Piercing 1 year old's ears?

[Laura]

I plan to wait until she asks for it. Just one more thing I don't need to mess with, IMO.

 

[laughinplace199]

I would worry about 2 things, infection and choking.

DD got her ears pierced at age 7. We followed the cleaning instructions carefully, but when we changed from the piercing studs to new earrings, her ears became infected and swollen and we had to let them close up.

I would worry about the baby possibly getting the back off and then choking on either the back or the earring itself. So many babies put everything in their mouths at that age.

 

[PKM]

To me it's a civil rights issue - what if she doesn't want them pierced?

I'll give you my story and maybe it will help with your "civil rights" issue.

Took DD when she was either 3 or 6 months old to her ped to have her ears pierced. (Yes, she was a big, bald, beautiful baby girl who looked like a big, bald, beautiful baby boy!) DD's ped said "They recommend you wait until they're old enough to ask for it". I asked who "They" were. He said some pediatric/doctor group somewhere (don't remember exactly). I told him I thought that was silly. He said "they" felt parents shouldn't push something this "permanent" on a baby. My answer -- "Would you/they feel the same if we were talking about my son and circumcision? I think that's a lot more permanent than a whole in each ear!?" Needless to say, DD's ped pierced her ears that day and I'm glad I had them done. She was little enough to never bother with them and I made sure they were taken care of properly. She wore them until she was about 4-5 and then decided she didn't want them anymore. We took the earrings out and she didn't start wearing them again until she was about 10 or 11. Her decision as to when to stop and start wearing them again.

FWIW, I had mine done as a preteen and I was terrified and backed out twice before I actually went ahead and had them pierced. I wished my mom had mine done when I was little enough not to remember.

 

[Va-bear]

I'll give you my story and maybe it will help with your "civil rights" issue.

Took DD when she was either 3 or 6 months old to her ped to have her ears pierced. (Yes, she was a big, bald, beautiful baby girl who looked like a big, bald, beautiful baby boy!) DD's ped said "They recommend you wait until they're old enough to ask for it". I asked who "They" were. He said some pediatric/doctor group somewhere (don't remember exactly). I told him I thought that was silly. He said "they" felt parents shouldn't push something this "permanent" on a baby. My answer -- "Would you/they feel the same if we were talking about my son and circumcision? I think that's a lot more permanent than a whole in each ear!?" Needless to say, DD's ped pierced her ears that day and I'm glad I had them done. She was little enough to never bother with them and I made sure they were taken care of properly. She wore them until she was about 4-5 and then decided she didn't want them anymore. We took the earrings out and she didn't start wearing them again until she was about 10 or 11. Her decision as to when to stop and start wearing them again.

FWIW, I had mine done as a preteen and I was terrified and backed out twice before I actually went ahead and had them pierced. I wished my mom had mine done when I was little enough not to remember.

I didn't have my sons circumcised either... ...their choice if they want to have an unnecessary surgical procedure later in life.

 

[FayeW]

I hate seeing babies and toddlers who clearly were not able to vocalize their wishes with pierced ears. I think it is horribly tacky. At that point it has nothing to do with the child's well being or what they want. Why would a parent inflict pain on their child for no good reason?

Let your daughter decide for herself when she is old enough to communicate.

 

[lovepurple]

I waited until my girls were old enough to want their ears pierced. One wanted them done, and the other didn't.
Piercing babies ears reminds me of when I lived on a farm as a child and my dad would put numbered tags in the calves ears after they were born.
It doesn't bother me when I see babies with pierced ears. I just don't see the point of it.

 

[clgwli]

On another slightly different topic...where is the best place to pierce a baby's or older child's ears??

My opinion is either a doctor's office or someplace approved by the Association of Professional Piercers.

As to the OP I had mine done when I was 10. As a family we decided to skip what is culturally done (as a baby) and wait until the child asks for it.

I have nothing against babies with pierced ears though. I just remember the joy I had deciding for myself when to do it.

 

[NY Disney fan]

My grandmother pierced my ears when I was 8 years old with an ice cube and a needle. The holes came out perfect! And while my ears healed I wore a piece of thread in each ear before I put actual earrings in.

 

[daisyduck123]

I am waiting until they ask to have their ears pierced, and are responsible enough to take on much of the care of their ears and earrings.

Denae

Exactly what I did.
DD had them done on her 11th (or was it 12th?) b-day & she totally took care of them on her own.

 

[disney1990]

I can only tell you what I chose for my daughters. I am waiting until they ask to have their ears pierced, and are responsible enough to take on much of the care of their ears and earrings.

Denae

Another vote for waiting.

 

[donald&daisy]

My mom had mine done when I was a baby. I'm glad she did as I am deathly afraid of needles and even though I know I could do again, if need be, it would be very stressful and traumatic. I figure if she doesn't want them, then they'll close up over time.

 

[okeydokey]

It's a personal decision that I let my daughter make herself. She had them done when she was ten.

 

[m&m's mom]

My thought is I am not going to do something that is non -essential and permanent to my child without their consent and approval.
I am very proud of my DD's. I told them they needed to wait until they were 12 (like me) and when oldest turned 12 last year- she declined.

 

[joviroxx]

Im latin, Cuban actually, and its traditional to get your daughter's ears pierced when they are babies. Its done by the pediatrician and very young. Its just part of our culture.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I'm in the no camp. Why intentionally inflict pain on a baby without their permission for something so superficial? Not to mention the risks that come with it.

I got mine pierced in fourth grade. That summer I was in a play and wore a costume that required a hairnet. The hairnet caught the earring one night as I was taking it off and ripped it out. It was very painful. Little kids play rough all the time. They grab at their ears, yank on them, etc. It hurts to have an earring ripped out, and I now have a split in my ear lobe from it. It doesn't bother me that much because it was a freak accident and could have happened regardless of age. It it had happened because my mom had pierced my ears as a baby and I or another little kid yanked them out, I would be mad.

The other issue is what happens if the piercing didn't go as planned. My second holes (I was in middle school), the piercing gun misfired. The backing went on, but the earring did not detach from the gun. I was old enough to sit still and wait while they detached the earring from the gun and then repierced the ear, but a little kid would have been freaking out.

Wait until she is old enough to decide it is what she wants and is able to deal with the daily care of having earrings.

 

[crz4mm2]

I did DD's at 10 months. she was more interested in the sucker

She wanted the 2nd hole in JR. High, which I let her have.

She NEVER wears earrings now

 

[dolfinjuls]

We pierced our dd#1 on her first birthday. Bad choice! If you want your daughter's ears pierced when they are young, do it when they are several months old, not one year old! She was old enough to want to move when the woman came at her w/ the gun, and old enough to want to cry for a while b/c it hurt! She always hated for me to touch her ears to clean them or anything. She now refuses to wear earings!

With dd#2, we'll wait to do it when she asks to have them done!

 

[Bluestars]

I made my daughter wait until she was 10. She was deathly afraid of needles and it was an ordeal to get the second ear pierced. We had to walk around the mall for an hour before she got brave enough to do the 2nd one. I didn't get them pierced when she was a baby because I wanted to have the decision made by her.

My daughter has a daughter under a year old and she got her ears pierced. They look cute though.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I vote no, too. I would wait until they were old enough to decide for themselves. I would also worry about the child being able to get the earring out and swallowing it. You would have to make sure they have screw on backs for their earrings. Unnecessary at that age, IMO. (as a baby, my DS10 was mistaken for a girl quite often, even while wearing a blue shirt with a truck on it..didn't bother me if they said he was "beautiful". )

I am currently trying to convince DS9 to have his ear pierced. I even had an earring made for him (a pair-one for him, one for disinterested DS10) from some extra diamonds I had from shortening my tennis bracelet. (Screw ons). He is chicken, so I will wait

 

[Cool-Beans]

I wouldn't do it.

I don't think it is cute. I get the same feeling from seeing babies with pierced ears that I'd get seeing babies with makeup on. It's more of an adult thing and not a baby thing. To me, anyway.

Plus, it hurts and I wouldn't hurt a baby of mine on purpose, even if it made them look cuter to me.