How Young is Too Young?

[Dezzie]

I just came across this article:

As Angelina takes Zahara, six, and Shiloh, five, to get their ears pierced - how young is too young? | Mail Online

Now, I am not really a fan of reading news like this (about famous people... I really could care less)... but it was in the side bar on this site and I just so happened to notice it.

I wonder... how young is too young? What do you guys think about this topic? Does age matter when it comes to pierced ears? Personally, I don't think age matters... Although... if you force your child to get their ears pierced, that's wrong. If the kid wants them and you give them the proper warning that it may hurt, one pair of earings, in my opinion, is not that big of a deal. What do you guys think?

 

[Madhuri]

I think that ear piercings are so insignificant that it isn't a moral issue at all. My mother had my ears pierced before my first birthday, which was mostly due to the fact that most people thought I was a baby boy.

It is not a painful procedure and as far as I know, there is little or no risk involved. If I didn't want my ears pierced now, I could just take out my earrings.

The only way I could see it being a negative thing to pierce a child's ears is if the society it is growing up in disapproves of piercings and could cause the child to be treated badly.

 

[gnomon]

For me when it comes to these things it depends upon how much physical development and mental development should be required before such a procedure can should take place in regards to the health of a child.

I've never had my ears pierced so I don't really know. I assume that the development of the lobe is pretty much done so it's not really much of a health factor at age 5 or 6 as it would be at 18. Mentally, I don't know. I don't if it's such a big deal. It's more on how society reacts. Such as a young boy getting his ear pierced, and not on the supposed correct side, when I was a kid could be a cause of some anxiety. I would really hope it's something the child understands and wants, though.

However, I do know if someone told me they just pierced their infants ears because they wanted to my first impulse might be to slap them.

 

[fallingblood]

Personally, if my son was 5 or 6, and he wanted his ear pierced, I would say no. On the other hand, I would have had his ear pierced before he was one, but just didn't really bother.

The reason for me is the healing issue. When he was just a baby, he wouldn't have touched the earring, played with it, etc. That and it would have been easier for me or my wife to take care of it, so that it wouldn't get infected. However, the older he gets, the more likely that he would play with it, etc, thus leading to it getting infected, and other problems.

I base this on my wife's experience. For me, it really is more of a thing of safety from infection.

 

[Quintessence]

Well, there's this girl I know who had hers done at a bit older than that (I forget what she said exactly, but it was before age ten) and regrets it. Body mod is permanent. Her empty piercing holes just get this ***** stuff in them that's nasty (no, not an infection). There is no real way to fix it. Permanent is permanent.

 

[Breathe]

I don't see a big issue in it.


My sister decided to surprise me by getting my daughter ears pierced around her second or so (or was it first? Gah, I don't remember) birthday. It was a surprise, because I didn't give my consent. I had my ear pierced at about 6. Neither my daughter, wife, nor myself wear earrings - we will usually put them in once every so often to keep the holes open.

 

[Kathryn]

A non issue in my opinion. For the vast majority of people, if they decide they don't want the piercing, they can just leave out the earring(s) and the hole will close up. Until then, it's barely noticeable.

I had both my girls' ears pierced before they were one, and they also had their girls' ears pierced as infants. Just for the record, all my little granddaughters love their pierced ears and love wearing earrings.

No problems to report whatsoever. And as for the actual piercings, they took about two seconds, and apparently there was very little pain. One of my daughters cried a minute or so, but the other didn't even cry - just let out a little yelp and then that was it.

As a little girl, I begged and begged and begged for years to get my ears pierced. I remember the day I actually succeeded in my quest very well. My dad took me on a rare shopping trip - just he and I, so I was already on Cloud Nine. I was thirteen and awkward and generally miserable in my own skin, and I remember being so thrilled that my dad was showing me special attention. To this day, I remember clearly the shirt he bought me at the mall.

As we were leaving, we passed one of those ear piercing places and I said, "Daddy, PLEASE let me get my ears pierced!" He grinned and said, "Well, why not?" and we stopped and had it done. I was so proud and excited!

To this day, when I change my earrings, I have that warm little memory to cherish.

 

[Erebus]

The reason for me is the healing issue. When he was just a baby, he wouldn't have touched the earring, played with it, etc.

This actually makes a lot of sense. I've had a few piercings (ear, lip, eyebrow) and the temptation to fiddle with it even in your teens is tremendous. For a 5 year old I can easily see it being irresistible.

 

[blackout]

As long as they're responsible enough to not get their ears infected?

I told my girls age 8, as long as I feel they're responsible enough.
(you don't want infections or torn lobes or whatnot.)
My work/sleep schedule means my kids must be very self sufficient,
and they truly are responsible beyond what is average for their age.
I like, in turn, to reward their responsible Self sufficiency.


If they're responsible with their earrings
I'll let them get nose piercings in middle school
IF they want them.

Other piercings, high school-- maybe 8th grade.
While I have no problem with "edgy",
I don't want them ostricizing themselves from their piers
(or their piers parents)
by being too radically far ahead of the game (for their average age group).

EDIT: I should make sure my son also knows that if he wants a piercing or two,
I have no problem with it.
It might be more effective though,
if he passes a bit further into puberty first.

 

[Falvlun]

I don't think it's such a big deal either. It's not that huge of a modification, one that comes with little pain, and can be essentially reversed in most people if you just don't wear earrings.

One word of caution: A friend's mom had her ears peirced as an infant, but as she grew, it became apparent that the holes were too high up on the earlobe. So, she got her ears repierced when she was 5 or 6. You can barely tell, not that big of a deal, but something to consider if you are thinking about peircing your infant's ears.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Most people get the ears done when the child is an infant.

For girls, almost every one in our culture wears them, so there's a pretty good chance that she will want them anyway. Boys get circumcised. Girls get ears pierced.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I can't understand how age would have any meaningful relationship to getting ears pierced. Then again, people seem to make a lot of arbitrary connections between things.

 

[Dezzie]

I can't understand how age would have any meaningful relationship to getting ears pierced. Then again, people seem to make a lot of arbitrary connections between things.

I thought it was strange too. The article made such a big deal about it though... I thought it was a silly thing to go nuts over. According to this article, many women disagreed with Angelina Jolie letting a couple of her kids get their ears pierced. I think they over-reacted honestly.

 

[Dezzie]

Oh and the comments towards the end of the article really startled me:

"There are few things I find trashier than little babies with pierced ears. They're people, not dolls."

AND

"ANYONE who pierces an infant's ears should be put in jail for abuse. I think people who do the piercings should refuse to do that to a baby. No baby should have pierced ears- it is not cute, it is horrifying."

 

[blackout]

Most people get the ears done when the child is an infant.

For girls, almost every one in our culture wears them, so there's a pretty good chance that she will want them anyway. Boys get circumcised. Girls get ears pierced.

I don't know where you live,
but that isn't even close to true out by me.

Babies with pierced ears are definately in the minority.


Not really sure how you can compare circumcision and ear piercing either...
(considering they're not actually the least bit similar)

"Boys" don't "get circumcised". "Girls" don't "get their ears pierced".
Some parents do these things to their babies, some parents don't.
Some older boys and girls, and men and women, have these things done to themSelves,
some don't.

As if to say,
Girls wear pink and have pink rooms.
Boys wear blue and have blue rooms.

this is just how it's done.

Why do children's paint chips even come in any other colors?
honestly.

It's not like I'm out to tell other parents what to do in any case.
I just find your comments very strange.

 

[blackout]

Most people get the ears done when the child is an infant.

For girls, almost every one in our culture wears them, so there's a pretty good chance that she will want them anyway. Boys get circumcised. Girls get ears pierced.

I have pierced ears, but have not worn earings in MANY many years.
(at this point my holes will never close up)
But I LOVE my nose pierce
(which I finally got at age 38, because my mom opposed it when I was younger-
though it was actually the pierce that I really wanted).
I wear a nose "jewel" every single day.

Some of us are far less concerned with what our "culture does"/cultural "norms",
and are FAR MORE concerned with our own personal likes and dislikes.

To some, I'm sure this is a difficult concept to fathom.

 

[Kathryn]

Angellous lives in Texas, as do I. Infant ear piercing is very common here, especially in the Hispanic community. Perhaps that's why he sees it as something that's common with baby girls.

 

[Onkara]

Angellous lives in Texas, as do I. Infant ear piercing is very common here, especially in the Hispanic community. Perhaps that's why he sees it as something that's common with baby girls.

My observation is that it is very common and acceptable to pierce baby girls ears in Spain, perhaps there are cultural roots, who knows I assume it gets around that momentary awkwardness of knowing if the baby is a boy or a girl too.

 

[Kathryn]

My observation is that it is very common and acceptable to pierce baby girls ears in Spain, perhaps there are cultural roots, who knows I assume it gets around that momentary awkwardness of knowing if the baby is a boy or a girl too.

Well, could be, though I've seen some boy babies with pierced ears too - though it's often just one ear.

I've seen African American boy babies with pierced ears and braided hair.

So I usually just say, "Oh my, what a cute baby! Hey, little one, what's your name?"

Even then, it's difficult to tell sometimes. I mean, with Hispanic babies, usually if their name ends with an "o" it's a boy - but then they hit you with a "Consuelo" and ???? And when someone is named "Morgan" or "Emerson" or "Jayden" or "Parker" - well, who knows???????

Best to just smile and remain neutral!

 

[Onkara]

haha, yes, that is the problem. As you may know even the word "cute" has a gender e.g. mono = male or mona = female, so you really need to know from the moment you see the baby or it can be quite difficult to give a compliment.