Would you pierce your child’s ears?

[Kellfire]

Simple question that I raise because I heard a screaming match yesterday from a child who was having it done against her will. She’d had one done and hated it so her mum took her next door to the hairdresser she knew where I was getting a cut at the time to calm down before having the next one done.

The parent and hairdresser suggested getting the piercer (whom they knew) to bring the gun into the hairdresser’s to do it instead so she’d not be freaked out by the environment.

For me, it’s simple - it’s child abuse.

It also starts the child off with a false sense of beauty and that they must adapt their body to conform.

 

[PJ87]

I'm firmly against it until my daughter is teenager age and wants it done

My wife wanted to do at 6 weeks

Only time I really out my foot down and said I was against it and I don't want her to

She respected it and she hasn't had it done

 

[Dando]

my daughter chose when she got her ears pierced.
now she has multiple piercings in her ears, a nose ring, septum and her lip done.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

That is an awful story, horrible and I agree with your comments. Enormously selfish and self indulgent of the parent

I'm trying to remember when my daughter had hers done, I think it was around 14. Her school are quite strict on that so that helped us although to be fair she barely asked us before then. The thought of doing it without her consent is beyond my thought process.

 

[Deleted member 23270]

I don't know but isn't it illegal until 16(??) or thereabouts? If there is no law against it then it should be down to the child to decide. At least with ear piercings they close up again if not used.

 

[Kellfire]

I don't know but isn't it illegal until 16(??) or thereabouts? If there is no law against it then it should be down to the child to decide. At least with ear piercings they close up again if not used.

Under 16s need a parent’s consent. The child does not also need to consent.

 

[Kellfire]

That is an awful story, horrible and I agree with your comments. Enormously selfish and self indulgent of the parent

I'm trying to remember when my daughter had hers done, I think it was around 14. Her school are quite strict on that so that helped us although to be fair she barely asked us before then. The thought of doing it without her consent is beyond my thought process.

I very nearly spoke up and said “take the current one out, it’ll heal almost perfectly after only being done a few minutes ago and revisit this when she displays an interest in having it done!”

 

[Deleted member 23270]

Under 16s need a parent’s consent. The child does not also need to consent.

Well there you go, all we need is someone to start a campaign to change the law.

 

[Robster59]

Well there you go, all we need is someone to start a campaign to change the law.

I'm totally against it and my daughter didn't have her ears pierced until she was an age to decide. Persons who do it are treating their child as a fashion accessory.
The thing with the campaign is where do you stop it? Only on dear piercings or any unnecessary physical operation. Consider circumcision on religious grounds. Not needed for health reasons but an intrinsic part of the religion. Some could say the same for FGM but at least that's been outlawed.

 

[Wolf]

It's an awkward one as a father with 4 girls im quite well versed on this topic.

My oldest had hers done in her early teens when she expressed the desire to have them done. My 2nd daughter is now 14 and still doesn't have her ears pierced as she has no interest in them and is more concerned about making the school football team than anything remotely girly (she's a cracking little centre back btw)

My youngest 2 however sore point that one, I went to work one day happy as larry and came home to find they'd had their ears pierced one of them was 2 1/2yrs old and my youngest was 7mths.. You can imagine how I felt, my ex took it upon her to do it without discussing it with me. The girls are 8 & 6 now still wear little stud earrings and it hasn't ever caused them issues, I don't even notice them anymore.

My issues are the guidelines around it are all wrong, in UK as long as they have consent of 1 parent they can be pierced as young as 6mths old. That is just shocking it should be once the child is old enough to understand the implications od what piercing means, how to care for them without assistance.. So I think around teenage years is a far better time because then they can speak their own mind and understand what's being done.

Allowing kids as young as my 2 little one's were who have no say or any idea what they're going to have done is wrong.. Also think its wrong my ex could have them done without my consent but that's a different story, but then to her our daughters are an extension of her fashion sense ??‍.

 

[drewster]

My girls are 9 & 7 and the youngest one is starting to show an interest. It's not happening till they're teenagers....no negotiation.

 

[Kellfire]

I'm totally against it and my daughter didn't have her ears pierced until she was an age to decide. Persons who do it are treating their child as a fashion accessory.
The thing with the campaign is where do you stop it? Only on dear piercings or any unnecessary physical operation. Consider circumcision on religious grounds. Not needed for health reasons but an intrinsic part of the religion. Some could say the same for FGM but at least that's been outlawed.

Circumcision is male genital mutilation but we’re too far gone for the powers that be to stand up and outlaw it for everyone. Religious practices shouldn’t even come into it in the face of medical science.

 

[Orikoru]

I don't have kids but if I did I certainly wouldn't pierce their ears for them without them asking for it. If they said they would like their ears pierced then fine, do it then. Nobody needs their ears pierced, I can't understand why you would pierce your kid's ears as a matter of course.

 

[PJ87]

I don't have kids but if I did I certainly wouldn't pierce their ears for them without them asking for it. If they said they would like their ears pierced then fine, do it then. Nobody needs their ears pierced, I can't understand why you would pierce your kid's ears as a matter of course.

My wife
Claims that it's less painful for the person when younger .. and less chance of infection because when your older you play with it etc

I said well that's her problem when she's older

 

[Wolf]

My wife
Claims that it's less painful for the person when younger .. and less chance of infection because when your older you play with it etc

I said well that's her problem when she's older

The exact pathetic excuse my ex used when she got my youngest 2 done.

 

[Orikoru]

My wife
Claims that it's less painful for the person when younger .. and less chance of infection because when your older you play with it etc

I said well that's her problem when she's older

Yeah - when they're old enough to decide for themselves you can explain the risks and see if they still want to!

 

[Kellfire]

The exact pathetic excuse my ex used when she got my youngest 2 done.

The notion that it’s inevitable that anyone gets their ears pierced is beyond me. I, personally, would never consent. Their choice at 16.

 

[Wolf]

The notion that it’s inevitable that anyone gets their ears pierced is beyond me. I, personally, would never consent. Their choice at 16.

Absolutely agree and choice at such a young age has been removed by the parents vanity of having their little darling ears pierced.

My niece is 24 and never had them done.

Ear piercing is body modification in its simplest form so should be done only when the person understands the implications. I love tattoos and am covered in them but wouldn't think to get my kid a matching one to be like daddy. It should all have better controls in place

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I've seen it in very young sikh and hindu girls, if thats a religious thing then their choice. With your normal native English girl, it looks chavvy to me. My daughters had theirs done when teenagers, both my wife and I wouldn't allow it before.

 

[Kellfire]

Absolutely agree and choice at such a young age has been removed by the parents vanity of having their little darling ears pierced.

My niece is 24 and never had them done.

Ear piercing is body modification in its simplest form so should be done only when the person understands the implications. I love tattoos and am covered in them but wouldn't think to get my kid a matching one to be like daddy. It should all have better controls in place

I agree. I personally find tattoos ugly, the same as my opinion on ear piercings but it’s an individual choice that is usually with a person for life and should be made as an adult imo.