TOTW: ear piercing

[Csara]

This week I've chosen the topic of piercing children's ears as our topic. How young is too young? Should you wait and allow them to decide for themselves? Is piercing ears only for girls or is it ok for boys too?

Personally I have no problem whatsoever with people who choose to pierce their young babies' ears, but I wouldn't do it. I think if I have a daughter, I'd like to wait until she expresses an interest and then we can make a big deal out of it and go get it done as a reward or just for being a big girl or something. I'd like for her to remember it (fondly, hopefully).

Now for my son, if he decides to pierce his ears, he can do it when he is old enough to make his own decisions, pay for it himself and care for his piercings. I just personally am not a fan of earrings on males. I think it is tacky. Having said that, my DH had his ear pierced when I met him (he was 20) and I liked it.Â* Must be an age thing.

What do you think?

[B'sgirl]

I don't like earrings on males either. Or any jewelry, really. For girls I would rather wait until they wanted it. I am allergic to most metals and so I always had infections and problems with earrings. I wouldn't want to do that to a baby. I'll just let my kids do it when they are old enough to put them in/out and care for their ears properly, if they ask. I do think those little tiny earrings are adorable though.

[Csara]

Originally Posted by B'sgirl

I do think those little tiny earrings are adorable though.

me too. i think they look so cute on babies.......just not mine!

[Angel78]

To a baby? God no. No offense to those who do it, but god no. When Kaitlyn was very very little (a couple of months) we were walking in the mall and somebody at the little piercing hut was getting their baby girl (apprx same age) done, and she was screaming bloody murder. Made me both want to cry, and want to grab Kaitlyn and run away!

[Csara]

I often had reactions with cheap earrings I bought in college too. It was likely fake gold. I think real gold is non-reactive.

I just felt my ear lobe and wondered if my hole is still open...its been years...

edit: sorry this is J, didn't sign out of C's login....and to redo it is too much work right now .

[B'sgirl]

Yeah, real gold is okay for me as long as there is no nickel in the white gold. I had a spacer in my engagement ring at first that gave me a reaction, but my actually ring is fine.

So, J, how do you feel about C's comment about earrings looking tacky on males? Obviously you haven't worn it for awhile though.

[Twin Momma]

I'm going to wait until the girls want it and are old enough to care for them.
But, like others, I do think those little earrings are so cute. When I see an infant with pierced ears, I always think it looks really cute. I just want it to be something that they really want, not me.

[pink_elephant]

I'm with you guys on all of it...

I had to wait until I was 10 to get mine done and i still didn't take care of them well enough!

Side note, for those who do want to get a baby's ears pierced.. take them to a piercer not a place like Claire's etc.. they use guns, whereas a piercer uses a needle. I had my ears done with a gun but I have had piercings with a needle... the needle is much more accurate and much less painful.

[marymert]

I am 1/2 Mexican so i know that for some people it's a cultural thing and just something they do. I decided against it and let my daughter decide for herself. She didn't want to get them done and I was so glad that I hadn't made that decision for her. She is such a stubborn kid, I think she may have hurt her own ears at a younger age while throwing a tantrum, so there is another reason I'm glad I didn't do it. BUT, she decided last November that the girls in her class were getting their ears done, and she wanted to be a big girl too. She was a trooper at 5 when they did heres. In a way I was relieved, this opens up more gift options for a girl that can be hard to shop for

[CC21]

I want to let my daughter choose when she wants it done. I still remember when I got mine done. It was part of my birthday present, but a total suprise. One day my mom and I were shopping and we went into a hair salon and my mom asked if they could pierce my ears. They told us to come back in about 15 minutes. I was so suprised and excited that my mom was actually going to let me get it done.

As for piercings on males. DH has his ear pierced but he doesn't were an earring anymore. He had to take it out for work and never wears it anymore. Like C, I liked it when we were younger but not so much now. I my son came home with one, in high school, I guess I wouldn't have a fit. But I don't know that I would really like it either.

Along the same lines, do you think men should only have one ear done? or both ears? It seems so common to have both ears done now, I guess I don't really care one way or the other.