How old to get ears pierced?

[Disneyland_emily]

I had my oldests done when she was one and a half. She was diagonosed with Leukemia and after she lost her hair it bothered her (and me) that people kept thinking she was a boy. Well so we pierced her ears (noone called her a boy after that)

I had my youngests done when she was about 3 months


-em

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by Disneyland_emily
I had my oldests done when she was one and a half. She was diagonosed with Leukemia and after she lost her hair it bothered her (and me) that people kept thinking she was a boy. Well so we pierced her ears (noone called her a boy after that)
-em

That story brings me back....when Matt was diagnosed with Leukemia he really wanted to get an earring so as soon as his platelets were high enough he got his first piercing. After his relapse he got his second...

 

[cvemom]

My Mom was so against it that I waited until I went away to college to pierce mine. I' wasn't going to my make DD wait that long. I took her when she was 6. She was then old enought o care for them and she did a wonderful job. She's 8 now and we've never had any problems with them.

 

[Sabeking]

Is Amilie pronounced Emily?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I had my DDs done when she was one year old. I discussed it with my pediatrician first and she said there was no reason medically not to do it, just to keep the ears cleaned which I did (with the sanitizing solution I bought at the store where we had it done). We went to the mall and I gave DD a cookie while it was done - two quick pinches with a "gun" and it was over, minimal tears and she always loved her earrings. I did ask for the manager at the store to do it, and made sure she had a lot of experience doing it previously (she said she'd done at least 100). I made sure conditions were clean. We have never had any infections or other major problems and I don't regret the decision. DH had no problem with it, felt it was "my area" as a Girls Thing.

DD will be 7 next month and basically still just wears studs. For special occasions I help her change her earrings, she can't do it herself and really still doesn't help with upkeep. One thing I notice is that if you don't "turn" the studs now and then they stick to the skin and it can be painful when you try to remove them. Also, as another poster said, the "point" of the earring can stick in the back of the ear area while she sleeps so keep an eye on it and when you can change the original "needle" earring to a regular stud.

I like to buy gold stud earrings at Walmart - they have some just for children (around $10) and the back screws on so the child can't easily pull it off.

 

[Disney Doll]

Most of my friends & relatives with daughters waited until they were old enough to take care of their own ears after the piercing, usually around age 8-10.

 

[TinkBoo&ElliesMum]

Originally posted by Sabeking
Is Amilie pronounced Emily?

It's pronounced Ah-Mel-lee. It's a French name and WONDERFUL movie!!

 

[Sabeking]

I love Amelie as much as Ellison!! Pretty name!

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

Originally posted by Augustheather97
I would wait....My 7 year old had it done in january and we are very strict in cleaning them like they should be and still they get infected a lot.......she even developed a big cysct on the back of her ear from the earring digging into the ear at night that got nasty.....I would wait till at least 6. I wish I had waited till 9

We had a very similar situation. My 7 y/o had hers done, about 3 weeks later she woke up with no earring, it was stuck inside her lobe. Awful... I had to bring her to the doctor to have them remove it and they almost sent us to the ER. The Dr got it out but told her that they had to close up an not get done again until she is 12.


So I do think 2 is too young.

 

[Karel]

My daughter got hers done at 8 years old.

Big mistake.

It took a good year for her ears to finally heal up. At one point, the backing was stuck in her skin and we had to almost yank it free. We have to be careful of what she puts on. She can't wear 'cheap' earrings or it gets all red and swollen. Now all she really wears are gold ball studs.

I wish we had waited. Not everyone has a bad experience, but if you do, it's baaaaad.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Well. Taking care of children is a tough task. It just seems like an "extra" thing to do. To keep the earings, it is a responsibility and children are so busy these day.

I'm going to avoid it until the DD's are able to completely take care of the ears.

 

[KimRaye]

I posted a similar thread to this a few months ago. DD was 'insistent' also that she wanted her ears pierced. I let the 'insistence' continue until she knew FULL WELL, from several sources, what it meant, for HER, not ME!

Tomorrow will mark her 6 weeks since having it done. The most I've done, is remind her 3x's a day to go clean her ears, otherwise she does the cleanings, and the turnings, and she's looking forward to changing earrings tomorrow.

She was over 6yo when she had it done, and better at taking care of them than I was, at 12, when I had them done.....I didn't want them! Go figure!

2yo, imo, not old enough to make that decision, or care for them.

 

[totalia]

I was three when I had it done for the bottom hole in each ear. I barely remember anything about it except for sitting in my aunts lap (mom was standing nearby). I don't remember it hurting at all.

I had two more holes added to one ear and one to the other when I was 12 (that HURT).

The younger the better I think. She's old enough.

 

[Freyja]

My daughter is 2 1/2 as well and has also been asking to get her ear pierced, since her bigger sister has earrings. I have no problem with it at all. Only problem is, we live in Copenhagen (Denmark) and here they won´t do it until kids are old enough to ask for it themselves in the stores (school-age). I really don´t feel it is their decision to make and therefore we will start looking for one of the few places where she can have her ears pierced around here, an arabic or turkish jewler.

 

[ladydancer]

I have been at the mall and seen these little girls screaming when they get this done. Oh, sure some of them probably agreed to it. They didn't realize the pain involved. That's why they have parents to make good decisions for them. I feel it is child abuse!! Holding a child down and poking holes in there ears. For what reason? Because there parents thinks it's cute. I for one don't think it's cute. Everytime I see a infant or small child with earrings in there ears it makes me sick! It's all about the vanity of the adults. I think this is the height of selfishness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Otto's Doll]

My DD is 9 and has asked casually a few times "when can I get my ears pierced?" We have told her she needs to be old enough to really take care of them herself, and it is a priviledge, so we need to be sure she is responsible. I would think she can have them done when she is 12. Right now, she is just not ready.

 

[cheyita]

I agree that DH should feel comfortable with the decision. But otherwise, if you are willing to do all the earring care, then go for it. I'm not saying DD can't do some care, but at that age the full responsibility would rest on you.

I just had my second piercings done over the summer, and I was worried since I saw all those "screaming kids" at the mall. But you know what? I didn't even feel it. Once it was done, I thought, "What the heck was I worried about?" I think that helped my DD5, whose only experience up until that point was her older sister - one of those criers.

 

[TandJ61574]

LOL LadyDancer! I showed your post to my daughters (19 and 20) and they laughed too. As I explained it is an ethnic custom for us to have this done as infants. My kids pediatrician recommended this when they were about 2 weeks old. They never cried just a little startled. Never had any problems.

My girls said they were grateful having it done as babies because they know that pierced ears will always be in style, it's not just a fad and they wouldn't want to go through any possible pain when they were a bit older.

They also said that they didn't think too many kids were responsible enough to take care of it on there own until they were possibly young adults so they were happy I did it for them LOL

 

[TandJ61574]

oh I forgot they also said that if they didnt want to have pierced ears they would just let the holes close up or not wear earrings.

 

[Mom2Ashli]

I did my DD when she was a year old. So that she got used to them. There really isn't anything to take care of.