So, I'm curious...

[balamuthia]

How do you all feel about piercings on babies? I don't mean a nose or eyebrow or anything, but ear piercing on a child who is under a year old...

Would you take an infant to the mall to get her ears pierced, or to a piercing shop?

Would you do it yourself?

What age do you feel is appropriate to pierce a child's ears?

I'll answer in comments...

Comments

[iftherainstops]

I wouldn't. I would wait until they were old enough to even ask for it.

[__45rpm__]

I don't like it. And it has the potential to change position as they grow - so it could look all messed up when they're older. I'll let my daughter do it when she's old enough to take care of it herself. I don't like those piercing places in the mall either, I'd look into it and see if I could somehow have a professional piercer do it if I signed consent...although I don't know if that's possible.

[cursed_genesis]

Yep the professional piercers will usually do ears for 3 months and up, some doctors offices will do them also. =)

[__45rpm__]

That is awesome to know. :)

[transboywonder]

It depends entirely on the piercer. I have an eight year old daughter and I have been trying to find a reputable piercer to do her ears and haven't found one yet.

[cursed_genesis]

I won't for two reasons, I don't think body mod should be my choice, and because when/if my girls want to get theirs done I'd like it to be a lesson in responsibility.

I would hope that any parent doing it would make an informed choice and go to a piercing studio and have it done properly. In the end it's up to the parents and I won't look down on people for it.

Age wise I think when they're old enough to ask and understand the steps to caring for it themselves, so maybe 5 or 6 at the youngest depending on the kid.

[_otravez]

It is just as bad as circumcision! Are you kidding? You're not even waiting until the child can consent and that is ABUSE.

Actually, I don't care. At all. I don't think it looks cute at all and I don't like babies with pierced ears. I think most of the time it looks tacky. And from listening to my Mil's stories about working in pediatrics, quite a few kids pulled out the earrings and ate them.

I think it's appropriate to wait until your kid asks for them. I got my ears pierced when I was about 7, and I asked for them. Begged for it, actually. I would never pierce my kid myself.

[cursed_genesis]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks it looks weird.

[balamuthia]

I think it's just as silly (but more damaging) as those stretchy headbands with giant bows on them that they put on infant girls!

I just don't see freaking out because people don't instantly recognize my infant as male or female- and this is essentially the rationale (in addition to tradition) that my friend wants to get his infant daughter's ears pierced.

[triedthistwice]

omfg amen i hate those fucking giant headbands.

[dryad271]

I think it's completely ridiculous and I certainly wouldn't do it. However, I'm not gonna scream OMG CHILD ABUSE either (though having been in a jewelry shop when they were holding down a screaming three-month-old and piercing her ears, it sure seems close to it). :(

I'd do it at whatever age the kid wanted, provided they were old enough/mature enough to understand that there would be some pain, and that they have to take care of them until they heal. My mom made me wait until I was 10. I probably would have been ok at 8ish.