S/O earrings and juice ????

imoverit

Random right?! The below posts about earrings and juice reminded me of questions I have.

Earrings:
Did you pierce your LOs ears as a baby or will you wait until older. My mom pierced mine when I was 1. Im debating this with DD or waiting until she is 13 and doing it as a special gift.

Juice:
Do you give LO juice and if so, what kind? How much? We pour 1/4 cup lemonade into 3/4 cup water for DS. I really dont want him to have it for fear of cavities and the sugar. Am I over thinking this or should I try cutting back? He has about 4 sippy cups of this combo per day.

BabyKsMommy

I would never give DS juice, except he requests it now. So I do water and a splash of juice. I ususly try to just give him water and if he rejects it then I'll give him juice if he requests it.

I'm mobile so tickers. We didn't give DS juice till he was 2.

As far as earrings go I'm not for sure. Dd is still cooking and it's not something I have thought about yet

Ruthie04

I have boys, but I don't care for earrings on babies. I just like keeping babies little for as long as possible and I feel like earrings make them look too grown up. I also felt the same way about denim and wouldn't even put the boys in jeans until after they walked at 12 and 13 mos. I want them to be babies for as long as possible! Plus, there's no way I would want to care for earrings. And, I HATE sleeping in studs- I don't know how babies deal with the poking. I got mine on my eighth bday and it was such a special treat. I was old enough to care for them and never had an infection.

On juice, we only use for constipation purposes. I feel like juice is soda for kids, so we just do it as a last resort. Fortunately, they don't like it much, so they'd never ask for it.

TJ1979

Guess I'm an oddball so far. I got E's ears pierced at 5 months, and plan to do the same with P. I got mine done when I was older, and remember it being a painful, traumatic event. I would rather them not have to remember it, and for me to be the one who had to handle all the cleaning and turning, not them.

Ugh. We give water with a splash of apple juice. I hate it and wish we never gave her juice. But her day care started it, so she asks for it all the time.

luvboston

We did LO ears at 4 months it was over in one minute and she will never remember it. I got mine done at the same age. My sister got hers at 1 and had to have them redone so I am happy we did it.

LO will never have juice we have obesity and diabetes on all sides of the family and she doesn't need the added empty calories and sugar.

Also I find juice to be so expensive for no reason. If it doesn't come from the ground in liquid form she doesn't need it.

We started with water at 4 mos and she thinks its candy. She gets it in a big girl cup. Thanks grandma for starts that

kmc84

I am not a fan of earrings on babies. I had my ears pierced when I was 10 (I think) because its what I wanted and I could take care of them in my own). When A is old enough to ask and care for them, I don't have a problem doing it then.

A has never had juice and I have no plans on giving her any. She gets her 3 straw cups of milk a day (morning, after nap, bedtime) and drinks as much water as she wants during the day. We tried giving her apple pedialyte when she had a day of vomiting and fever and two days of almost no fluids, and she wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.

Jenny935

I have a boy but I probably wouldn't have done the earrings thing. Seeing how he tugs/pulls/yanks on everything it would worry me! I got mine done in 2nd grade as a special gift. Although I eventually got annoyed with them and took them out and now my holes are closed up ... so I'm not the best person to make a jewelry decision.

Juice wise - we keep a few of the small cans of prune and juice boxes of apple around for constipation and illness, when he refuses to drink anything. He drinks straight water out of straw cups on and off during the day. 

PennyLane26

Earrings: I think earrings on babies are adorable! But I did not pierce G's ears because my mom took me when I was 7 (after my First Communion) and we made a big day of it with lunch and shopping. If G wants her ears pierced, I'd like to do something similar, such a nice Mommy/Daughter memory!

Juice- We don't do juice, just milk and water. She has had juice at bday parties and special outings, but she loves milk more.

MoFree

It never occurred to me to have LO's ears pierced even though around here it is very common especially with certain ethnic groups. I am very minimalist, no headbands, bows, ruffles until
LO asks for them. I don't find it attractive or necessary for baby girls to wear earrings.

As far as juice, we don't usually keep it in the house. LO has had pear juice for constipation but it's not a part of her regular diet.

mnj05

Earrings: no girl for me right now but I'm not sure what I would do. My mom wanted me to get them at a very young age but my dad wanted me to make the decision. I ended up never getting my ears pierced because I was too afraid of needles and it freaked me out. Juice : daycare started juice and we do it now too. He doesn't get much, more water than anything but we also only give him one cup of it a day; the rest of the time it's milk or straight water. ETA: on the ipad, sorry about the formatting

MJC1116

I had my ears pierced when I was a baby and I think I had a lot of trouble with them because my mom had to let them close up. I remember getting them done again as a 2nd grader. DH and I didn't feel the need to pierce E's ears as a baby. We'll let her get them done when she's older and like PP's have said when she can assume some of the responsibility and/or shows an interest in it.

As for juice, I never gave it to her until she started going to school (around 2 1/2 - 3) and she only gets one of those really small, all-natural juice boxes. It's mostly water and then milk.

ccam

No girls in our house but if we did, I would wait until she was older and asked to get them done. Then we could make a big day out of it or do it for her birthday or something.

As for juice, DS has never had it. We don't keep it on the house. He sticks to water and milk.

imoverit

Thanks ladies for your input. Now off to cut back on the lemonade.

mcgeeva

No advice on earrings since I have two boys but my mother did mine when I was 6. As far as the juice goes I only allow my son a cup a day which is half juice half water. But I also have to watch what im drinking around him since he always wants what my husband and I are drinking. Speaking of juice..do you all think Crystal Light is bad for kids?? I never give DS any but my husband keeps doing it. 

MoFree

@mcgeeva. I absolutely would not feed a child anything that contains aspartame and artificial coloring.

mcgeeva

Thanks! I didn't drink it myself when pregnant and I only give ds 100% juice mixed with water but like I said dh has given him some. 

Ruthie04

I'm with @MoFree on Crystal Light- no artificial sweeteners for us. But, I developed postpartum interstitial cystitis and artificial sweeteners are a huge trigger- OUCH!! We don't keep it in the house. It makes me nuts that they are in so many children's products!

I won't lie- I give my kids goldfish and pouches on the go and have been known to give them a waffle fry, but I am strict on sugary drinks. I just don't see the point in them, but we never kept sodas in the house when I was a kid.

mcgeeva

Well then you will love the fact my brother gives his 1.5 year old three 10 oz bottles of orange juice a day (not sure which kind) and she falls asleep with the bottle. No one will listen to me that it's going to hurt her little teeth. 

I know to en extent we all give our children some things that are not very healthy. I just save the juice boxes for special occasions as well as ice cream etc. But I always have 100% cranberry juice for myself in the fridge so he does get that occasionally but I try to stick to milk and water. 

Now im completly stressed about the flipping crystal light he gave him this morning. 

Ruthie04

Oh, I wouldn't worry about this morning at all!! My parents are notorious for sneaking things to their grandchildren when the parents aren't looking (my children's first taste of a chocolate shake) and their 9 grandchildren have normal BMIs and are totally healthy!

And, I'm positive there are some mothers who would cringe at some of the things I give the boys. But, they won't eat many foods (and I'm talking 3ish meals per child and they aren't even the same thing) and we struggle with weight gain, so I do what I can to get protein and calories in them. Your family, your choice!!

pb_bride

No and No

No earrings, even if I had a girl.  My mom never had her ears pierced, and mine aren't pierced either.  If M wants to pierce his ears when he's older, that's a different issue.

M never had juice in his life.  It's sort of a case of slippery slope when it comes to toddlers, IMHO.  Once they get something (they like), then they will keep asking for it.  I'm by no means the strictest mom; M gets occasional desserts and ice cream, when DH & I have it (like once a week), but I don't see the point of giving him juice.  He gets milk, water, and smoothie.