OT: At What Age Did You Pierce Your Daughter's Ears?

[Not so Dumbo]

Just curious to see what the common age is to have your daughter's ears pierced. My daughter is now just turning 8 months and I'm considering having it done. I'm going back and forth on either doing it now or waiting until she's old enough to want to have them pierced.

Does anyone have any advice either way on having a babies ears pierced? TIA

 

[Desnik]

DD had her ears pierced by our pediatrician at 6 months. Everyone in my family does it at that age. Personally I see no issues with it being done early. If she gets older and doesn't want to wear earings she doesn't have to put them in.

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

Several of my friends and co-workers had their daughters' ears pierced before they were a year old, many because it was a cultural/family tradition. My mother made me wait until I was 15 (and that even with regular pleading), so I caused a family flap by "giving in" to my daughter when she was 6 years old.

I've heard both arguments: that it's best to get it done when they are quite young so that the parents can take care of the piercings and the child grows up used to them; and that parents should wait until the child can take care of her own ears. Not meaning to offer no real help here, but I see no reason not to do as you see best.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

Here is my pro and con list:

Pro
she won't remember having them done
she'll look really cute
I've heard....if done now, she won't touch them and get them infected

Con
Pain.....I don't know if I could do that to her
possible infection
what if the earing comes out and she chokes on it

I keep going over these and can't decide oneway or the other.

 

[princesspwrhr]

My oldest (8.5) had hers done at 1 year. I wanted to do it earlier, my dh wanted to do it much later - mommy wins. We kept the peircing ear rings in or solid gold sleeper hoops for a while becuase she had sensitivity to almost all of the other ones. By 4 we discovered that she was allergic to nickle and even the 'sensitive ears' earrings that you can get at Claires, Target etc have nickle in them and by that point she was done dealing with her earrings itching and didn't want to try the supposedly nickle free earrings. She kept her solid gold ones in until she was about 5 then took them out one day and decided to not put them back in. Her holes closed up and at 6 when she wanted to wear them again the only choice was to redo it. She didn't want to. Now at 8.5 she's thinking about it again (you can still see her holes, they're just closed) but it's rarely gone beyond pointing out cute earring she couldn't wear anyways due to her allergy. At this point it's her choice.

My younger two are 2 & 3 and I haven't bothered. The middle probably wouldn't bother hers, but the younger would pull on her own as well as sisters, she's pulled mine out as well. Several times in fact, even as a tiny baby. Just different temperements.

I had my first set done when I was about 6 mo. My grandfather nearly disowned my mom! lol I got my second set done at 10. I still have both sets of holes w/o issue and wear earrings whenever the mood strikes me. Oddly enough, I've had my cartlidge peirced 3 times and each time had serious medical issues with it!

I don't think there's a right or wrong answer to it. And the backs on the peircing earrings are really secure, so you don't have to worry about those coming off. You can also buy these really cute earrings that are pearls on one side and the other side is a gold ball that screws on. You can wear them either on the pearl side, or the gold side. My girlfriend sent my daughter a pair for Christmas one year. I think she said they were about $15 at walmart. As for the pain, it's no worse than immunizations if you immunize, and most places that peirce will do both ears on a baby at the same time. The noise scares them more than the peircing hurts.

 

[katiesmom2]

My daughter is 4. I won't get her ears pierced until she is old enough to ask to have them done - if she wants them at all.

The way I see it is they are HER ears so she should decide if/when she wants holes in them! (just my opinon)

 

[SnowWitch]

My daughter is 4. I won't get her ears pierced until she is old enough to ask to have them done - if she wants them at all.

The way I see it is they are HER ears so she should decide if/when she wants holes in them! (just my opinon)

This is my attitude. I have been tempted because its cute but in the end they are her ears it should be her choice.

 

[Us3]

Funny...I told my oldest daughter that she could get her ears pierced when she understood that it hurt and still wanted it done badly enough to not care about the pain. She got them pierced when she was 6, and did okay. I'll do the same with my other two girls who are now, 1 and 2.

This is just the decision that worked for our family. I think it's up to parents to decide what is best for their own family.

Take care,
Sonya

 

[pixiepower1971]

DD10 had hers done around age 2, DD8 had hers done before she turned one.
If I had it to do over again I would do them both as young as possible. Younger DD does not remember getting it done and it was easy. Older DD remembers and we also had trouble getting the 2nd one done because she was so upset.

They have both always been glad that they got them done when they were younger. Most of their friends have them as well. The ones that do not have them hate not having them! They are now afraid because it will hurt or their parents won't let them get their ears pierced.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

DD10 had hers done around age 2, DD8 had hers done before she turned one.
If I had it to do over again I would do them both as young as possible. Younger DD does not remember getting it done and it was easy. Older DD remembers and we also had trouble getting the 2nd one done because she was so upset.

They have both always been glad that they got them done when they were younger. Most of their friends have them as well. The ones that do not have them hate not having them! They are now afraid because it will hurt or their parents won't let them get their ears pierced.

That makes alot of sense to me. I had to wait until I was 13 and I still remember the pain like it was yesterday. They also got infected I think because I kept touching them, but it could have been that I'm alittle bit allergic to the metal. Anyhow, before I had them done I kept wishing that I had them because all of my friends had pierced ears.
Maybe it's because I remember the pain so well that I'm so hesitant to have DD's done.

 

[3DisneyGals&1Grumpy]

Both of my girls got their ears pierced for Kindergarten graduation. The oldest went to "watch" her best friend get her ears pierced. The friend chickened out and I ended up letting DD get ears pierced against DH wishes.
The second DD just assumed she would get her ears pierced when she graduated Kindergarten and so it just happened.

As far as the pros and cons, I think it really depends on your daughter. My oldest has had tons of problems. She actually as gotten the back of her earring stuck inside the earring hole on more than one occassion. It was very gross each time. One time it took a visit to the Doctor to get it out and help with the infection. The other DD has not had a bit of problems. She keeps them clean and never bothers them. So in hind sight, I probably should have made the oldest daughter wait until she was older and would have let the youngest DD get her ears pierced at an earlier age.

 

[slamommie]

When my daughter was 2 1/2, she asked to get her ears pierced (some of her friends at pre-school already had theirs done). Despite telling her that it would really, really hurt, and she would have to take care of cleaning her ears every night for the rest of her life (kinda see where I was going? ), she kept insisting...and everytime we went to the mall, she kept asking. So, ending up getting her ears done - she said I was wrong, that it didn't hurt...and she actually took care of her ears...it became a ritual for her. I was actually impressed with her!!!

 

[almburr]

DD12 was 4yrs old when she got hers. DD8 had hers done, she screamed and screamed! at 1yr barely a fuss. DD5 3weeks old never made a peep.

I know one lady had her DDs done while they were still in the hospital.

 

[daisyduck123]

Had it done on DD's 12th b-day....she wanted it & it made it a very special b-day for her.

 

[angiedora]

I have an 11 year old daughter. When she was in 3rd and 4th grade, getting her ears pierced was a rite of passage. Several of the Moms in our class were waithing till their daughters were 8, 9, or 10yrs old. We were waiting for our daughter to get her nerve up to face the ear piercing gun. LOL. Even though she got her ears pierced when she was nine she has just this year (6th grade) started wearing earrings regularly. And She wants them BIG.

 

[Tooblessed]

I got my DD's ears pierced at 9months. Her Dr. wanted me to wait until she got her third tetanus shot, I headed straight to the mall after her appointment. She never had any problems with them once we stopped using the solution they gave us to clean them. The solution dried out her ears and made them red, we stopped it and she's been great ever since. She never messed with them either but we only used small studs, now she is into small dangles but we have a limit on how far they can hang down.
My dh wasn't sure about doing it at first but now he is glad we did it when we did because she only cried for a few seconds and then it was done and over with.

 

[3littleHalls]

I am on the let them choose side. My daughter got her ears pierced at 5 1/2. I wasn't given a choice my mom had mine pierced and I have never liked wearing earrings I think b/c of that.

 

[flying_babyb]

I was offered the chance when I was six by my father. I chose to wait till mom would let me at 8. Well then I ended up waiting till I was 16. Then at 18, then at 21, then at 22.

 

[disneymomof6]

Sometime somethings are just over analyzed....

two of my 6 kids are girls.... one is 12 and one is 3... both were done when they were babies, age 3 months, at claires. Never had issues with either of them. My now 12 year old decided when she was like 4 that she didnt like earrings... she doesnt like jewelry in general.... her opinions have never changed..... they grew closed and it wasnt ever a issue that required much debate. She doesnt feel violated nor do I mind that she didnt want to keep them going. My now 3 year old loves them.... she thinks they are one of the most beautiful things ever and enjoys getting new ones.... she never played with them as they have always just been there... it wasnt ever a NEW facination. I only get her the studs as they are impossible for her to get off... if I ever put anything different in then she wears them for the occassion and I take them out before she goes to bed.... honestly.... It was just a personal decision I made when they were young.... it was adorable, they werent mistaken for boys and there was NO fuss.... neither of them really cried... never a tear, never fearing what would happen NOR so much as a red ear. Its been a good experience in my situation NOR was there anyone that gave me their 2 cents on the matter... my husband is a great daddy but let me do what I wanted to do.... It isnt like im getting them tattooed or having plastic surgery done to them.

 

[hvivona]

My now 6 yr old DD was only 10 months when she got her ears pierced. She cried for like two seconds, they gave her a lollipop and that was the end of it. Due to ear infections, my youngest, who is now 4, was 3 years old before we had her ears pierced and it was aweful. She cried forever and boy did she yell! I say do it while they're young. Its much easier!