Earrings on a toddler

[NotUrsula]

What do I think? I think that your area must not have too many Hispanics.

 

[jevs]

Not unusual where I lived when I was growing up - lived in a very multicultural area. A little less common here in rural country.
My DD10 had hers done for her 10th birthday, she's been waiting for a few years. Both ears were done at the same time using the gun method. She had them done two weeks ago and all is fine

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

We're Hispanic, but for some reason my dad was against having my ears pierced when I was an infant. I had to wait until I was 16. My grandmother used to pierce ears, and pierced our neighbor girls' ears, but after seeing the blood from one I decided to go to the jewelry shop where they used a gun. I had my daughter's ears pierced before she turned one so she'd have earrings in her first birthday pictures. The hardest thing for her was when they held her down. She HATED being held down. They put two dots on her ears and asked me if that was okay. I said yes, and pum - ears pierced. As soon as they let her go she was a happy little gal, and never complained. She has two holes now (she's 25), and I still just have one hole in each ear. Neither one of us have had problems with our pierced ears.

 

[NJlauren]

I did my daughters at 6 months. However our pediatrician does it. I remembered getting mine done at 10 maybe my sister was 8ish, and it was a horrible experience.

I get mixed reactions for sure, and even my extended family is torn on the idea, some are doing it young some are waiting. (10 kids between newborn and 3 in my family)

 

[Christine]

I used to see it a lot more in the 80s and then it seemed to stop. I don't care about it either way, but I admit I don't like the look of it at all.

 

[mjkacmom]

I am neither for nor against piercing babies ears. But a big caution!

18 years of ER experience. I have seen countless little girls come in when their mother discovers the skin has grown over the back of the earring. Unfortunately too many parents think they can get the piercing and then forget about it. But the healing skin can completely encase the jewelry.

It's not an emergency once it's discovered, but many times the parent would panic over it and come to the ER anyway.

This is exactly what happened so dd19. However, it was months after the piercing, I had no way of knowing it had become infected, and we ended up at the ER because her pediatrician, after seeing it, told us to head to the ER so she could have a numbing shot before removal,

 

[North of Mouse]

OK, so I was on the bus today and couldn't help noticing this kid opposite from me, couldn't have been more than 6 months to 12 months old... she (or he?) had earrings.

I find that a bit, well, unusual.

What do you guys think?

I totally hate it! To me it's a form of abuse and cruel. I've seen it and heard them. At least let the child be old enough to want/know what it's about. I don't see it often, but I do see it.

 

[lauracitawita]

I saw a baby getting her ears pierced once and it looked slightly horrific...so I didn't get my daughter's ears pierced. My daughter is 13 now and I've asked her if she wants to get her ears pierced and she says, "why on earth would I allow someone to put holes in my ears?!?" Lol.

There may be a day when she decides to get it done, but right now she is not interested.

I'm curious about all of us that think it's no big deal to get their ears pierced young. What would we think if someone pierced their child's belly button as a baby. There are so many things we just do because of tradition which makes them seem normal. I am not judging or saying people shouldn't pierce their children's ears...just an interesting thought.

 

[tvguy]

Personal choice, based on ethic and family tradition.
DD got her's pierced on her 18th birthday. That is kind of a rite of passage for women in my wife's family. Turn 18, get your ears pierced.
DD is the first on my side to have pierced ears.
She almost chickened out. A couple of her friends got horrendous infections in their piercings, and new piercings are a bit of work if you want to try and avoid infections.
Didn't help that my mom, who was a surgical nurse, made a point of telling DD every time they had someone in for reconstructive surgery due to a post piercing infection.

 

[DisneyBabies]

this happened to me but i was 14.
i had them pierced at the mall.
they said i could switch out the earrings after 4 weeks.
i did and then that very night when i went to sleep the skin closed around the back of the earring.
i thought i just lost the back of the earring at first.
then i realized it was legit inside my ear so i freaked out.
we made an appt at the dr.
they removed it and i vowed not to get my ears pierced again until age 21.
i was 3 weeks shy of 21 when i had them pierced again.
i went to a tattoo parlor that time and i was told never remove the initial earring prior to 10 weeks because thats how long it truly takes to heal.

Oh my goodness! That is horrible advice! Four weeks!

We had both of our DD's done at the mall and both (different) places told us not to change them before 12 weeks and 6 months would be even better (which is the same thing our pediatrician told us). We cleaned them twice a day and turned them several times as well and left them in for the 6 months. Since the girls were so young when we had them done, they were so used to us messing with their ears, it still doesn't bother them when we clean them (DD1 is getting old enough to do them on her own now, but one of us will supervise her to make sure it is done right and not rushed through).

 

[AppleDumpling]

I personally don't care for earrings on infants and little girls, but realize I'm probably the exception and wouldn't judge others for their choice.

To me, aside from the issues of ear care, infection and so on, I just think jewelry, like makeup, is something for teens and adults. (I also don't care for some of the adult-style clothing on young girls.)

Children grow up so quickly, why do babies need earrings? All babies are naturally beautiful and adorable. And so what if a baby girl is mistaken for a boy, who cares?

 

[*3*Mouseketeers]

My Dad pierced mine when I was 7 with ice and a needle. I remember sitting at the table and I was chewing gum and he told me to stop chewing gum because my ears were moving up and down. I pierced my 2nd and 3rd hole myself when I was about 16 using ice and a needle. I didn't even know about these guns back then (80's).

I had my daughter's pierced when she was about 6 months. She never had a problem with them. She stopped wearing earrings about 2 years ago but every so often I will put an earring in just to make sure the hole hasn't grown up. She got a pair of studs from her aunt for Christmas and she has started back wearing them again.

 

[RedAngie]

Does anybody get their infant sons' ears pierced? I really don't take notice of very young kids with earrings.

DDs got their lobes pierced when they were mid teens. Younger DD has about 6 or 7 piercings in each ear now. Thankfully she decided against gauges.

 

[AnnaS]

My mom had ours pierced when we were all babies. I had my daughter's pierced after her first or second set of shots and done by a pediatrician. My granddaughter is 19 months and my dil just can't do it. She does not want to see her cry like she does with the shots. Her mom and I wish she would have them done, but it's her daughter and her choice.

 

[VandVsmama]

In my family, we were not allowed to get our ears pierced until we were about 10 years old. Many people do not pierce their infants' ears. But it's definitely a personal thing and the age at which a girl gets her ears pierced varies from family to family.

I was a child of the 80's and my mom took us to one of those stores at the mall. We kept the training studs in for 3-4 months and I was religious about turning them and cleaning them a couple of times a day. Despite all that, one hole did get infected and it was gross.

If my 2 DDs decide to get their ears pierced, we'll do it at the pediatrician's office or a professional piercing establishment.

 

[mjkacmom]

In my family, we were not allowed to get our ears pierced until we were about 10 years old. Many people do not pierce their infants' ears. But it's definitely a personal thing and the age at which a girl gets her ears pierced varies from family to family.

I was a child of the 80's and my mom took us to one of those stores at the mall. We kept the training studs in for 3-4 months and I was religious about turning them and cleaning them a couple of times a day. Despite all that, one hole did get infected and it was gross.

If my 2 DDs decide to get their ears pierced, we'll do it at the pediatrician's office or a professional piercing establishment.

Although our pediatrician will pierce ears, she suggests getting it done by piercing professions.

 

[eliza61]

My Dad pierced mine when I was 7 with ice and a needle. I remember sitting at the table and I was chewing gum and he told me to stop chewing gum because my ears were moving up and down. I pierced my 2nd and 3rd hole myself when I was about 16 using ice and a needle. I didn't even know about these guns back then (80's).

I had my daughter's pierced when she was about 6 months. She never had a problem with them. She stopped wearing earrings about 2 years ago but every so often I will put an earring in just to make sure the hole hasn't grown up. She got a pair of studs from her aunt for Christmas and she has started back wearing them again.

OMG, that was soo me with my second and third holes. My cousin did it with ice and needle.

There was an episode on big bang where Penny pierces Amy's ears with a needle.

 

[mamamary]

I waited until my DD wanted her ears pierced. I forget exactly how old she was but it was around 10 years old.

 

[design_mom]

this happened to me but i was 14.
i had them pierced at the mall.
they said i could switch out the earrings after 4 weeks.
i did and then that very night when i went to sleep the skin closed around the back of the earring.
i thought i just lost the back of the earring at first.
then i realized it was legit inside my ear so i freaked out.
we made an appt at the dr.
they removed it and i vowed not to get my ears pierced again until age 21.
i was 3 weeks shy of 21 when i had them pierced again.
i went to a tattoo parlor that time and i was told never remove the initial earring prior to 10 weeks because thats how long it truly takes to heal.

That was me, too. I got mine done when I turned 13 (30 years ago) and they told me 4 weeks, too. I kept mine in for 6 weeks, just to be on the safe side, but when I took them out, they were NOT healed. And I had horrible problems from that point on, including having the skin grow over the back of my ear. I swear it happened overnight! I still have issues with earrings though, and only have 1 pair I can wear daily without my ears becoming red and inflamed.

I was planning to have my daughter wait until she was 13 as well, but she was required to wear earrings as part of her dance costume. For two years, she wore the clip-on option, but they were not comfortable and she really wanted her ears pierced, so I let her do it when she was 9-1/2. She didn't cry when they did it and took good care of them. They told us to keep the earrings in for 6-8 weeks, but I made her keep hers in for 12 weeks. Hers healed just fine and she hasn't had any trouble at all (2 years).

I do not particularly care for earrings on babies, and would never choose it for my child... but I don't have a big problem with people who do. Someone upthread called it child abuse, and I don't think that's true.

 

[brooke789]

Does anybody get their infant sons' ears pierced? I really don't take notice of very young kids with earrings.

When my 5 year olds were in daycare they had a little boy in their class who had his ears pieced when he was 1. He had the cutest little skull earrings.

I'm not a fan of the infant ear piercing, so I didn't have my daughters pierced. She asked the first time in the last year and were researching places to have it done and she never mentioned it again. We'll get them whenever she decides.