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

[meandtheguys2]

Actually, most states have options for parents who do not choose to immunize for religious, medical and philosophical reasons. Yes, we do homeshcool, though. Although, i don't really see why you brought immunizations into the party. Not done for "beauty", but done for medical reasons. It would be like me saying we didn't have my son's fingered stitched when he cut it on a can. Different than piercings, etc.

You can do what you want with your kiddos, just giving my opinion...

 

[Tink561]

Mine aren't immunized, and yes, if they so choose they are welcome to later in life.

My point is that just because something is traditional doesn't make it the appropriate choice. Think about those wee little shoes they put on the girls in Japan. Considered attractive, but mutilated their poor little feet.

Earings on a baby are just for a mom to show off. I think mom's ought to live their own lives, and allow their children to decide whether they want holes in their ears, etc.

You're misinformed on two points. The country you're speaking of is China, not Japan, and they haven't done that in years. The practice is called foot binding, it began in the 10th century and ended in the early 20th century.

Also, it doens't even compare to ear piercing. You may want to research the process of both - they're nothing alike. Foot binding was an ongoing painful process for years...

 

[PeachesDoesHair]

BTW, immunizations have lots of potential side effects. Did you wait & let your kids decide when/if they should get them?

My SIL does.

 

[Andy B]

You may want to research the process of both - they're nothing alike.

In process not alike but in reasoning, done for cosmetic purposes and done while the individual was too small to have a say in the matter.

 

[Tink561]

In process not alike but in reasoning, done for cosmetic purposes and done while the individual was too small to have a say in the matter.

Actually they didn't start the process of binding feet until the girls were 5-7 years old. The girls were old enough to have a say in the the matter, they just weren't allowed to have one. Again, the process took years to complete and it was very painful for *years*. The girls sometimes would ask their mothers to unwrap them due to the pain.

I stand by my point that this is not even comparable to ear piercing that is not painful after the initial procedure...which lasts a minute.

 

[disneymomof6]

WOW so much for happy disney threads.... so many of these posts are down right mean and judgemental.... "Mothers should get their own lives" just to give an example of one comment.

I think piercing babies ears has been going on enough years now where if it was causing detrimental damage to them when they are old enough we would either be seeing it on DR Phil or seeing other proof. I think that looking back I think piercing my ears would have been the least damaging thing my mother could have done to impact me. And to comment on the "mothers should get their own lives".... thats funny.... I think to most Moms they would see their children as being their lives and nothing but.... so what are they suppose to do to make that happen? I have seen more adults that are upset that their parents were supressive and old fashioned not going with the changes in time be screwed up and have issues then what anyone is going to see if children have pierced ears or are circumsized....

 

[meandtheguys2]

You're misinformed on two points. The country you're speaking of is China, not Japan, and they haven't done that in years. The practice is called foot binding, it began in the 10th century and ended in the early 20th century.

Also, it doens't even compare to ear piercing. You may want to research the process of both - they're nothing alike. Foot binding was an ongoing painful process for years...

That is what I get for posting with a migraine.

Yes, it is China, but that is only one point.

My point is that many things are and have been done to children that changed, deformed or damaged them. Many of these are traditions that are/ were continued by parents, merely because they are traditions. I don't believe that is a good enough reason to permanently disfigure someone else's body. I wouldn't tattoo my child, nor would I put holes in them, to tickle my ego. My choice.

eta: Have I ever had a kid in counseling due to circumcision or ear piercing...heck no...

 

[Tink561]

That is what I get for posting with a migraine.

Yes, it is China, but that is only one point.

My point is that many things are and have been done to children that changed, deformed or damaged them. Many of these are traditions that are/ were continued by parents, merely because they are traditions. I don't believe that is a good enough reason to permanently disfigure someone else's body. I wouldn't tattoo my child, nor would I put holes in them, to tickle my ego. My choice.

eta: Have I ever had a kid in counseling due to circumcision or ear piercing...heck no...

The second point was that they don't do it anymore. When you wrote the comment you put it in present form.

I just can't put the two together in my mind. Maybe because I did get my daughter's ears pierced recently and she's just one. Maybe it's because she's Chinese and I can't imagine ever having her go through the painful process of footbinding like many previous generations in her birth family were.

I will say this, on a lighter note... I did ask if she wanted her ears pierced and she shook her head and smiled, the same reaction she gives if I she wants a cookie... so I guess she said yes!

 

[Andy B]

Actually they didn't start the process of binding feet until the girls were 5-7 years old. The girls were old enough to have a say in the the matter, they just weren't allowed to have one. Again, the process took years to complete and it was very painful for *years*. The girls sometimes would ask their mothers to unwrap them due to the pain.

I stand by my point that this is not even comparable to ear piercing that is not painful after the initial procedure...which lasts a minute.

As I said it was not the process but the reasoning! Too small to have a say applies whether too small to speak or too small to be accorded sufficient rights.

I do think it is done for the benefit or pleasure of the parent /carer who decides not the child.

 

[Andy B]

WOW so much for happy disney threads.... so many of these posts are down right mean and judgemental.... "Mothers should get their own lives" just to give an example of one comment.

I think piercing babies ears has been going on enough years now where if it was causing detrimental damage to them when they are old enough we would either be seeing it on DR Phil or seeing other proof. I think that looking back I think piercing my ears would have been the least damaging thing my mother could have done to impact me. And to comment on the "mothers should get their own lives".... thats funny.... I think to most Moms they would see their children as being their lives and nothing but.... so what are they suppose to do to make that happen? I have seen more adults that are upset that their parents were supressive and old fashioned not going with the changes in time be screwed up and have issues then what anyone is going to see if children have pierced ears or are circumsized....

Will someone please explain why they circumsize their sons if not for religious reasons.

 

[kanga24roos]

Will someone please explain why they circumsize their sons if not for religious reasons.

We have 4 sons and we chose to have them all circumsized even though my DH is not. Around the time my 1st son was born my DFIL was having problems with repeated infections to his privates and ended up needing to be circumsized at 45 years old, trust me much more painful and a much longer recovery time to have it done as a grown up, he was out of work for 2 weeks. Also as a LNA my mother sees waaaaay to many eldery gentlemen who have painful infections due to not being circumsized. So for us it was a medical decision. But also cultural... it has become such a common thing I did not want my children to have one more thing that would possibly cause them grief as they grew up.

 

[dijid]

Will someone please explain why they circumsize their sons if not for religious reasons.

Some people circumsize so that the son will match the father, or not look different in a locker room if they live in an area where the majority of boys are circumcised. There's also medical research that supports that the female partner of a circumsized male is less likely to get urinary tract infections than if she were with a male that is not circumcized. There's a *very* small % of boys/men who end up having to get circumcized due to repeated infections, and some parents prefer to do the circumcision as a preventative measure, when the child is too young to remember the pain.

 

[Andy B]

We have 4 sons and we chose to have them all circumsized even though my DH is not. Around the time my 1st son was born my DFIL was having problems with repeated infections to his privates and ended up needing to be circumsized at 45 years old, trust me much more painful and a much longer recovery time to have it done as a grown up, he was out of work for 2 weeks. Also as a LNA my mother sees waaaaay to many eldery gentlemen who have painful infections due to not being circumsized. So for us it was a medical decision. But also cultural... it has become such a common thing I did not want my children to have one more thing that would possibly cause them grief as they grew up.

I can see that it would be more painfull for it to be done later. I am unaware of specific infections caused by not being circumsized.

 

[meandtheguys2]

So, do you think someone would call CSB on me if I sat around and randomly stuck a needle into my child... How many times is inappropriate? Can you just pierce ears? Would you think it abusive to pierce nose, nipples, bellybuttons, etc?

If you can't remember the pain, does it still count as pain?

 

[Dani&Pao'sMom]

Michelle, please, realize that all of us are entitled to an opinion that may be different from everybody else's. You have been very confrontational with the whole thing. I'm everything you have been attacking (no pierced nipples on my kids but thinking about the bellybutton! ) and you won't convert me to your side no matter what you say. I would not try to convince you to pierce your kids' ears. It's up to each parent/family to decide stuff like this.

So, do you think someone would call CSB on me if I sat around and randomly stuck a needle into my child... How many times is inappropriate? Can you just pierce ears? Would you think it abusive to pierce nose, nipples, bellybuttons, etc?

If you can't remember the pain, does it still count as pain?

"Randomly" being the key word here. Pierced ears? widely accepted in our culture. In your country they see an option in waiting for the kid to decide, in mine we decide for them when they are born. Does this make you better or more civilized than me? I don't know, I've never met you and you've never met me so we cannot judge each other.

Up until know I've kind of enjoyed your comments since they are absolutely foreign to me! it was kind of refreshing to learn about the "other side of the fence". However, you just cannot drop it! you keep attacking and trying to make us (parents that took the ears piercing decisions for their kids) look like abusive mutilating monsters when you really don't know what kind of a parent I am!

I think someone with opinions as strong as yours is very worthwile to chat with, but open your mind to other ways and don't be so confrontational and judgmental.

I do see why you think the way you do. At the time done, it must hurt. I don't know how much since I don't remember and I'm glad I don't. We take decisions everyday that affect our kids' lifes and piercing their ears is one that has so little impact on their future that it's amazing so many pages have been devoted to talk about this.

Off my soap box. Btw, thank you, I'll write a long letter to my kids regarding my opinions based on all that has been said here. Letting your kids decide on their own, totally agree, what? when? how? the beauty of being a parent!

Karla
PS I hope my kids do pierce their own daughters's ears when they are born so they won't remember it hurt I do love to wear earings, my kids do as well.

 

[princessesrule4]

We have 4 sons and we chose to have them all circumsized even though my DH is not. Around the time my 1st son was born my DFIL was having problems with repeated infections to his privates and ended up needing to be circumsized at 45 years old, trust me much more painful and a much longer recovery time to have it done as a grown up, he was out of work for 2 weeks. Also as a LNA my mother sees waaaaay to many eldery gentlemen who have painful infections due to not being circumsized. So for us it was a medical decision. But also cultural... it has become such a common thing I did not want my children to have one more thing that would possibly cause them grief as they grew up.

I thought this was a thread about ear piercing!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I thought this was a thread about ear piercing!

yes, that's how it began but somehow piercing a baby girl's ears was considered by some as equivalent to piercing a baby's tongue, stretching its neck, and mutilating its privates.
Just call me "Mommy the Mutilator"
ps. My cat is declawed too!
surely I'll be on the "Hell Express"

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I thought this was a thread about ear piercing!

Come to think of it, I thought these boards were about Disney!

 

[Dani&Pao'sMom]

yes, that's how it began but somehow piercing a baby girl's ears was considered by some as equivalent to piercing a baby's tongue, stretching its neck, and mutilating its privates.
Just call me "Mommy the Mutilator"
ps. My cat is declawed too!
surely I'll be on the "Hell Express"

BUT you won't be alone! I'll be there I'm "Mommy the Mutilator II"


Karla

 

[luvdisney77]

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

My first DD had hers done when she was 3 months old, and she was fine. My last DD had them done when she was 4 years old, and knew what was going on and had asked for them. Man, this thread is off track. Why can't we just stick to the question and not get off on tangents?