I peirced my DDs ears yesterday....

[Spicey Momma]

It was a real struggle too. I had wanted it done since she was tiny (now nearly 14 months).

Everything NFL in me was screaming "WHAT ARE YOU DOING! YOU ARE ABOUT TO PUT HOLES IN YOUR DD'S BODY!!!!

But everything mainstream in me was trying to calm my "crunchy side" by saying, "DD is a princess, and this will be so cute. DO IT!!! DO IT!!!". As insurance I brought along a friend that is a little crunchy, but has her daughters ears peirced.



How do you guys feel about this? Am I the only crunchy momma that has peirced her DDs ears? BTW, DD took it like a champ. She was only upset about the "restraint position" I had to hold her in.

[JoAida]

Just my philosophy: I do not do anything to my children's bodies that could be long lasting or permanent unless it is medically necessary.

[Butter]

Miss A has pierced ears. She begged to get them done back in March a few weeks after she turned 4. I wouldn't have had them done just because I wanted to, but she really did and is so proud to have those cute little purple earrings now (we've never changed them from the starter earrings).

[waterproofmascara]

My Little Miss is begging to have her ears pierced. I have never mentioned it to her, but she loves helping me pick out which earrings to wear in the morning, and I guess she got the idea from there.
She'll be 3 in December, so I am planning on having it done then if she hasn't changed her mind.

[weebitty2]

dd had her ears pierced at 3mo .. but, like her daddy, every hole you put in her body bleeds like a .. so .. out they came. If she wants them again when she's older, we'll try again, though.

[wemoon]

Never would I do this. It is my childs body, possibley if she asks me enough about it and seems to genuinely want to do it, and understands it will hurt and she will need to learn to take care of them. But at 5 she just doesn't seem ready for it. Occaisionally she asks, but I talk about it and then she doesn't want to do it.

[NB Mom]

My Mom had my ears pierced when I was 7 yo, and after many talks about what it meant (pain, taking care of ears and earrings). I plan to do the same, whenever my DD seams to be interested.

[LaffNowCryLater]

I would never pierce my dd's ears until she wants them pierced. I plan on using it as a reward one day when she is older. (For example-If she gets good grades on her report card-she can get her ears pierced if she would like.)

[Melda]

i will not get my DD's ears peirced until she is old enough to ask for them and to take care of them properly (prolly 10-12-14??) who knows?? I just dont want to put holes in her body and it not be a choice she made because she may never make that choice.....

[Kylix]

I too would never pierce my child's ears (alter their body) without their consent. I don't feel that a child can give consent, knowing the pain involved and the upkeep too, until a much later age--middle childhood.

It is a painful process, it is a body altering process, and it requires daily upkeep. All things that a young child can not understand and can not ask for/consent to.

Kylix

[Ravin]

I think it partly comes into a cultural context. There are some cultural segments of our society where it is more common to pierce ears very young, and some where it is not. Ear piercings, if abandoned later by someone who doesn't want to wear earrings any more, are not a major deal. I say that as someone with pierced ears who hasn't worn earrings in years.

[stayinghome]

I have three girls. I will never pierce their ears until they want it, beg for it, and understand the pain and care afterwords involved.

Just as if I had had boys and didn't feel I had the right to circumsise them without their consent, I do not feel i have the right to pierce my girls' ears without their consent.

But... this is just my opinion. Lots of people do this in our culture, and if you feel ok about it that's what matters for your family.

[boston]

No, I would not do this. Not unless my daughter truly wanted them, and was old enough to have real informed consent.

[mermommy]

I wouldn't pierce my DD's ears before the age of 4 ( at the earliest) .

I would never pierce my DD just because I wanted it done - pick out cute clothes/ cute halloween costumes? Fine - Have metal studs shot into her body? No.

I absloutely hate seeing babies and young children struggling in the chairs at the piercing shops . Sure the parents think it's cute but it can wait.

If you have to hold your child down and they are struggling against you during the procedure it is not worth it just to get earrings. It's hard enough to watch a child that needs some sort of medical scan or exam done and is struggling but for jewelry?

[Spicey Momma]

: *sniff* noone agrees with me...........

[USAmma]

I had my dd's ears pierced when she was 12 mos. old. It's traditional to do this for both boys and girls on their first birthdays. I made sure it was done in India where they can do it without it hurting (I had my nose pierced in India, so I can speak from personal experience abut it not hurting). Dd was fine with it, never has played with her ears, never minded it. She thinks they are pretty.

Not sure if we are going to get Nitara's done since she's not going to India until she's older most likely. But yeah, it's one of those things that dh and I feel strongly about that should be done according to tradition. We also shaved Abi's head at 12 mos. and will shave Nitara's sometime when she's had a chance to heal from all the medical procedures and is less touchy about people handling her.

Both things are reversible. If it was a permanant thing like circumcision I would wait and let the child decide when they were of an age to do that.

Darshani

[moon_goddess]

i would have waited till *she could have made the decision. it isnt my body so why should i make the decision to mutilate it.

btw i have a lot of piercings and tattoo's and i would only allow my ds to have these if he was ready and wanting to have these things done.

sorry mama that noone is in agreement but this is a tough subject

[Nankay]

How do I feel about this? :Puke

Can't you just buy some sticker earrings at the Dollar Store?

[Nicole77]

Madeline has been asking for earrings non-stop for about one month. She is enraptured with my mother's many, many varieties of earrings (I have pierced ears but just wear the same pair of studs most of the time). Despite my mother's continued insistence (in front of dd) that I should just do it dh and I have held firm to our decision that she can get them pierced when she is older if she still wants to.

We tell her she can do it when she is 8 because she responds well to a definite number (even though she doesn't really understand the concept of time in years). Eight isn't really the magic number though; I just figure that is roughly how old she will be when she can mostly take care of them herself. Hey, she may not even ask at that point. She could move right to a nose ring! :LOL

[srain]

I think it's wrong to permanently alter anyone's body without their informed consent. A lot of folks who pierce their babies' ears would be appalled if someone suggested they tattoo them instead....