POLLish: Piercing Baby Ears

buttaflai · October 2009

Yeah, Nebb. All my horrible, terrible baby pics with pierced ears are at home.

Hello Sunshine · October 2009

I just think it looks tacky. I just spit my coffee out. haha.

scoetto · October 2009

I have 10 holes in my ears, and I've had my lip, nose, and tongue pierced. All were decisions I made and asked for when I was old enough (well, I only asked for 2 holes in each ear, the other piercings I did in hs/college). I'm with those who think it's the child's decision.

wadingmoose · October 2009

I'm sure you think you were adorable, but I'm also quite sure most people here have seen children with pierced ears.I don't think that the pictures of you will change anyone's mind on this - regardless of how cute you were.I'm also against plastic surgery for infants, even if it will make them look awesome!

fangsiting · October 2009

I would agree with tacky. Although the first word that comes to mind is creepy. It's like those toddler pageant participants, but on a smaller scale.

jamm2019 · October 2009

wadingmoose - I know the holes wont close up if you have had them for along time...I know a lot of people who have allergies to the 14k and 18k gold to. Do you use the earrings that have the nickle removed from them. I cant remember what they are called. I am 31 and have had mine since 5 yrs old, and I do remember when I got them to. Back then it was an actual gun with a long hollow needle. Today they use a different kind of instrument, and it creates minimal discomfort...

kikibaby · October 2009

I guess when I really think about it, anything that makes babies/very young kids look too grown up is inappropriate to me. Kinda reminds me of Toddlers & Tiaras- yikes.

Hello Sunshine · October 2009

It's like those toddler pageant participants, but on a smaller scale. Exaggerate much?

atobias1 · October 2009

Personally it's NMS. I've seen babies with studs in, and at first I think "aww" then"wait... they did that to their baby??" I got mine done for my 9th birthday. they had 2 girls do my ears at the same time. They went on the count of 2 not 3. Done and done. I do remember having a little trouble sleeping for a while with them because they were still tender. I have a feeling I am going to cherish the time I have when my baby is sleeping. So I don't want to disrupt that.

fangsiting · October 2009

It's like those toddler pageant participants, but on a smaller scale.Exaggerate much?That's not an exaggeration. They really do remind me of toddler pageant participants on a smaller scale.

[Deleted User] · October 2009

I work with the public. From what I've seen I would say piercing a baby's ears is traditional in other cultures than American. If this is true for you bring it up to H. For anyone willing to wait until their daughter is old enough to ask I would suggest doing what my Mom did - both ears at once. I don't think that they would have ever gotten the 2nd earring in me had I done one ear at a time.

Hello Sunshine · October 2009

So kiki, what is the difference then between an infant with ears pierced and a 5, 8, 9 or 12 year old getting their ears pierced. If pierced ears are too "grown up", then older kids having it done is "creepy", too, right?

wadingmoose · October 2009

Marie, I tend to just not wear earrings at all for the most part. I will put in ones I'm allergic to for a few hours, and I pay for it later, but I suppose I'm willing to endure that now. As an adult.And, if you pierce a child's ears as an infant, at what point would they decide they don't want them pierced? 5? 6? That's a long time.

kikibaby · October 2009

Ummm... no, a 12 year old with pierced ears is not the same as an infant with pierced ears. A 12 yo is semi-grown up. She's old enough to make her own decisions.

TheSaltyPeanut · October 2009

I think it looks weird, not cute.

jamm2019 · October 2009

I just want to add that my daughter is not creepy, or nor does she look like one of those barbie doll girls on that Toddlers and Tiara show. I don't think her earrings make her look older at all. I don't let her wear big earrings. I also don't think that I am a bad parent for getting them done. It's not like she is out working the street corner just because she has earrings...LOL!

wadingmoose · October 2009

Considering a lot of girls are getting their first periods at 8, 9 and 12 years old as well as developing breasts, I'd have to say that physically they're developing into adults so that is significantly different than an infant.I'd also have to say that an 8 year olds reasoning and decision making skills are much greater than an infants. As well as their ability to understand and communicate such decisions.

Hello Sunshine · October 2009

My point is that 12 years old is still too young (IMO) to wear makeup or otherwise have a "grown up" appearance. If we argue that "dressing up" infants with jewellery makes them appear un-childlike, and "you might as well put lipstick on the baby", then the same argument would apply to a 12 year old, no?

Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt · October 2009

I started wearing make-up at 12 in a way that was appropriate for a pre-teen to wear makeup. Would my mother have allowed me to wear makeup like I do now? No, I'm sure she wouldn't have. (I never tried.) But I was so self-conscious about my acne at 12 that I would hide behind my hair. My mom let me wear a little bit of coverup and powder so that I felt comfortable wearing my hair in a ponytail for gym or sports teams. I see nothing wrong with that, nor do I think that wearing that kind of makeup was too old for my years. Putting makeup on a child also isn't permanent. If you want to compare makeup to ear peircing, maybe you should use permanent eyeliner as an example. Wouldn't you think it was ridiculous if a parent had eyeliner tatted on their baby as an infant because she'll most likely wear it as an adult?

SwedishChick2011 · October 2009

I think it's silly when a baby's ears are pierced. I don't think it's necessarily wrong for parents to have them done, but it's just dumb IMO.

gkb0910 · October 2009

then the same argument would apply to a 12 year old, no? I believe that the point was made that the same argument doesn't apply to a 12 year old. A 12 year old is far more capable of articulating their thoughts than an infant and is far more capable of dealing with the responsibilities of their decision. And, as moose (I think) pointed out, when girls are going through puberty, their bodies are already becoming more adult-like. FWIW, I think the pain argument is silly. It doesn't hurt that much. I went at 5, 16 and 18. If it hurt so much, I wouldn't have gone 3 times.

atobias1 · October 2009

I get it that it can be a cultural thing. I don't judge anyone who does it. It's just NMS. I think my child can stick to the stick on "earings" like I had growing up.

wadingmoose · October 2009

Hello Sunshine, everyone gets to decide for their own children when they get to start doing things. I was in junior high at 12 and therefore allowed to start wearing makeup (well, 11, but I was younger than everyone else). My mom let me wear makeup before she let me pierce my ears.These days, kids are dressing like little whores at 5 and 6. I think that's way too young, but other parents are fine with it. It's not like I can stop them or change what their children wear. Ditto earrings. I'll give it the side-eye and wonder why you'd do something like that to a child, but I'm not going to rip the earrings out of your child's head.

buttaflai · October 2009

Pretty sure you would be weird if your baby DIDN'T have pierced ears in Asia. I'm also pretty sure I never was a tot with a tiara. Some see it as a rite of passage and some don't.

atobias1 · October 2009

These days, kids are dressing like little whores at 5 and 6.I call these prostitots.

sucrets4 · October 2009

I don't understand why picking an arbitrary age makes things better. I had friends who couldn't get them until they were X age, and it made them want them more. And then many of them went to town and got eleventy billion holes and now their ears look saggy and gross.I had one in each ear until I was a teenager and wanted a 2nd hole in one ear.And teeny studs =/= pageant babies. I agree with Nebb that it's not like they're wearing fancy, huge earrings.Okay, maybe they don't always close up, but it's not like it's a huge, noticeable hole.

ootmother2 · October 2009

Isn't it more a cultural thing? I told M that she could have her ears piecred when she was 6 but she didn't want them until she was 8 or 9. I think the reason she wanted them when she was very little was that one of her best buddies had them and she may have been jealous. This little girls mother had them done when she was a baby because she looked like a boy and the mom thought it would help.

bigsillydays · October 2009

I agree with buttaflei, it's a cultural thing. In the Latino community, it is rare to NOT have your baby girls ears pierced. But it makes sense that cultural traditions look odd to people who don't partake in them.

sme168 · October 2009

I thought most people do it so you can tell if the baby is a boy or a girl. Am I incorrect here? Personally, I think it's something the child should 'earn' as they get older. For example, they've done well in school that year, or perhaps get it done for their birthday.I was eight and I don't recall the pain at all, so I don't think that's a factor in it.

cengle · October 2009

"I think it's silly when a baby's ears are pierced. I don't think it's necessarily wrong for parents to have them done, but it's just dumb IMO."Ditto this.

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