Ear piercing???
hpfreak2011
member
DD1 is 5yrs old and has been asking for months to get her ears pierced..... ugh.... I just don't know if she is ready. I thought that by the time she wanted them, she would be at least 8 or so. I just don't know if she is old enough to take care of them and keep them in, etc.... (Obviously I would make sure that she cleans them and stuff, but I'm worried about her turning them to heal them and keep them in)
I was 6 when I got mine done the first time and I didn't keep them in all the time, even after they healed. I got them re-done when I was 10ish I think and they have been fine since.
So...... for those with DD's, have you gotten their ears pierced? When? Did they take care of them? Did you take care of them? Any other advice?
TIA
Re: Ear piercing???
My daughter was 9. We made a big deal out of it. My mom came to visit for Christmas. We all went together. I was surprised how brave she was. She said it hurt, but not as bad as she thought it would.
As far as cleaning, we bought the solution from Claire's. I don't remember if it was 3 or 4 times a day. We followed the directions exactly. I did it for her most of the time. It made her nervous to do it herself. She slept in them and kept them in 100% of the time. They were doing well. Very clean. No redness or irritation.
We only had one problem the whole time. She said that she forgot to clean them when she was at her dad's house (shared custody - weekend). She said she was turning them while he was driving. She picked at the skin in front of the earring. Gross, sorry. It ended up bleeding and forming a scab. I had to take the earing out and clean it. I could not get it to go back in. More gross... because the scab was blocking entry. I ended up putting the earring in backward and leaving the back off. With the cleaning solution and a dab of Neosporin it healed in 2 days. After that, no problems. She is now able to wear other earrings. She still sleeps in the starter set.
My advice would be to have your daughter wait a little longer.
Newlyweds since 2007
I think at 5 she's old enough to understand the process, that it takes a while for them to heal, and that she needs to comply with the instructions in order to keep them, right?
We got my daughters' pierced at 11 mos (DD1) and 22 mos (DD2). Of course I had to do all the work, but I haven't had any issues with either of them messing with them.
I think if you sit down and talk to her about what will happen - how she'll need to clean them, and about waiting 6 weeks to wear different ones - and she still wants to get them, then take her to have ti done. What's the worst that may happen? That you'll have to take them out and maybe get them done again in a few years, right? I think this is an excellent opportunity to show her that you have confidence in her, and for her to prove how much she wants them by taking care of them.
We got my DD's done at the ripe old age of 10 last year. I would have been willing to do it as early as 8 or 9, but she didn't express interest. Like a pp said, we made a BIG deal of it. She handled the care and cleaning 100% solo, and was very responsible. It was a big confidence booster that she handled this all herself and did a good job. If she had been younger, I could have pitched in and helped her take care of them, or helped remind her, and the outcome would have been the same for the ear holes, but she would not have had the feeling of accomplishment and responsibility.
Also, it was nice to have a special birthday present/treat for a tween daughter that wasn't an electronic device!
Lots of people get their infant daughters' ears pierced, and it always seems to turn out fine. I know some moms who got daughters' ears pierced in the preschool years and it was fine. I also know a fair number of moms who had to let their daughters' holes close up and wait to try again when the child was older, even though the mom was the one basically taking charge of things.
My theory: kids this age are more likely to touch and "fiddle with" the earrings and backs, introducing extra germs to the earrings and the ear holes. Expecting a 3 y/o to "not touch" the earrings is unrealistic. For a 5 y/o, it probably depends on the child.
Good luck with whatever decision you make!
DD is a very girlie girl. After she turned three she kept asking and telling me she wanted it done. After 3 mo of near daily asking and explaining to her that it hurts for a second and they poke a hole in her ear, she told me "I'm big enough now".
We took her to the dr's office knowing they'd do a good job, but they only do one side at a time. The nurse showed her the gun and made the noise. DD sat perfectly while she marked her ears and did the 1st one. She was quiet for 3 seconds because she screaming. She didn't want to get the second one done. Thankfully there was another nurse to help and once she calmed down it was fine.
As far as after care, I turned them daily and made sure they got soapy in the bathtub. DD is 5 1/2 now and we've never changed her earrings. It freaks her out.
DD is a very girlie girl. After she turned three she kept asking and telling me she wanted it done. After 3 mo of near daily asking and explaining to her that it hurts for a second and they poke a hole in her ear, she told me "I'm big enough now".
We took her to the dr's office knowing they'd do a good job, but they only do one side at a time. The nurse showed her the gun and made the noise. DD sat perfectly while she marked her ears and did the 1st one. She was quiet for 3 seconds before she started screaming. She didn't want to get the second one done. Thankfully there was another nurse to help and once she calmed down once it was done and then she was fine.
As far as after care, I turned them daily and made sure they got soapy in the bathtub. DD is 5 1/2 now and we've never changed her earrings. It freaks her out.