Parents of DD's....does your daughter have her ears pierced?

[bsnyder]

And if so, at what age.

My DD turned 9 last week. For several years she's talked about wanting to get her ears pierced, but she's a big chicken and was afraid of the pain.

I was happy for her to wait, so I've just gone along with the idea that it HURTS!

But now, several of her friends got their ears pierced recently and they've convinced her that it doesn't hurt a bit, so she's begging me to let her do it now. Like tomorrow, after her birthday party!

I don't know why I'm resisting. Maybe because I had to wait until I was 12? But I can't think of a single good reason for an arbitrary age, whether it's 9 or 12.

So, what are your feelings? The pros and cons?

 

[ltldeb]

We has DD's ears pierced when she turned 6. She did okay. They did both ears at the same time.

 

[aahmom1]

Holly had hers done when she was 4. Her little friend had them and she just had to have them too. She's done really well with them.

I say let her go for it, tell her it will hurt but it'll only last a minute.

 

[pumba]

they seem to be able to leave their fingers off the ears and do not get as many infections ......I did not let her change her earrings with her moods or clothes......so if she is wearing her birthstones they stay in for a while.....I think that taking them out and putting new ones in every day .irritates the skin in the ear......Our granddaughter had hers done at six months in the doctors office and she has never had an infection.....let her do it ......my mother in law had hers done at sixty and I had mine done at 25......late in the game.....my sister in law just had hers done a few months ago......

 

[Pam]

My DD is now 17.5 years old. We let her get hers pierced when she was 10. She had a second hole done in both ears a year later.

For years she fussed about getting the cartilage done - but I told her not until she was 18. Now - I must confess that she also buged DH and I for years about her belly button. Last year was a bad one for DD - 8 classmates died within the space of 3 months, two of whom were her best friends. I told DH that the next time she asked for her belly button to be pierced, I was going to take her. She didn't ask until last July - and yes I let her do it.

It looks great - and she's had no problems with it - but she almost fainted while they were doing it - and she says that is the end of piercing for her!

 

[disneychrista]

Both my DD's got their ears pierced about age 4, when they decided they wanted to. Neither of them where ear rings now.

 

[trayletha]

I had to wait till I was 12 too. My Mom made a big deal out of it, we went out to lunch at a nice sit-down restaurant (my choice) and I got to order off of the ADULT menu. Then we went and had my ears done, it was a real "coming of age" thing in my family. I plan on doing the same with DD, I'm looking forward to it.

 

[glo]

Cultural thing for me..I had them done at birth. My kids were done at 4 weeks of age and at 6 weeks of age. Just something we do. I do not see a difference between 9 and 12 to be honest. Though you will probably have to remind her to tke care of them and turn them, if they still do that.

Hope she has a great birthday tomorrow!

 

[Blueberry]

My DD had her ears pierced at 10 years old..I had to wait till 8th grade when I was a kid, my parents were againest it.

 

[Karel]

My daughter got hers done last spring at age 8. We had talked about it for many years - she wasn't interested (pain ancipation) and I kept saying let's wait till she's 12 or 13. (Come to find out she thought they did it with a lemon and a pin)

I have real regrets about doing it. It's been very painful for her and changing the earrings is a battle. I have mine done and I pop them in and out at will. Her ears are still sore, a bit red, and sensitive. We've put antiboitic cream on them and I don't think they are infected. We only change earrings every couple of months and one night I let her sleep without to let her ears have a break. But then it's hard to get them back in place in the morning. She can't take them out or put them in by herself and I always seem to hurt her with my nails pulling at the backing.

 

[bsnyder]

Glo, I don't see the difference either.....I just know that I feel like I'm suppose to make her wait, (because I did??) And I do understand the cultural thing....my ex's family is spanish, so all of my sons' female cousins had their ears pierced as infants.

I'm not worried about her being able to take care of them.....she's very good about things like that.

I've tried to make an effort, with all of my kids, to really examine the reasons behind the rules I set down, and make sure that they're fair and not just a knee-jerk reaction based on the way I was raised. Not that I'm complaining about the way I was raised, but hopefully ya'll understand where I'm coming from?

 

[browneyes]

My dd had hers pierced when she was 7 1/2. My brother asked her if she wanted it done, she said yes and we went out and got it done.

I had mine done the first time on my 8th bday, and the 2nd time I was 18 (I've let those grow back up-it hurts to wear anything in them).

 

[bsnyder]

karel, I didn't see your post before my last one! YIKES!

Has anyone else had problems like this?

 

[CindyKansas]

My DD had hers done on her 6th birthday. She does have to wear sterling silver, 14kt or above earrings since the cheaper ones tend to infect her ears.

 

[trayletha]

karel - could your DD be allergic? Even if the posts are gold or stainless/surgical steel alot of time the backs are not. I have to buy the plastic coated backs for my earings because of the same problems.

 

[Karel]

That could be part of the problem. Her brother gave her earrings for Christmas; he paid a dollar for them at his school gift shop so obviously they were not quality material and they really gave her trouble. She does seem to do better with the nicer earrings but her ears are still troublesome.

 

[zurgswife]

My oldest DD had hers done in K at age 5....everything went great no problems...she has ears like mine...even at age 11 she can go weeks without earring and be able to put them in again no problems...

2nd DD had hers done this year at 5 also...it was a nightmare...near healed and were always red but not really infected always kept antibotic cream on them...after 9months I finally gave up and never put earrings back in...It was only the second time I had tried to change them...

I let my girls get there's done when they asked cause I had to wait until 12 then my mom let my 8 year old sister get it done at the same time....It was always one of those things that bothered me....

 

[Verandah Man]

My DD was born in Mexico (she is adopted) and had her ears pierced when she was just a few weeks old, with our permission, even though we were still in New Jersey at the time. The adoption was finalized when she was 7 months old. Last year for our DD's 12 Birthday, she asked if she could get another piercing, and we said yes. She thought it was going to hurt, but the ear was pierced before she even knew what happened. Now she has three earings in one ear and one earing in the other ear.

 

[Justhope]

I had both of my dds ears pierced at about a year old, they did both ears at one time. Since they were so young they have never messed with them. they are now 10 and 4. My 10 yo has to wear the good stuff but Haley can wear anything.... And how they love to go in Claires to shop for earrings. lol

Hope

 

[janette]

My oldest DD had her's done at 12 months & youngest DD at 3 months. It was easier to care my DD when she had them done at 3 months. The oldest one is 11yo and still wears earrings. The youngest is 8yo and rarely does but her ears have never closed. I also rarely wear earrings because I'm sensitive to metals, I can wear cheap surgical steel ones but not gold and she seems to have inherited my sensitivity.

Partly cutural, MIL is Filipino and she wanted DD to be able to wear earrings and I didn't have any objections.