so I definitely wouldn't have done it to my child. With Krysten I figured when she was old enough to care for them, she could have them done. She's 13 now and has absolutely no desire to have anything pierced.

[Beka]

Now, dh on the other hand... he's very old fashioned(as some of you may remember) and he's not down for piercings much at all on any of them

:lmao ohhhh do i recall a teaching staff and piercings discussion? :lmao ohhhh Heather i have known you far too long LOL