Why do people gripe when a little girl's ears are pierced?

Question

My daughter is 10 mo old, she has pierced ears. Had them since she was 3 weeks old. My own mother pierced mine when I was only a few weeks old. People see my daughter and gripe because of her pierced ears. She's my daughter, what's it to them? I was told it doesn't hurt the baby that young, well it didn't seem to on my baby, she didn't even flinch. So really, what's the big deal, and why can't they mind their own business?

My dr suggested the age for me to get them done, said they don't have feeling in their ears that young and it heals faster because they don't tug at them.

Oh and if she doesnt want them pierced when shes older, they will heal up.

Answer 1

because people are nosey and rude my daughters ears were peirced right away and if people would say anything i would just tell them well good thing shes mine and not yours huh your baby your decision better to do younger than wait and have them yanking on them

Answer 2

Chances are they won't heal when she gets older. Once they've been in about a year, the hole is pretty well permanent. It absolutly causes the baby pain at any age. Why do you think that doctors are now using numbing agents when doing circumcisions on infant boys? Children are capable of feeling pain just like adults.

People gripe because piercing should be a choice. You've taken that choice away from your daughter. She now has holes in her ears that she may or may not like as she gets older.

My mother had mine done when I was an infant. It's taken me a while to fix the piercings. They were in the wrong spot as I grew and are full of scar tissue from being done with a gun and having poor quality jewelry in them (my mom got the studs from the hair-dressers, where she had them done)

Now, with all that said, I will pierce infants ears, simply because if thier parents insist on having them done, I would rather they come to me and have it done properly than go to the mall and risk their child's health. Piercing guns can not be sterilized and can transmit disease (like Hep C) and infection. The studs they use are of low quality, and cause a lot of trauma to the tissue. Single use, sterile needles are the only thing which should be used to pierce any body part.

Answer 3

Well, I don't "gripe" when see it. I just think that this is something that is special to a girl, and that it is something to wait for like at age 14 or so, something to be proud of. If their done young, it's just a given, and no big deal. I always also worry that a young child will end up somehow pulling out the earring and swallowing it too. I am old fashioned I guess, but I just feel like there aren't many "special" things left in a young girls growing up and that this would be "special" down the road. However, don't let what others feel get you upset. That's why we are all different, and all have minds of our own. Don't let others bring down your glory in doing something you feel is right, okay? I don't think their judging you, just set in their own ways.

Answer 4

Depends on the person I suppose.
Many people are concerned that they may get infected or she may swallow them if they accidentally become undone. Or that she may grab it and pull...some babies have a hard time letting go, especially when they are angry or hurt, which could cause damage.
Or some people could just think that maybe she won't want her ears pierced when she gets older. You know teenagers=)

So I guess it really depends on the person...I'm not surprised they say stuff...people don't know how to mind their own business when it comes to other people's children.

*Edit*
Just so you know, your ears will not heal after being peirced for a few year...let alone 12. My ears were peirced when I was 13, I stopped wearing earrings at 15 and I still have the holes.

Answer 5

I just have to say, personally, I'm not crazy about piercing infant's ears... yes, I think it's pretty and it definitely helps to identify that the baby is indeed a girl. However, my concern would be the baby accidentally getting caught by the earring and potentially damaging her earlobe.

That being said, I agree with you that it's the parent's decision and people should mind their own business! I would never voice my opinion to a parent like that. People have no boundaries these days!

Comparing ear piercing to tattoos and circumcision is ridiculous... piercing is not permanent and the holes will close up. Yes, it leaves a tiny scar, but it isn't comparable to permanent ink stains or amputation. How exaggerated!

Answer 6

Well, here's my story. I was born in Rome (Italy) and most Italian women back then did have their ears pierced (I don't know if they do now). I wanted my ears pierced too but my mom was very wimpish about it, she wanted me to wait. Finally on my 5th Christmas I received the much awaited 18 kt. gold earrings. I was in heaven! I asked my mom to take me to have my ears pierced...she kept saying tomorrow, tomorrow.

Well, a few tomorrows later, I picked up my little jewellery box with the earrings in it, I took my younger sister by the hand and I crossed the street (it was a small, quiet street) to the school. The kindergarden teacher knew how to do it, and so she pierced our ears that day.

It did hurt a bit, and for a few days our ear lobes were sore and "warm"...I still wish my mom had had the courage to do it when we were younger.

I still have my baby earrings and I used them to have my own daughter's ears pierced (when she was 6 months old). When my daughter outgrew them, I lent the earrings to my sister and she, in turn, used them for her daughter. She has returned the earrings to me; I have them tucked away safely.

Go ahead and do what you wish to do. You can't make all of the people happy all of the time.

Answer 7

Well because people think that they know more than you. Look only you know what you want for your kid. It is kid of like all the drama that parents go through when they should think about if they want to circumcise their son or not. There are some people who have their opinions about it. I pierced my oldest daughters ears when she was a baby, and it may or may not hurt them but they forget about the pain as soon as it goes away. So just keep up with your parenting, and with your head high because there is nobody else that knows better than you OK.

Answer 8

I haven't run into anyone that objected, I got my daughters ears pierced when she was 4 months old. I think it's better to get them done early it's hard to hold them still, and keep them from touching them when they are older. As you said it is your child, I don't see where people would have a problem. I don't regret my decision on getting my daughters done that young. The people I run into always compliment her on her earrings.

Answer 9

Glad you brought this up.

Earrings look cute on little babies, but I don't want my daughter to have them. My husband thinks that people won't know she is a girl if she doesn't have holes in her ears with sparkly diamonds or something. Duh....she is wearing PINK all over her body.

I have nothing against parents piercing babies ears, but I feel like my husband is griping at me for NOT wanting to pierce our daughter's. The exact opposite of your dilemma.

Amazing that people say negative things to you about your daughter's ears. It isn't like you pierced her tongue.

Answer 10

I don't know why. I guess I personally wouldn't do anything that was purely cosmetic to my children (ones that carry a risk, and yes, ear piercings can become infected and sore, also, uneven as they get older), unless they were making the educated choice themselves. That includes circumcision. My baby is cute enough as it is :) I don't feel the need to inflict my "vanity" veiws on my child. I personally wouldn't yell at you for it, or even think that you're a bad mom. But that would be my thought process. I am a bit more polite and tactful than to just freak out over ear piercings :).

Answer 11

Well, I don't give voice to my opinion about this in public, because it's your kid, whatever, but since you put this on an open forum, I'll state what I think. Piercing a baby's ears is a stupid and frivolous thing to do. It's more for the parent's vanity than for any type of benefit for the child. Like someone else said, you wouldn't get your baby a tattoo, so why put holes in their ears so you can put jewelery in it to feel better about *yourself*? But I'm one of those "crazy" people that also thinks that circumcising is wrong, and saved my son from that barbaric practice since I don't think I have the right to alter anything on my child's body without their permission.