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Moms View Message Board: Parenting Discussion: Archive January-June 2005: Should I pierce my dd ears?
I was wondering if I should pierce my 6 month old daughter's ears. I got mine pierced when I was 6 months but I feel that if I pierce her ears then people will look at me like I am a bad mom. What do you ladies think?
This is a heated topic that will get varied responses. People are generally very pro or very con about this topic.
Personally, I do not see anything wrong with it...I waited until my dd asked (she had just turned 3) She has had no infection and she loves them. There is, however, a debate on this subject. If you take care of your dd's ears to make sure she doesn't get an infection, I am 90% sure she will love them when she gets older (as most girls do). Good Luck whatever you decide and there is no sense in rushing into things. Go with what you feel is best, your the mom.
This is a personal decision that differs for everyone. Don't worry what other people think!
I would leave it up to my daughter when she's older. To me, things like that are personal decisions that should be made by the individual, not made for her. So that's my thought out opinion.
Here's a link to a post on the Kitchen Table/Debate Board on this subject. Fact is, she's your dd, you do what you feel is right for your family. Either way, people will judge you. That's just the way life is. You're going to run into people that will say, "Oh, what cute earrings!" Or, "Oh, I can't believe you pierced that baby's ears!" Then on the flip side you'll have people saying, "Why don't you pierce her ears?" Or, "I'm glad you decided not to pierce her ears!" I think other people's opinions of us and what we do are highly over rated.
I am waiting till Keirra is older
I had DD's done when she was 4 months old. IT's the best decision I ever made. I just *know* that today it would be more of a bad experience for her. Try telling a toddler to sit still so the lady can put holes in her ears, lol! But I thought it was easier in every aspect from her not knowing they were there so she didnt mess with them and it was easier for me to clean and disinfect them instead of expecting her to do it as a little girl.
My input is only this. Don't pierce her ears so she can wear little cutsey earrings as a baby. Really the best thing for pierced ears is to keep those initial earrings in for at least a year. If you don't your child will be very suspecitible for infections. It really does take a long time to get the holes good and formed. My daughters were done at three, it was no biggie, she asked I said sure. We don't have regrets (she is almost 11). I am from Texas, the culture here has babies with pierced ears, it is pretty common place.
I really dont think one way or the other, the only thing, I couldnt stand to be in the same room when they did it. EEK!! I have a hard enough time w/ shots. Whew....
Personally, I pierced my DD's ears at 6 months, and it was much easier then having my own pierced as a child. (I often took them out and had to have them re-pierced.) But you will find many of our responses on the link Cat posted, and Bobbie is right... this one is a loaded topic here!
And ditto Kaye on keeping the earrings in for a while. DD still has the same ones but I think its more sentimental for me!
Ditto the moms who said that it's a personal choice and not to worry what other people think. My aunt is a nun in a convent in Sicily. Can you get more conservative ... She sent me two beautiful pair of baby earrings for Helen and asked when I am having her ears pierced because babies look so precious with earrings.
It is a personal choice but i definatley think its easier with a baby than a toddler.
As Kaye said, here in Texas there are lots of infant ear piercings, but mainly because we have a very large Hispanic population - it's part of their culture.
Well, I guess I'll be the devil's advocate. Why do you want to put holes in dd's ears? I'm one of those very con people that Bobbie mentioned above. No, I wouldn't think you were a bad mother. I just don't understand putting holes in your baby's ears. My opinion is that when they are old enough to ask and take care of them, do it then. My dd is almost 4 and thinks they are pretty but has never wanted anything to do with it. One of her best friends had hers done for her 2nd birthday. She asked her mommy to have it done. Mom explained the pain thing but she wanted it done and did wonderfully having them done. It's up to you and dh. I just don't get it.
I really don't know much about this, I have a little boy, however, I do have a question. Are the earings secure? My first thought was "Is this a choking hazard"? If it's not then it really is a personal choice.
My DD will be 3 in June, and her earrings have never come out. She still has the original piercing earrings with locking backs, and I will check from time to time to see if they are loose. So they aren't a choking hazard, IMO, but I'd won't put dangling or hoop earrings in her ears at this age.
I waited for my daughter to ask for them. She finally was willing to get them done about a month before her 5th birthday. We had talked about it for 2 yrs previous, and I did tell her it would hurt a tiny bit when it was done. Finally we took her to Claires at the mall and had it done. She did not cry , she is a tough cookie LOL.. But at almost 5, she was able to turn them everyday like instructed so that was nevera problem. Me and my husband would clean them for her.She never messes with them, and I change them out for her when she asks.
I pierced Rylee's ears at 4 months and it was fine. No one has looked at me weired or anything. I say go for it!!!
I'm with Debbie...I just don't get it.
Is this a cultural thing? Because some of the comments saying that it's easier with a baby then a toddler imply it's something that HAS to be done, as if it's simply expected that a young girl should have earrings. That's a weird (not bad, just very different) thought to me.
Dawn, I really think it is. All of the girls in my family have at least 1 hole in each ear, and it's certainly not a "requirement", but those of us who didn't have it done as babies asked for it later.
As far as it being cultural, in a sense you are right. I believe that it started out more for the purposes of the aesthetics of it than an actual cultural thing. But people, linked jewelry with wealth and beauty (subconsciously). So, it became common place to put on jewelry to flash your "wealth". Then it just became a "tradition" of sorts to pierce the next generation and display your wealth on them. If you look back at old pictures even the poorer women would wear jewelry for special occasions and in this day and age people wear extreme amounts of jewelry for the simple purpose of flashing their wealth. If this wasn't the case, Wedding sets wouldn't be purchased for thousands of dollars when you can buy a simple band for under 100 dollars, people wouldn't pay hundreds for a simple gold necklace, babies wouldn't be crawling around with 40 dollar earrings in their ears and everyone would be wearing the 9 dollar cheap watches from Walmart. But if you get out a National Geographic and look at the pictures of the other countries (example, Africa) They will be barely dressed but they will be wearing all kinds of flash. Might or might not be gold might just be threads made into a necklace but it is a symbol of their "financial" status, "placement" in their group.
Ditto the *personal choice* opinions. I had Jen's done when she was an infant, the pediatrician did them. At 20, she has more holes in her ears than I can count, her nose, and her belly button done.
Thank you all for your input. I am now thinking about things I didn't think of before. Me and my husband have not made our decision yet.
My dd had hers done at 3. We did it in the mall, one at a time. She didn't cry with the first one, the second one she teared up and started to cry, I handed her a mirror and the tears stopped instantly and she said "i look pretty". i am not too into bling these days, but I used to be. I did assume that she would get her ears pierce eventually. I don't think I know anyone who doesn't have them done. It just was not a big deal for us. She is in 5th grade and does her thing with them. I don't hardly notice.
Well for what it's worth I am completely opposed to them and I am the one who began the debate on this last year.
We pierced our first dd early after talking with our ped. When I asked our ped, she encouraged me to go ahead saying earlier the better since they won't play with their ears and mommy can care for the properly. She gave me some suggestions she had put together for mom's having their newborns/infants ears pierced.
My daughter had hers done at 1 year. They looked so cute. She is in kindergarten now and really loves wearing earrings. She changes them everyday herself. She uses all her money to buy earrings.
My daughter is 4 and has not had her ears done. I have talked to her about it very little. I didn't have a choice when she was little because she had too many surgeries to have that done. I think I will wait until she wants to have them. I got mine done when I was 5 and 9 I still remember that it was during a hurricane for both. My sister had her daughters done as a baby and I havent heard anyone say anything bad about it.
My daughter is 4 and has not had her ears done. I have talked to her about it very little. I didn't have a choice when she was little because she had too many surgeries to have that done. I think I will wait until she wants to have them. I got mine done when I was 5 and 9 I still remember that it was during a hurricane for both. My sister had her daughters done as a baby and I havent heard anyone say anything bad about it. mt2b www.mtacc.net
oops posted twice, sorry.
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