DD is begging for earrings - Page 2

[MammaB21]

Originally Posted by SparklingGemini

Not here. Our local piercing studio would have pierced DD's ears when she was two months, if we had wanted them to.

I wouldn't trust anyone who is willing to pierce the ears of an infant. And I wouldn't get mine or my childs anything pierced at a Clairs to save my life. Wow. I'm honestly shocked anyone would even consider that.

[Baby_Cakes]

No, I think it's too young. She has no idea what she's asking for. Just because earrings are pretty and her friends have them aren't good reasons to allow it on a child so young, IMO. I personally wouldn't pierce my child's ears that young.

That said, I agree w/one PP who said if you're going to get it done, please go to a professional where they use a needle and not a gun. Those guns are horrendous.

[SparklingGemini]

Originally Posted by MammaB21

I wouldn't trust anyone who is willing to pierce the ears of an infant. And I wouldn't get mine or my childs anything pierced at a Clairs to save my life. Wow. I'm honestly shocked anyone would even consider that.

Eh. Doesn't bother me. I think if its a hygienic studio or a doctor's office, I have no issues with it. This is one area I'm not really that conservative about.

I think that children really do have a strong concept of what they want and like I said, if you've educated them about the possible pain and upkeep, and they are still interested, then by all means, get them pierced.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I am a firm believer in his/her body his/her choice. I would however at your dd's age keep putting it off until she was old enough to grasp the full implications. Plus I would want to have to keep up with the cleaning and the earrings.

I usually tell dd that she can do so and so when she is X age in cases like this. It works well for us.

[Smokering]

I'm anti-piercing babies' ears for ethical reasons. Your DD is clearly consenting, so I don't see that it's an issue - if done by a reputable ear piercer it's a very safe procedure, and most girls choose to get it done later in life anyway (in the US/Western world, at least). So it's not like she's "consenting" to something with a high chance of complications, which will make her look unusual forever. Tongue bifurcation, f'rinstance. It's a fairly... normal thing to want. (And I say that as someone without pierced ears.) I'd be sure she knows the holes/scars are likely to be there forever, though.

That said, I wouldn't let my DD do it at 2.5... but I think you'd be ethically in the clear as long as this is her choice, she's had time to reflect on it and knows about the permanency of the outcome.

[lucifugous]

I am also neutral. My position (when dealing with my ex, who wanted her ears pierced and whose mother was the designated piercer for all the babies in their family ) was that she can have them when she can ask for them and help take care of them. Sometimes my explanation was truncated to just asking, and I really had no idea that a child under three would ask (though it makes sense NOW :P). I think the ability to help care for them may be important, but for a very young girl that's not necessarily out of the question, it just takes a different form. It really depends on your child's understanding of it. I don't think it's a huge deal, the permanence of the hole or the alternative of scar tissue in its place. It's more about what will happen in the weeks following the piercing, and from then on it's smooth sailing.

Originally Posted by Cavy

So is piercing a toddler's or baby's ears not controversial on MDC??? I hang out on another parenting website where ppl get very up in arms about how wrong it is (they believe) -- I am neutral, btw.

I think the issue is making an alteration to a baby who has no desire/ can not consent. As others have pointed out, 2.5 is pretty young, but I don't think it carries the same controversy as baby ear piercing. Kids become ready for things at totally different ages, so who knows.

[MamaMelis]

If my child were asking for it, I would have no problem with it.

[shanniesue2]

Originally Posted by MammaB21

And I wouldn't get mine or my childs anything pierced at a Clairs to save my life. Wow. I'm honestly shocked anyone would even consider that.

It doesn't shock me in the least that someone would consider getting their ears pierced at Claire's. I would venture to say that the majority of the mainstream population considers it the thing to do and don't really have much education about it. I will say that until recently, it's where I would have taken a DC to get it. But only because I think about piercing studios in terms of other types of piercings (tongue, nose, belly button, etc.) I mean I know logically that they must do ear lobes, but it's not the first thing I automatically think of.

I mean when I was a kid, every child I knew got their ears pierced at Claire's or some other similar place. It's where I got mine pierced both times. And if that's what a person knows, why would it be so shocking to think that anyone would honestly consider that???

Now, I haven't done much research on it as I don't imagine DS asking for a piercing any time in the near future. But I can say that after what little bit I've read here, you can bet that I will be doing more research on it when/if the issue comes up. And I likely will not choose to get them done at Claire's. But I still don't see how it's a shocking idea????

[mntnmom]

I understand the logic of piercing a tiny baby's ears. I don't agree, but atleast they are too small to pull at them. I think 2.5 is probably the worst age possible to get them done. she isn't really old enough to understand what she's asking for, and she's big enough to pick, pull, and get infected.

I like the sticker idea. She wants something pretty, but not as uncomfortable as clip ons.
But especially for such tiny ears, I would stay away from those guns! A professional with a needle and years of dedicated practice is safer, the noise isn't as scary, and having done both.... it hurts a little less.

[justKate]

Originally Posted by JL83

If you decide to do the piercings... Please take her to a real piercing shop where they will use a hollow needle rather than the gun. The gun crushes the flesh and is much more likely to get infected and HURTS so much more than the needle.

if your LO doesn't scar well (or if you don't know yet) please take her to a piercing shop (like a tattoo place) where an experienced person will pierce her with a clean needle instead of a gun. It will be much less painful and less likely to cause damaging scar tissue.

Trust me.

Casey
piercing addict in recovery

[MammaB21]

Shanniesue2: you know, your right. It is much more common to get ear piercings at a Claires, so I guess shocked may have been a bad choice of word.

It's just that I have read several threads like this on MDC and in every thread there is information provided about piercings and what to consider. I agree with the PP who mentioned the downfalls of using a gun for piercings. That fact, and some of the things I mentioned earlier seemed to have been looked over. Age and consent aside, I just don't understand making a hasty, blind decision about a permanent altercation to your DC's body. I don't necessarily have a TON of piercings and tattoos, but I've been around it enough to know that it isn't something to take lightly. I would surely want to take my DC somewhere that I know will do the best job possible. And that includes using clean and sterile instruments, using a hollow needle and not a gun, doing one ear at a time to assure that they will be even and aesthetically appealing, give proper guidance to after care, etc. I was seven when I got my ears pierced at a Clairs. They ended up crooked, and infected for years. I cleaned them as recommended and they still got infected. They bleed, itched, and hurt. I had to change earings many times because the metal they used caused me to have allergies. I've since gotten multiple piercings and tattoos at reputable shops and have never once had ANY problems like that.

Aside from all that, like I said, I wouldn't fault anyone getting a consenting child ear piercings. It wouldn't be my decision at that age, but that decision is a personal one. I don't mean to flame anyone here, and I hope I'm not coming off that way. Heck, you may go to a Clairs and have no problems at all. I would just recommend looking into some of the things I've mentioned and taking them into consideration when making a decision.

ETA: I agree about the pain of the gun, too. When done correctly, a normal piercing should be pretty painless. But those guns do HURT....ouch!

[nelson]

It's strange the things you didn't even know you had opinions on until you became a parent. Yesterday while shopping at the mall, I saw a women filling out the forms for what looked like was two, tiny, twin baby girls, who were going to get their ears pierced (at Claire's). I almost teared up. It just seems wrong to do that to a baby to make them look "pretty." The babies were smiling and giggling and I imagined them min. later and the look of horror on their screaming faces as someone shot holes through their earlobes. Okay, a bit graphic and I understand that your toddler is asking for them, but I would wait a lot longer.

[Gentle~Mommy :)]

My son wants his ears pierced, my husband is having a fit. He's almost 5, not sure what is going to happen. He even asked Santa for earrrings.

[Collinsky]

I waited until about a year after my Dd first asked, and only since she still brought it up from time to time. I made sure that she understood that it would hurt (and that I was confident that she REALLY understood that) and that she was able to properly care for the piercing as it healed. I would think that most 2.5 yos wouldn't be able to do that - they would fidget with them, etc. For me, she's just now coming into an age where she can consent, so it's a judgment call that only you could make. I would say though, that no harm can come from waiting another few months, maybe a good idea is to get it done when she turns three, as a birthday gift. When there is any doubt if something is a good idea or not, waiting just a short while can provide peace of mind.

I also second the professional piercer with a needle, rather than a mall kiosk or Claire's with a gun. I've had several lobe piercings, and the ones done with a needle hurt less and healed better and faster than the ones done with a gun.

[Honey693]

My DD isn't getting her ears pierced until I think she can fully take care of them. I refuse to clean them every day, rotate the posts, and make sure they don't get infected. Once she's old enough that I think she can do those things on her own, wthere that's 5 or 15, she can get them done.