babies with pierced ears.

[kenny]

Parents vary.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

i really should be sleeping right now... but I just had to put my 2 cents in just because you brought up this topic.

I have a 3 year old son and a 1 year old daughter.

My DH and I agreed not to have my son circumcised. We are not religious and we felt like circumcision was just unnecessary pain for the baby. In terms of health reasons, my son will learn proper hygiene techniques as will my daughter when it comes to caring for their own bodies.

My two boys aren't circumsized. I always figured that when the time came, we'd talk about it, but they haven't said anything and they had "the talk" at school and my son still hasn't mentioned it. I don't even know if he knows the difference...now he's at the age where he'd be too embarrassed if I brought it up. When we first tried to explain sex to him, he thought we were making it up (he was horrified by the notion) and ran from the room! lol AHHHH!!!!!

As far as ear piercing, if I had a girl, I would wait until she requested her ears to be pierced.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

It is a cultural norm in many places, but if I had a daughter I wouldn't pierce her ears until she asked. Any age would be ok with me. My mother was brought up white bread too -- totally forbid me to have it done, so I sauntered across the street to a friend's house & had her mother pierce them with the ole needle & ice cube.

Great moment when Dad let me go to his friend's upscale jewelry store & buy 2 pairs of earrings as soon as my ears healed. I was about 15. Got a pair of 14K balls & one of jadeite balls. (Small -- Dad told his friend how much I could spend before I got there. )

If a teenage or younger son wanted his ears pierced, I wouldn't be so nuts about it. What do you think for boys' ears?

--- Laurie

There is no way I'd let my boys get their ears pierced. It really bugs me when I see boys in elementary school with earrings. In our school, that is not common place, thank goodness!

If my boys want earrings, they'll have to do that after they move out and have a job. If they pick a career where it's acceptable, then all power to them, but I would be concerned it'd interfere with job prospects up until they graduate and have a secure income.

 

[AGBF]

If a teenage or younger son wanted his ears pierced, I wouldn't be so nuts about it. What do you think for boys' ears?

When he's 18 and out of the house to college he can do what he wants. When he's below the age of majority, still a child, and living under my roof, there will be no piercings, tattoos or long hair!

Well...maybe. If you are that effective as a parent, God bless you. My daughter secretly bought something at around age 12 or 13 and pierced her own nose with it. When the bleeding got bad enough, she came to me. But what can I say? Clearly I was not the June Cleaver I had thought that I was before my daughter hit middle school! Little did I know that the angel I had through elementary school was going to test me as she has ever since.... But with luck this will not happen to you.

Deb

 

[MichelleCarmen]

If a teenage or younger son wanted his ears pierced, I wouldn't be so nuts about it. What do you think for boys' ears?

When he's 18 and out of the house to college he can do what he wants. When he's below the age of majority, still a child, and living under my roof, there will be no piercings, tattoos or long hair!

Well...maybe. If you are that effective as a parent, God bless you. My daughter secretly bought something at around age 12 or 13 and pierced her own nose with it. When the bleeding got bad enough, she came to me. But what can I say? Clearly I was not the June Cleaver, I had thought that I was before my daughter hit middle school! Little did I know that the angel I had through elementary school was going to test me as she has ever since.... But with luck this will not happen to you.

Deb

Deb - I wanted my ears pierced SO MUCH that I pierced my own ears when I was 12. They became infected but I kept putting the earrings in and then taking them out when my mom came home (that lasted about a week). I'm not sure if she noticed but she made deal soon after so I could get them pierced earlier than the date she decided was appropriate. So, yeah, if a kid really wants something, they'll do it.

I've seen homemade tattoos!

 

[yennyfire]

I had my ears pierced (at my request) when I was 12. My daughter has been asking me since she was 3 and her 6 year old cousin had it done. My niece was incredibly responsible for a 6 year old and was able to take care of her own ears once my sister showed her how to clean them. My daughter, on the other hand, is young for her age. She'll turn 7 at the end of August and has been asking again with renewed fervor. I'm still not sure she's ready to care for them or deal with the discomfort of having the backs press against the back of her ears when she sleeps, so I haven't made a decision yet. I have a hard enough time getting her to bathe and brush her teeth. I'm not sure I'm ready to have to remind her to do one more thing every night at bedtime. Of course, I can always warn her that either she takes care of her ears, or I remove the earrings and let the holes close up and we'll try again when she's a little bit older.

I definitely agree with not doing it to a baby, but rather waiting til the child has the desire to do it themselves.

As for circumcision, we are Jewish and had our son circumcised when he was 8 days old, as is the custom. It was definitely a hard thing to do, though every doctor and rabbi I spoke with assured me that the wine soaked cloth that the baby sucks on, combined with the topical anesthetic renders the procedure painless. My son (who was asleep when they began), cried for about 30 seconds and stopped as soon as my Dad put a bottle in his mouth (I had pumped so that I didn't have to grab our son and run to a private place to nurse him right after the ceremony, since it's supposed to be a celebration). To be honest, I've never seen an uncircumcised penis (of course, I can count on one hand the # that I've seen, so that's not saying much, lol), so I don't know if it would be that much harder to keep clean or not. In most cases, it seems that babies born to circumcised Dad's are circumcised and those who are born to uncirc. are uncirc, at least among our friends.

 

[AGBF]

If a teenage or younger son wanted his ears pierced, I wouldn't be so nuts about it. What do you think for boys' ears?

When he's 18 and out of the house to college he can do what he wants. When he's below the age of majority, still a child, and living under my roof, there will be no piercings, tattoos or long hair!

Well...maybe. If you are that effective as a parent, God bless you. My daughter secretly bought something at around age 12 or 13 and pierced her own nose with it. When the bleeding got bad enough, she came to me. But what can I say? Clearly I was not the June Cleaver, I had thought that I was before my daughter hit middle school! Little did I know that the angel I had through elementary school was going to test me as she has ever since.... But with luck this will not happen to you.

Deb - I wanted my ears pierced SO MUCH that I pierced my own ears when I was 12. They became infected but I kept putting the earrings in and then taking them out when my mom came home (that lasted about a week). I'm not sure if she noticed but she made deal soon after so I could get them pierced earlier than the date she decided was appropriate. So, yeah, if a kid really wants something, they'll do it.

I've seen homemade tattoos!

My experience is that my kid disobeyed me, MC. Your experience is that you disobeyed your parents. But I am absolutely certain that there are children out there who obey their parents and don't get piercings or tattoos behind their backs. That's why I didn't want to be presumptuous with Smith. Maybe she'll have an obedient son. I don't know her child. (I thought I knew my own daughter, but she changed a heck of a lot when she got to be about 12!!! She went from being the easiest child on earth to being an absolute terror whom no one could control when she became mentally ill. That's why I wished Smith luck.)

Deb

 

[rosetta]

I wanted to and my mother let me pierce my ears when I was eight. It hurt! If I ever have a daughter, I'll get her ears pierced when she's a baby so she doesn't remember it. As a parent, I'd make the decision for her just like I'd make other potentially dangerous decisions for her, like vaccinations (very low risk of complications) or taking her for a car ride, or swimming in the sea. It's no biggie for me. I fully understand if other mothers make different decisions, that's ok too. I'd get my son circumcised too (hygiene, lower risk of HIV transmission, all the men in our family are circumcised, my husband went to private boys school in the uk and a circumcised penis wasn't an issue in the changing room)

 

[Dancing Fire]

Both of our daughter had their ears pierced at the age of 3. They ask to have their ears pierced.

 

[sonnyjane]

I wanted to and my mother let me pierce my ears when I was eight. It hurt! If I ever have a daughter, I'll get her ears pierced when she's a baby so she doesn't remember it. As a parent, I'd make the decision for her just like I'd make other potentially dangerous decisions for her, like vaccinations (very low risk of complications) or taking her for a car ride, or swimming in the sea. It's no biggie for me. I fully understand if other mothers make different decisions, that's ok too.

OOOOH this has me fired up! There is a huge difference between deciding to vaccinate your child for reasons that benefit their health and piercing their ears! What if she doesn't WANT her ears pierced!?!! This is essentially a permanent body modification! And then when she gets older, even if she chooses not to wear earrings, she will still have holes in her ears! Would you give a child a tattoo as an infant!? I'd ASSUME no (but might be wrong). I see this as no different! As I said earlier, I didn't pierce my ears until I was 20. Up until age 20, I was quite content with not having them pierced and was actually happy that I didn't have them pierced. Eventually I got to college and started having an interest in wearing earrings and got them pierced. Even now I only wear earrings maybe twice a month. I can't imagine the resentment I'd have toward my mother if she had pierced them just because SHE wanted them pierced.

 

[Niel]

The circumsicion thing is strange to me because of all the men I know I've only known of one person to specifically NOT be. Apparently its not even a question around here its just done. I feel like I would.....bit let's hope I never have to decide.




Would everyone be saying this if I had said she pierced her babies nose instead? Just wondering

 

[Rosebloom]

My boys are also not circumcised. Most baby boys in America are not anymore.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/17/health/research/17circ.html

Circumcision has been shown to reduce the incidence of HIV transmission in heterosexual males in Africa.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/27/science/benefits-of-circumcision-outweigh-risks-pediatric-group-says.html

We do not have religious reasons for circumcision, so we decided we'd rather teach our boys how to practice safe sex. The foreskin has a purpose (as do most parts of our body!).

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_foreskin_of_a_penis#page1

It's extremely easy to keep an uncircumcised penis clean. Nothing special required. Never retract the foreskin until the connective membrane naturally dissolved in the first few years of life.

If my sons or daughters asked me to allow them to be circumcised I would have serious reservations. But if either asked me if they could pierce their ears I'd be fine with that!

I do respect that these are complicated and personal decisions. I just hope that everyone does their research. As was mentioned - it doesn't grow back and a lot of adult men (and their partners!) are very fond of their foreskin!


Is this the discussion you imagined, Niel?

 

[february2003bride]

I have a 16 year old DD and I waited until she wanted to pierce her ears. She asked at age 7 and we made big deal out of it. We went to a nice jeweler and went out to lunch afterwards. Unfortunately, her ears got infected so we took the studs out and the holes closed up. She didn't want to try again until she was 10, and everything went smoothly! She just got her second hole in each ear a few months ago. Again, her decision.

Funny thing is, I have 2 tattoos, and when I was her age, had 4 holes in one ear and 5 in the other (now I just ear one in each). But I am adamant that she NOT get a tattoo or add any more holes to her body! When she's 18, it's her choice, but I hope she doesn't. Ditto for my boys.

As for circumcising, DH is not but HE insisted that both our boys get circumcised. DH has never had an infection or any issues being uncircumcised (and I don't care that he isn't) but he didn't want our boys to ever have any issues, health wise or be embarrassed.. I do feel that things are changing in the US and it's more the norm not to that before. But DH was pretty adamant about it at the time.

Ear piercing, circumcising and vaccines- what an odd mix of topics in one thread, lol.

 

[Dancing Fire]

As far as circumcision, I too thouught it was for health reasons. Isn't it supposed to make it easier for the man to keep that area clean and from what I understood, decreasing a woman's chance for cancer.

That's a bunch of "BULL".

 

[MichelleCarmen]

If a teenage or younger son wanted his ears pierced, I wouldn't be so nuts about it. What do you think for boys' ears?

When he's 18 and out of the house to college he can do what he wants. When he's below the age of majority, still a child, and living under my roof, there will be no piercings, tattoos or long hair!

Well...maybe. If you are that effective as a parent, God bless you. My daughter secretly bought something at around age 12 or 13 and pierced her own nose with it. When the bleeding got bad enough, she came to me. But what can I say? Clearly I was not the June Cleaver, I had thought that I was before my daughter hit middle school! Little did I know that the angel I had through elementary school was going to test me as she has ever since.... But with luck this will not happen to you.

Deb - I wanted my ears pierced SO MUCH that I pierced my own ears when I was 12. They became infected but I kept putting the earrings in and then taking them out when my mom came home (that lasted about a week). I'm not sure if she noticed but she made deal soon after so I could get them pierced earlier than the date she decided was appropriate. So, yeah, if a kid really wants something, they'll do it.

I've seen homemade tattoos!

My experience is that my kid disobeyed me, MC. Your experience is that you disobeyed your parents. But I am absolutely certain that there are children out there who obey their parents and don't get piercings or tattoos behind their backs. That's why I didn't want to be presumptuous with Smith. Maybe she'll have an obedient son. I don't know her child. (I thought I knew my own daughter, but she changed a heck of a lot when she got to be about 12!!! She went from being the easiest child on earth to being an absolute terror whom no one could control when she became mentally ill. That's why I wished Smith luck.)

Deb

Yep, there is no way to know for sure what a kid will do. My mom was very controlling and I always did exactly as she said but for some reason, the piercing thing became an obsession with me and I had to have them pierced (my OCD kicked in)! I'm sure my kids will surprise me with doing something I never expected them to do...as long as they don't get dragon tattoos on their foreheads, we should be okay (they did joke about that once). I just don't like the idea of anything permanent! If they grow their hair long in high school, that is fine. In fact, if that is the way they choose to rebel, I will be thrilled.

 

[ruby59]

As far as circumcision, I too thouught it was for health reasons. Isn't it supposed to make it easier for the man to keep that area clean and from what I understood, decreasing a woman's chance for cancer.

That's a bunch of "BULL".

Now I remember. You were the person who said that to me when the topic came up before. Times change and so do ideas. When my mother in law had her boys in the lste 50s, that was the prevailing thought. It was the same when I had my son in the 80s. I am Jewish, my husband is not. So we discussed it with our OB GYN and pediatrician. And at that time, this is what we were told. Also, that our son may feel different in the locker room as most males were circumcised.

I know there are different views today, but i have not seen anything to convince me that I made the wrong decision. And when my son and his wife gave birth to my grandson, the doctors told them the same thing that the benefits of circumcision outweigh any risks.

 

[amc80]

My boys are also not circumcised. Most baby boys in America are not anymore.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/17/health/research/17circ.html

Circumcision has been shown to reduce the incidence of HIV transmission in heterosexual males in Africa.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/27/science/benefits-of-circumcision-outweigh-risks-pediatric-group-says.html

We do not have religious reasons for circumcision, so we decided we'd rather teach our boys how to practice safe sex. The foreskin has a purpose (as do most parts of our body!).

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_foreskin_of_a_penis#page1

It's extremely easy to keep an uncircumcised penis clean. Nothing special required. Never retract the foreskin until the connective membrane naturally dissolved in the first few years of life.

If my sons or daughters asked me to allow them to be circumcised I would have serious reservations. But if either asked me if they could pierce their ears I'd be fine with that!

I do respect that these are complicated and personal decisions. I just hope that everyone does their research. As was mentioned - it doesn't grow back and a lot of adult men (and their partners!) are very fond of their foreskin!

Is this the discussion you imagined, Niel?

That must be regional, because out of the 5 baby boys born between myself and my friends in the past 10 months all have been circumcised.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Ruby...If what you are saying is true then 80% of the women in Asia would have cancer by now..

 

[iLander]

I can't figure out how they get a baby to sleep with pierced earrings in. If I slept in pierced earrings, the pointy back would push into the side of my head and hurt!

I don't like it, but different cultures have different ideas, and who am I to judge?

As for "body modification" I think there are many cultures where babies are tattooed, or their necks are stretched (please don't make me look up the National Geographic pictures of those tribesman), or whatever. Why would I care? My culture is not superior or more "right" than any other.

As for pierced ears being permanent, I don't think so. My ears are always trying to heal closed, and my DD's have strong healing tendencies. One day she woke up and the entire back of the earring was inside her ear lobe. It had healed over while she slept. So . . . not so "permanent" at my house.

Less time judging. More time spent trying to understand. All good things.

 

[Smith1942]

I think the circumcision thing all comes down to prevailing culture. In my Protestant Church of England white British culture, circumcision is not done so that's why I wouldn't do it. My family would be absolutely horrified. When my sister had her son, these discussions didn't even take place. In our culture it's a given that you don't even consider it. However, it's a tradition in many other cultures of course, and an important one, just not in mine. I don't have any opinion on what others choose to do.

About the hygiene and cancer concerns, let me repeat that England does not have a greater rate of cervical cancer than America, or any other ills related to being uncircumcised! The U.K. is a nation of uncircumcised men and they seem to get along just fine! The indigenous population of the U.K. makes an excellent comparison study in this regard, so history has already proved that there are no ill-effects from being uncircumcised! U.K. men suffer no effects from it, and no boyfriend of mine has ever said that being uncircumcised is a problem or ever had a problem with hygiene.

Deb - if your daughter had/has a mental illness then that's a different story. We have quite a lot of it in our families so I understand on a broad level, although I would never claim to understand your situation which is of course unique to you and your daughter. In terms of effective parenting, I feel I was effectively parented myself in that if I wanted to rebel and get a tattoo or something, I'd lose my privileges - privileges that mattered to me. I was required to study hard - in the U.K. you take government exams at 16 and 18 which are really important for your future, and you have to do well if you want to get to a good university. For an ambitious young person, there's not a lot of time left over for earning money - meaning that the trouble you can get into is also limited! Actually, school is so demanding that there's not a lot of time for trouble anyway.

 

[ruby59]

In women, HPV infections occur mainly in younger women and are less common in women older than 30. The reason for this is not clear. Certain types of sexual behavior increase a woman's risk of getting genital HPV infection, such as having sex at an early age and having many sexual partners. Women who have had many sexual partners are more likely to get infected with HPV, but a woman who has had only one sexual partner can still get infected. This is more likely if she has a partner who has had many sex partners or if her partner is an uncircumcised male.

Dancing Fire, I realize that a big part of the world does not circumcise and if you do a search there are a lot of sites stating that it does not protect the woman.

One source important to me is the American Cancer Society, and I have quoted from that link above.

 

[packrat]

I didn't do London's when she was little, I didn't see the point. I told her she could do it when she was in 3rd grade-that's how old I was when mom let me do it. She had herself SO worked up she was about vomiting. She convinced herself it was going to be an agony verging on being drawn and quartered. So we did it, she made a squeaking sound and then didn't want the second one done. Tough. Well guess what, they came back out anyway b/c the girl did them crooked. So, now we're going to an actual piercing studio and have it done by needle instead. I'm not sympathetic at all either, so..that probably doesn't help much.

ETA, she was harping on how baaaaadly it hurt a few weeks ago when I mentioned getting it done again (and getting mine redone as well) and telling her daddy how horrible it was. JD said "Well, it's like this. Sometimes shit hurts. If you want it, you deal with it. You think mom just got you and your brother for free at the Farmer's Market? No. You think mommy and daddy like to sit for hours with needles digging into our skin to get tattoos? No. We wanted you, we dealt with it. We want tattoos, we deal with it. You want earrings, you deal with it" And I'm like "WE wanted the kids so WE dealt w/it?? How's that again???"

Trapper is circumcised. There was no question. Dr. wasn't happy about it, but she did it. She tried to talk us out of it even as they were walking out the door w/him. And it was done purely for vanity. Maybe nowadays it's different but when we were growing up boys were made fun of..and actually I was out of high school before I ever heard of a boy not having it done, but JD and my brother have known a couple, so they know what they had to deal with. JD said "My kid ain't being called Flipper". And people get all kindsa worked up about both issues, which I don't really see the point, what it accomplishes.

 

[packrat]

Boys don't really pierce their ears around here anymore. Rarely do I see adult men w/earrings, unless it's the stretcher things that usually the tatted up guys (not my husband tho, thankfully) do.

I do know some boys w/earrings, but they're the Chinese family in town. It's their culture I guess, for the first born son to have it done. I don't pay attention when we go in there to eat, but I think the other boys have it done too.

JD would have a conniption if Trapper pierced his ear. If he was over 18 I guess he'd just have to deal w/it. We're very pro tattoo tho (haha) so will totally help the kids plan out anything they might want and take them when they turn 18. Not before, even if a place allowed it w/parental consent. We had to wait until we were 18 so they will too.

 

[Dancing Fire]

It's extremely easy to keep an uncircumcised penis clean. Nothing special required. Never retract the foreskin until the connective membrane naturally dissolved in the first few years of life.

Yup,all it need is a 20 sec. (heated) US cleaner bath ...

 

[monarch64]

I honestly do not care if a parent decides to pierce their child's ears. None of my business. People do all kinds of weird stuff to their kids because they think it's the right thing to do. I can think of worse things to subject a child to than a couple of tiny holes in their earlobes--allowing a kid to eat salt/sugar/fat laden McDonald's food from the time he can sit up comes to mind. Contributing to obesity and heart disease are worse "body modifications" than piercings, in my opinion.

I chose not to pierce my daughter's ears when she was a little tiny thing. Yes, it crossed my mind, because I think earrings on little girls are beautiful. However, I did not do it for two reasons:

1. She isn't old enough to want to have her ears pierced or even ask. When I got mine pierced at 7, I don't even remember feeling pain because I wanted them done SO BAD, which brings me to
2. After I begged and pleaded for about a year to get my ears pierced, my mother finally took me to a kiosk in the mall and got them done. Weeks/maybe a month later, all the lymph nodes in my neck and back of my head were swollen to the point that you could SEE them. I had to go to a bunch of specialists and have all sorts of tests run because they thought I had Hodgkin's. After much ado, they realized I had had a really bad reaction to the piercings (even though my ears weren't infected!) and have dealt with a severe nickel allergy every since. I would HATE to have pierced a 3 month old's ears and had something like my experience happen, which it very well could as my mother also has the same allergy (she's also never had her ears pierced.)

 

[rosetta]

I wanted to and my mother let me pierce my ears when I was eight. It hurt! If I ever have a daughter, I'll get her ears pierced when she's a baby so she doesn't remember it. As a parent, I'd make the decision for her just like I'd make other potentially dangerous decisions for her, like vaccinations (very low risk of complications) or taking her for a car ride, or swimming in the sea. It's no biggie for me. I fully understand if other mothers make different decisions, that's ok too.

OOOOH this has me fired up! There is a huge difference between deciding to vaccinate your child for reasons that benefit their health and piercing their ears! What if she doesn't WANT her ears pierced!?!! This is essentially a permanent body modification! And then when she gets older, even if she chooses not to wear earrings, she will still have holes in her ears! Would you give a child a tattoo as an infant!? I'd ASSUME no (but might be wrong). I see this as no different! As I said earlier, I didn't pierce my ears until I was 20. Up until age 20, I was quite content with not having them pierced and was actually happy that I didn't have them pierced. Eventually I got to college and started having an interest in wearing earrings and got them pierced. Even now I only wear earrings maybe twice a month. I can't imagine the resentment I'd have toward my mother if she had pierced them just because SHE wanted them pierced.

Calm down. It was just an example. People make their kids do any number of potentially dangerous things, from climbing a tree to crossing a street. If you want to try and guess everything your child wants, you might find yourself rather lost. My parents made me do lots of things and funnily enough, i grew up not resenting them. If the only thing my hypothetical daughter can find to resent me for is pierced ears, then id be ecstatically happy. Piercing ears is in my culture so I'd do it. Sorry if you have a problem with that.

 

[rosetta]

Frankly, I think we need to lay off parents here. Things like pierced ears and circumcision are low risk procedures. They may not be necessary but parents who have made this decision are not the devil incarnate. I believe they love their children and whilst they have care and authority over these children, they should be free to make choices for them, in accordance to their faith/beliefs/culture. Just like those parents who choose not to circumcise.

Like kenny says, people vary. We don't need everyone to subscribe to a single way of thinking. So I guess if anyone wants to get all holier than thou about pierced ears, they can do so too!

 

[Niel]

I honestly do not care if a parent decides to pierce their child's ears. None of my business. People do all kinds of weird stuff to their kids because they think it's the right thing to do. I can think of worse things to subject a child to than a couple of tiny holes in their earlobes--allowing a kid to eat salt/sugar/fat laden McDonald's food from the time he can sit up comes to mind. Contributing to obesity and heart disease are worse "body modifications" than piercings, in my opinion.

I did NOT go up to this girl and call her a bad parent because she got her daughter ear pierced..... and i am allowed to question the tactics of another mom without being judgmental. having an open discussion about the pros and cons of the act hardly seems bad in my opinion.


It seems to be a cultural thing, but if you look at it that way it still doesnt make sense in this instance. We live in basically the same town and have a very similar lifestyle and upbringing. i know that she didnt grow up with this being expected.

but i am pretty interested by how many people seem to think "well its just holes in their ear..." seems to miss the entire point of my main objection to this. Its not your body its your childs, and you are making cosmetic body modifications. Still no one has answered me as to if this had been a post about piercing a baby's nose.... I do think id get a very difference responses. I understand its at the very lowest end of that spectrum, but as a parent and a person who has the highest respect for the art of body modification, I cant see how ANY level of purely cosmetic change is appropriate for one person to decide upon for another person without their say.

 

[AGBF]

I was looking in Google images earlier to see if there were any photos of babies in South American nurseries showing girls with earrings and boys without. I didn't find any such photos, but I did come across what I considered a charming article by Wade Shepherd, a peripatetic photographer. The article is entitled, "Latin American Girl's Ears Pierced at Birth" . To me it shows that ear piercing is simply a matter of what one is used to culturally. (I'm with rosetta on this one.) Excerpts are below.


"SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- 'I have never seen my girls without earrings,' a mother of two once explained to me in Antigua. She said that she would bring a set of earrings in with her to the hospital as she went into labor and then pass them off to the nurse. When her babies returned to her after being extracted, spanked, and washed down, they would already be sporting earrings in their little wobbly heads.

This seemed to be a common affair: newborn baby girls in Latin America get their ears pieced right after being shot out from their mother’s undersides. Their umbilical cords are cut, they are taken away to be washed, and their ears are pierced with little shiny studs — all before being placed into their mother’s arms for the first time.

I must admit that I have never really looked at other babies before I had my own. I traveled the world and I don’t think I have ever really acknowledged any babies anywhere ... But when I first began traveling with my brand new daughter, Petra, in Latin America I noticed something:

I began noticing babies. I noticed that many little girl babies already have their ear’s pierced. I found this an interesting state of affairs, as many of these little girls were too young to even stand up...but they were decked out with sparkling bling dangling from their ears.

How was it that a 6 month old baby could have its ears pierced? Did the mother take it to the mall and try to set the wobbly little thing up in the boutique piercer’s chair to have its ears blasted?

No, these piercing are done at birth.

Like my friend in Antigua, many mothers throughout Latin America have never seen their own daughters without earrings.

...​

As I walk through the streets of Latin America, I take it for granted that the little girls will have their ears pierced — it is not a choice, it is culture.

...​

Perhaps she was on to something: piercing a baby’s ears at birth is a lot different than at 8 months.

...​

If you are going to pierce a little kid’s ears, birth is probably not a bad time to do it — as the little know-nothings are so shocked at being in the world that a fresh set of shiny earrings are probably the least of their worries. So the piercings are probably not often manipulated, and probably heal pretty easily.

Earrings just seem to be a part of the Latin American woman, they are truly not an additional accessory — they are there from birth.

Deb/AGBF

 

[monarch64]

I honestly do not care if a parent decides to pierce their child's ears. None of my business. People do all kinds of weird stuff to their kids because they think it's the right thing to do. I can think of worse things to subject a child to than a couple of tiny holes in their earlobes--allowing a kid to eat salt/sugar/fat laden McDonald's food from the time he can sit up comes to mind. Contributing to obesity and heart disease are worse "body modifications" than piercings, in my opinion.

I did NOT go up to this girl and call her a bad parent because she got her daughter ear pierced..... and i am allowed to question the tactics of another mom without being judgmental. having an open discussion about the pros and cons of the act hardly seems bad in my opinion.


It seems to be a cultural thing, but if you look at it that way it still doesnt make sense in this instance. We live in basically the same town and have a very similar lifestyle and upbringing. i know that she didnt grow up with this being expected.

but i am pretty interested by how many people seem to think "well its just holes in their ear..." seems to miss the entire point of my main objection to this. Its not your body its your childs, and you are making cosmetic body modifications. Still no one has answered me as to if this had been a post about piercing a baby's nose.... I do think id get a very difference responses. I understand its at the very lowest end of that spectrum, but as a parent and a person who has the highest respect for the art of body modification, I cant see how ANY level of purely cosmetic change is appropriate for one person to decide upon for another person without their say.

Not sure why you quoted me or why you seem upset by my post. I was stating my opinion. And then I gave two reasons why I did not pierce my daughter's ears when she was born or shortly after. So how that's not allowing you to have an open discussion about the topic is beyond me.

Why is this whole thing bothering you so much?

Also, piercing a baby's nose is kind of a ludicrous idea. I mean, who wants to deal with a snotty kid with a cold WITHOUT anything additional to clean around?