Attachment Parenting

Ear Peircing

I read an article about so many people thinking getting your childs ears pierced is child abuse. As our daughters arrival date gets closer we are stating to think about this like this "parenting decisions" I just wanted to what other parents or soon to be parents thought of this idea. Is it okay? Or is it not?

Re: Ear Peircing

  • I honestly don't have an opinion either way. I personally would let my daughter choose when she's older. 
    With that said, what I do have a strong opinion about it anti-circumcision advocates being ok with piercing their daughter's ears. 
    Pregnancy Ticker
  • I wouldn't call it abuse! In my opnion its a personal decision but like pp I would personally want my daughter if I have one  to be old enough to decide for herself.
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  • I do not consider this abuse but I am going to let my daughter decide if she wants them pierced when she is older. There is no reason for me to pierce them now. It isn't terribly painful but there is still pain and possibility of infection. I don't think pierced ears look cuter than non-pierced ears and there is a possibility she will never want them pierced. 
  • I also don't think it's abuse, I just don't like the way it looks on babies. My DD can get it done later if she wants.
  • I agree it's a personal decision. There is no scientific evidence to prove that ear piercing is harmful (exact words my pediatrician said to me when I asked). A lot of peds offices offer ear piercing. It's done for cultural, traditional and religious reasons. 
    On a personal note, my daughter's ears were pierced when she was around five months. It's a tradition in our family. I am in my mid 30s and also had my ears pierced when I was an infant. For me, it was super easy to clean her ears during multiple diaper changes. She has never messed with her ears. 
  • I don't think it's abuse... But I'm not a fan of earrings on babies.  

    Her ears,  her choice!  
  • That topic hasn't come up between my husband and I yet, so I have no idea what we will choose to do with our little girl.  But one of my girlfriends just pierced her daughters ears (at around 5 months, maybe?).  She had thought about waiting until her daughter asked to have them pierced someday, but thought it may be easier to clean and maintain them at this age.  I thought back to when I got mine pierced in 2nd grade...I messed with them constantly and they got infected.  I had to take them out and I didn't mess with getting them pierced again until high school.  I definitely wouldn't consider it child abuse!
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  • Well I don't think it's child abuse another women in a different baby group I am a part of stated that she and 3 other people has to "old their 6month old down" while getting her ears pierced. This to me is simply disgusting and wrong. If you have to hold the kid down you shouldn't be doing it. It's my child body and she can decide when she's older. She would look super cute with pierced ears but I'm not going to subject her to it until she wants them. would you go tattoo your 3month old? 
  • kdoak2015 said:
    Well I don't think it's child abuse another women in a different baby group I am a part of stated that she and 3 other people has to "old their 6month old down" while getting her ears pierced. This to me is simply disgusting and wrong. If you have to hold the kid down you shouldn't be doing it. It's my child body and she can decide when she's older. She would look super cute with pierced ears but I'm not going to subject her to it until she wants them. would you go tattoo your 3month old? 
    While I'm with you on the holding down thing, the tatoo analogy is terrible. Ear piercings are not as painful and are definitely not as permanent...a tiny hole in your ear, even if it doesn't close completely, is nothing like a tatoo!! 
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • As it is not cultural or religious for us, we will wait until she is old enough to ask and old enough to care for them properly. With our eldest daughter, that was the summer between gr.  4 & gr. 5.
  • @atcwag While I get your comparison to circumcison, I do think there's a big differece between cutting off the functional tip of you son's penis and poking a tiny hole in your kid's earlobe... Overall, if it's not superpainful or superpermanent, then I don't think it's a superbig deal. That being said, I didn't have my daughter's ears pierced until she was old enough to request it, because I just fet like it was more respectful to her as a individual to allow her to choose for herself whether she wanted holes in her ears or not.
  • I haven't pierced either of my girls' ears. I don't think there's any good argument for causing pain to a baby just for looks. They can have them when they ask for them. 

    You can check an older child's ears just as easily. I got mine at 7yo, and I cleaned them often-my Mom checked just like checking I brushed my teeth. No infections. And while some babies don't play with them, some do, and there's the hazard of other babies/toddlers pulling at them in daycare, or getting caught on a toy.
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  • My biggest concern is hygiene and safety. Babies hands are not hygienic and everything goes in the mouth. I've never heard of a baby ripping out an earring and choking on it but I imagine it's possible. Even still they touch everything so you would need to be very diligent about cleaning around the piercings because of infection risks.
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