OT-What age to get ears pierced??

[meandtheguys2]

Old enough to make an informed decision for themselves. And take care of them.

 

[belle&beast]

DH and I told DD when she tuned 4 she could get them done if she wanted. She knew it would hurt a little and said that she would wait until she was 5. Since she turned 5 she has been in the chair twice and decided not to do it. My sister (who designs jewelry) came to town for a visit and asked if there was somthing special she could do with my DD. I told her she could offer to get her ears pierced and the little stinker did it with her! She will be 6 in July and has been very responsible about them. We already had a responsibility chart for her with the things she needs to do daily and we added cleaning and turning her earrings. She has really sensitive skin, but has had no reactions and no pain. It has been 7 weeks- she could change them, but we don't have any nw earrings yet.

I think that if you don't pierce them when she is an infant, wait until the child is ready and can help take care of them.

 

[Stephres]

LOL, can your sister come over and take my daughter to get hers done?

 

[beattyfamily]

I have a 7 and an 11 year old.

My then 10 year old wanted them this past January and we let her. Well, I kind of wish we waited. She had many infections. She was a big baby about them as well. She is so afraid to take the studs out now and won't wear anything else. She's been fine for a couple of months now with no infections but it was touch and go. I was regreting getting them for her.

I wish I waited a couple of more years.

So I think it's a decision based on the parent's opinion on the subject and the the child's ability to take care of them.

I would never judge a family who chose to have it done as an infant. For many cultures it is a tradition.

 

[belle&beast]

LOL, can your sister come over and take my daughter to get hers done?

I'm sure she would be glad to! The really funny part is that you have to be the parent to sign off and my sister was so nervous about lying. She didn't know that she would have to fib and my DD didn't have a clue, but she was nervous the whole time.

 

[1rockinmamato2]

I had my daughter's pierced at her 6 month check-up. They used the Emla cream to numb the lobes and I just felt better about it being done in the doctor's office. Our pediatrician also wants to wait until after the second tetanus shot.

As far as the age that we decided on, well, I just always knew if a girl came along for us that I'd get her ears pierced as soon as I could. Every girl in our family got their ears pierced at a young age, so it's a bit of a family tradition for us.

The care has been super easy and DD never bothers or touches them. And she's so dang cute with them!

 

[design_mom]

I got mine done for my thirteenth birthday (old enough to take care of them by myself) and -- Camping Griswald's -- my dad said the same thing about having holes in my head.

I was just about the last of my friends to be allowed to do it and I was so excited to get them done. Unfortunately, I'm apparently allergic to nearly ever metal ever created and I have a *lot* of trouble finding earrings that don't irritate my ears (this didn't happen until after the starter earrings came out). If the holes would close without a trace, I'd take the earrings out. Unfortunately, I think it'd still *look* like my ears were pierced, but they'd close up inside -- so I wear the same pair of boring earrings (nickel-free silver balls) every day.

For what it's worth, I think I'll be making my DD wait till she's 13, too.

 

[disney.nut]

We are allowed our daughter to get her ears done for her 10th birthday.

 

[mom2aiden]

My friend was considering doing this as well when her DD was an infant. My MIL is an ER nurse and advised her against it. This surprised me....but she said that they get a lot of babies that actually inhale the tiny earrings into their lungs. She works in an area where getting babies' ears pierced is a big part of the culture.

Personally, do what you feel is right. I had mine done when I was about 8 as a christmas eve present. I was so excited!!

 

[angiejg]

We let DD9 have hers done right before kindergarten when she was 5. She had watched it being done several times at the mall. I asked her if she wanted to do it and she always said no. One day she said she wanted to. She knew it would hurt a little, but they did them both at the same time which means you don't have to worry about getting one done then changing your mind!

I personally believe that the child should be able to say when they want to do it, but I know a lot of people choose to have their babies done.

DD has never had any problems and she loves buying new earrings!

I think there are only a couple of girls in her third grade class that don't have pierced ears.

Good luck!

 

[taximomfor4]

My friend was considering doing this as well when her DD was an infant. My MIL is an ER nurse and advised her against it. This surprised me....but she said that they get a lot of babies that actually inhale the tiny earrings into their lungs. She works in an area where getting babies' ears pierced is a big part of the culture.

Personally, do what you feel is right. I had mine done when I was about 8 as a christmas eve present. I was so excited!!

Our pediatrician is a pediatric-ER doc. She mentioned that as well...she told us what kind of safety backs to get, and my kids wore only safety backs till about age 7. The screw- backs are best but you have to check them/we did this during bathtime. Never had a single lost earring or lost back or ANYTHING. Definitely a good idea to consider the safety aspects and talk to your child's dr.

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

I never understood why parents peirce their little baby's ears??? Makes no sense to me, its unneeded pain for the child..for what?

When she is old enough to decide weather or not she would actually like her ears peirced and weather she can and wants to take care of possiable infections and the pain, then i say she is old enough.
JMHO

 

[taximomfor4]

I never understood why parents peirce their little baby's ears??? Makes no sense to me, its unneeded pain for the child..for what?

When she is old enough to decide weather or not she would actually like her ears peirced and weather she can and wants to take care of possiable infections and the pain, then i say she is old enough.
JMHO

I was trying to not insult other parents, nor be insulted by others. People get babies' ears pierced for a variety of reasons. Cultural tradition, family tradition, etc. I got my girls' done for my own reasons, as soon as their pediatrician ok'ed it, while following her recommendations for safety. They were not traumatized by it, in fact they don't remember. It is just a part of them.

Like I said in my earlier post -- when to do it is a very individual decision that should be made within your own family, ideally with input from your family dr./pediatrician.

 

[Tikicampers]

I won't be piercing my baby's ears, but for anyone who is planning to, I agree with taximomfor4, talk to your Dr. I know you can have it done at our office, and I will probably take DD there even when she is older. I just don't trust the people at our mall.
No offense meant to any mall piercers, your place may be great, but ours looks a little off.

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

Like I said in my earlier post -- when to do it is a very individual decision that should be made within your own family, ideally with input from your family dr./pediatrician.

Isn't that what I am allowed to do as well? Express my personal ideas on what I think should be an appropriate age for peircing a childs ears? That was the question.. and OP asked for opinions.
I think its so funny, how people get so defensive over opinions that people write on these boards. Come on..if you belive that your own decisions are right, than why do you care so much what I think and write on a board where someone asked for everyone's opinion on the subject matter??
oH..and people do LOTS of things in the sake of "cultural beliefs" that dosen't mean I think its right.

BTW: That was a retorical ?, i in no way intend to continue this with you. Have a good one.

 

[taximomfor4]

Isn't that what I am allowed to do as well? Express my personal ideas on what I think should be an appropriate age for peircing a childs ears? That was the question.. and OP asked for opinions.
I think its so funny, how people get so defensive over opinions that people write on these boards. Come on..if you belive that your own decisions are right, than why do you care so much what I think and write on a board where someone asked for everyone's opinion on the subject matter??
oH..and people do LOTS of things in the sake of "cultural beliefs" that dosen't mean I think its right.

BTW: That was a retorical ?, i in no way intend to continue this with you. Have a good one.

Sorry, in your post you asked "For what?" was the "unneeded pain." I was honestly giving you an answer to that question by listing several possible reasons. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, and I respect that you feel that way. My reply to your post was just that, a reply, and I tried to do so respectfully. Since this board is typed, not spoken, which lacks tone and nonverbal cues, I apologize if I came across as over-defensive. I certainly didn't think my message would read that way.

 

[Zoemakes5]

My preference is to get it done in their early pre-school years. That way, they don't really have a fear of getting it done yet, and as a parent I can make sure they are properly cared for. DD had her's done for her 3rd b-day.
I'm not anti-having them done earlier, but my big concern was not so much DD, but other babies/toddlers grabbing at them and pulling on them and concerns about her getting hurt.
I got mine done as a milestone to go to Kindergarten. I was a "big girl" and mom took me to have them done the weekend before K started.
To me, this is not a "should" kind of discussion, but what the preference is.

 

[hildasmuriel]

I have always been amazed that there is not more of an outcry from the social work profession about this. Stick a needle in any other part of you new born's anatomy and they would (rightly!) be down on you like a ton of bricks, but if you do it in the ears it's hunky-dory.

 

[taximomfor4]

I have always been amazed that there is not more of an outcry from the social work profession about this. Stick a needle in any other part of you new born's anatomy and they would (rightly!) be down on you like a ton of bricks, but if you do it in the ears it's hunky-dory.

but wouldn't that be the same with circumcision for boys, etc? As long as it is not considered a sort of child abuse, parents will continue to decide based on their own opinions, traditions, beliefs, etc.

 

[Abby's Dad]

As Abbybeth posted, we were mean and didn't allow her to get her ears pierced until she could be responsible for her decision - we felt, based on what we had seen (I was an anesthetist for over 25 years, and took care of anesthesia for a lot of problems related to piercings), that it was not our right to inflict something on our daughter that could have lifelong implications (including scarring, infections, etc) that she would have no voice in. For us (hold the flames - it was our opinion, not a law that we made for everyone, but was also the opinion of some of the plastic surgeons that I worked with) that inflicting this on a child is a form of child abuse. We have no problem with piercings, tattoos, etc. - as long as the person is of age to understand and accept all of the possibilities, and perform the appropriate care. For you, only you can judge when your child is ready to accept the responsibility.