Piercing a baby's ears?

[Vilac]

Mmmmk. I'm going to throw this out there for people who are more intuned to this than I.

You see...I don't have a child. I have little to no parental instincts at all. But...as I was walking through the local shopping mall this last weekend, I happened to pass by one of those little stands that does the ear piercing.

Normally this wouldn't grab my attention, but this was different because there was a young mother holding her baby. If this child was more than 6 or 8 months old, I would be shocked. Evidentally the mother had decided that it was time to have the kid's ears pierced.

I have never heard a child scream so loud in my entire life. It was scared...and in pain. Short-lived as it may have been.

It got me thinking today...as I have begun to notice children who have their ears done...if this is something that is just "accepted" as normal now.

What's next? I mean...tattooing is gaining in popularity. Will there be a sudden influx in young parents taking their gradeschoolers to get a tat of Spongebob Squarepants on their frame?

What if this child is to grow up and for some reason *not want their body altered in any manner? It's unlikely..but possible.

What do you think? Have you done this? *Would you do this? Where do you draw the line?

<shrug> Anyhow...just my thoughts.
V~~~

 

[Olivianna]

Piercing toddlers' and babies' ears is considered entirely acceptable in India and other places. In fact, the Western world has for ages been committing a far more brutal act: circumcision.

 

[Sillyman]

I think it's sick and a sign the parent is inflicting gender roles on the child that should by all rights be too young for that shit. It's horrible.

 

[Guest]

I find pierced ears in pre-teens a bad taste.

Bad parenting. Fullstop.

 

[Never]

Causing unnecessary pain to someone unable to resist is wrong. Maybe it’s not hugely wrong but it’s still wrong.

 

[Ezzie]

I have a young daughter and I never once thought to get her ears pierced until she grasped the concept of how much pain would come with along with the care that it takes to have them pierced. She's almost 7 now and they're still not done and she seems happy that way. I could never inflict pain of any sort on my child, so I leave the self infliction thought up to her. She'll decide when she's ready.

 

[peachykeen]

Makes me wanna slap people, it does

 

[Vilac]

Piercing toddlers' and babies' ears is considered entirely acceptable in India and other places. In fact, the Western world has for ages been committing a far more brutal act: circumcision.

Olivianna....
I tend to agree with you. That's where I was headed. We pierce a child's ears. We Circumsize a young male. We do our very best to "mold" our children into whatever suits us at any given time.

It's rather sick and sad in a way.

V~

 

[lilminx]

I had my ears pierced when I was about 1, I think. I'm glad my mom had it done. If the kid doesn't like it when she's older, she can always take them out. It's not irreversable.

I also don't think it inflicts gender roles. I have plenty of 5 and 6 year old boys in my class with one or both ears pierced.

 

[Sillyman]

I think the removal of the clitoris is slightly more barbaric than circumsion, but that's just my opinion there.

 

[Olivianna]

We do our very best to "mold" our children into whatever suits us at any given time.

If we don't, who will? Obviously, good parenting would involve more consistent and healthy methods than "any given time." If we leave the "molding" up to the child, who/what do you think will step in as the influencers (T.V., peer groups, stupid people, etc.).

 

[La Huesera]

There is a couple in the town just over from where I live that have pierced not one..but both of their 5m old baby BOY ears. Don't get me wrong, if that is what he wanted when he was old enough then great. However, I don't think it's right to put that on a child (male or female) until they are old enough to decide for themselves.

 

[Vilac]

If we don't, who will? Obviously, good parenting would involve more consistent and healthy methods than "any given time." If we leave the "molding" up to the child, who/what do you think will step in as the influencers (T.V., peer groups, stupid people, etc.).

I'm not arguing that it's someone else's role to mold a child other than their parents. But...when you have parents that barely have enough common sense to take care of themselves, do you really want them to inflict all of their <so called> morals and ideals onto a child who doesn't know any better?

I don't have all the answers. Who's to say that someone else would be better suited than a parent to raise a child? Not me. It just makes me sick to see any bad "habit" or learned trait passed on from parent to child, whether that be sexism, discrimination, or just out and out stupidity.

V~~

 

[Vilac]

I don't think it's right to put that on a child (male or female) until they are old enough to decide for themselves.

I agree, La Huesera.
V~

 

[lilminx]

I don't have all the answers. Who's to say that someone else would be better suited than a parent to raise a child? Not me. It just makes me sick to see any bad "habit" or learned trait passed on from parent to child, whether that be sexism, discrimination, or just out and out stupidity.

V~~

Ear piercing is a bad habit or trait?

 

[Tantanah]

In my culture it's totally acceptable. I pierced my daughter's ears when she was 3 weeks old.

 

[Vilac]

Ear piercing is a bad habit or trait?

No no no. LOL

I was just answering Olivia, there. We both know it's not a trait or bad habit. What I was saying is, it just can be unfortunate when an ill-suited parent makes quick, rash, or uninformed decisions for their child.

I'm not saying that a baby getting it's ears pierced is a *bad thing. However, I'd never have my child's done. I just feel as though some things *ought to be left to one's own individual discrection.

Just like the Circumcision.

I understand your mother had your ears done when you were a child, and you are fine with it. But...what if for some unknown reason she decided to have your clitoris removed, or your name tattooed across your forehead. (I know...that's a rather extreme and outrageous example)

Wouldn't you or couldn't you take exception to certain things a parent could have done to their child?

V~~~~

 

[ScarlettRose]

Unlike a tattoo ear piercing is not permanent , so that argument is comparing apples to oranges.


I personally chose to wait and let my daughters decide for themselves, as with two of them I could just picture them pulling each others ear rings out.

 

[Vilac]

Unlike a tattoo ear piercing is not permanent , so that argument is comparing apples to oranges.


I personally chose to wait and let my daughters decide for themselves, as with two of them I could just picture them pulling each others ear rings out.

Actually, it is not permanent. You technically *could get it removed if desired.

But...we can gear down the comparison. How's about getting a child's eyebrow pierced. Or...nipple. Bellybutton, perhaps? All of them could be removed. Does that make it any more acceptable?

(With that...I'll shaddup. <g> I'm not trying to instigate here, but rather just get a feel for how people think)

Thanks for the responses, though!!!
V~~~~~

 

[freakygirl]

What right does anyone have to make a judgement about what I do with my child?

As long as my child is clean.. fed.. and well cared for. Why should anyone judge what kind of parent I am if I have their ears pierced at a young age?


I agree with ScarlettRose.. you are trying to compare apples and oranges here.

 

[Weird Harold]

I have a young daughter and I never once thought to get her ears pierced until she grasped the concept of how much pain would come with along with the care that it takes to have them pierced. She's almost 7 now and they're still not done and she seems happy that way. I could never inflict pain of any sort on my child, so I leave the self infliction thought up to her. She'll decide when she's ready.

Both of my grandduaghters had their ears pierced at age three or four -- by their choice.

There is one distinct advantage to piercing a child's ears at a very young age -- they don't remember the pain and grow up learning to care for their earrings.

My older granddaughter wanted her ears pierced, but screamed bloody murder when it came time to turn them as the piercing healed -- more because she remembered tht it hurt to get them pierced than from any real pain involved in caring for them. She was adamant that she didn't want to let the holes close, she was just afraid it would hurt again when they were turned or changed.

The younger granddaughter is made of sterner stuff and took to having her ears pierced like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I think the older grandaughterwould have been much happier if her mother had it done when she was too young to remember the pain (or at least associate it with having earrings.)

 

[Guest]

 

[sunstruck]

There are other things to consider. When I was in grade school there were to girls with separated lobes because they had their ears piereced as infants and caught the earing on blankets or clothing and ripped their lobes clean in half.

There's also the slim, but real danger of an infant swallowing and choking on an earing that comes out.

It's just not a risk I see the point in taking. I mean, why does an infant NEED pierced ears???

 

[Purrde Flower]

I got my daughters ears pierced at 1 year. I had my ex hold her while I walked down a few stores and sat on a bench and just cried and cried. My daughter (I was told later) laughed. She thought she got tickled.

 

[Kitte]

There are other things to consider. When I was in grade school there were to girls with separated lobes because they had their ears piereced as infants and caught the earing on blankets or clothing and ripped their lobes clean in half.

There's also the slim, but real danger of an infant swallowing and choking on an earing that comes out.

It's just not a risk I see the point in taking. I mean, why does an infant NEED pierced ears???

.

I am all for body mods I have several ear piercings my nose pierced and tats. But I think they are all things I earned. As an older child I got my ears after proving a certain amount of responsibility. My nose and the rest as an adult. I just dont see the harm in waiting till they are old enough to make a choice on there own.