Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Baby Piercing?
NeedaVaca 08:26 AM 03-29-2013
What do you think about baby piercing? ok? cultural? I've been noticing a lot of this when I'm out and about running errands and wonder what everyone's opinion is on this?
Reply
Blackcat31 08:32 AM 03-29-2013
Are we talking ears or some other kinds of piercings?

I had my family doctor pierce my daughter's ears when she was 6 months old.

My reasons for this were that I had heard that their ears cartilage was softer as a baby and it wouldn't hurt as much. (I still remember how bad it hurt when I had my ears pierced and I was 5)

I also thought it was the normal thing to do if you had a girl (I was 20)

I thought it would help people notice that my daughter was a girl and not a boy.

Her name is Ryan so I figured I need to do something since the head of ringlet curls (think Shirley Temple) and the ruffled dress and patent leather shoes weren't doing it for her.

Would I do it again? I can't say for sure but I guess I don't look down on people who do.

I am a bit judgmental about people who let really young boys do it but it doesn't outright bother me...to each his/her own.
Reply
NeedaVaca 08:37 AM 03-29-2013
Yep, ears is the only thing I have ever seen. I got mine when I was 13, it was a big deal I wanted them for a while and that was age my mom allowed it.
Reply
Brooksie 08:38 AM 03-29-2013
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Are we talking ears or some other kinds of piercings?

I had my family doctor pierce my daughter's ears when she was 6 months old.

My reasons for this were that I had heard that their ears cartilage was softer as a baby and it wouldn't hurt as much. (I still remember how bad it hurt when I had my ears pierced and I was 5)

I also thought it was the normal thing to do if you had a girl (I was 20)

I thought it would help people notice that my daughter was a girl and not a boy.

Her name is Ryan so I figured I need to do something since the head of ringlet curls (think Shirley Temple) and the ruffled dress and patent leather shoes weren't doing it for her.

Would I do it again? I can't say for sure but I guess I don't look down on people who do.

I am a bit judgmental about people who let really young boys do it but it doesn't outright bother me...to each his/her own.
I think its all personal preference but in response to Blackcat I just have to say that in lobe piercings there is no cartilage, its just tissue. Not that I disagree with your choice, just sharing some info.

Personally I am not going to pierce my daughters ears. I didn't get mine done until I was 12 or 13. I think that is a choice a child should make for them self since technically it IS body modification. It should be something a child should be able to take care of themselves. Its part of that whole responsibility thing.
Reply
Blackcat31 08:40 AM 03-29-2013
Originally Posted by Brooksie:
Blackcat I just have to say that in lobe piercings there is no cartilage, its just tissue. Not that I disagree with your choice, just sharing some info.
See? I had no clue....I was young and sometimes dumb too!
Reply
Brooksie 08:43 AM 03-29-2013
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
See? I had no clue....I was young and sometimes dumb too!
At least you were smart enough to go to your drs office instead of taking her to the mall!! lol I hate seeing people holding infants down at claires while they scream and cry.
Reply
jenn 08:44 AM 03-29-2013
My daughter had her ears pierced at 4 years old. She had wanted to do it since she was 2.

Before becoming a mom, I would have said I wouldn't allow it until at least teens. My daughter has some internal health issues (liver, lungs-you would never know to look at her). She goes to a childrens hospital to monitor her condition. Right now, she is doing great. What tomorrow holds...who knows. A mom there with a really sick child told me she let her 6 year old get her ears pierced and dye a pink streak in her hair, because life is short. I guess you see things differently when your child has health issues. Later doesn't always come. You aren't promised tomorrow. After seeing the look on my daughter's face when she saw her diamond earrings in her ears and then get tears in her eyes and say "It's my dream come true!", I knew we made the right choice.

Piercings other than ears...no way.
Reply
MarinaVanessa 08:46 AM 03-29-2013
I got my DD's ears pierced as soon as she had her first real set of immunizations. I had asked her Dr about it and that's what she recommended because of the same reasons that BC said and said that as long as I went to a reputable place and my DD had her first immunizations it would be safe.
Reply
EntropyControlSpecialist 08:55 AM 03-29-2013
That's pretty much the only body modification I would do on a child. I have no fantastic reason for it.
Reply
ABCDaycareMN 09:08 AM 03-29-2013
I would not choose to pierce my daughters ears. In my mind its not my choice to make but if my daughter asked say tomorrow to get them pierced I would in a heartbeat as I think little girls with pierced ears are soooo cute! It's her body she can make that choice. She may not ever want them pierced... And that's her choice.
Reply
Lyss 09:23 AM 03-29-2013
I haven't had DD's ears pierced and don't really plan on it. No reason really, I think it's cute when I see babies with them but I just never really even though about it. Now that I think about it I feel like earrings would be just one more thing to keep an eye on and we can barely keep track of shoes

DD (16mos) is always getting "oh he's so cute! How old?" regardless of what pink outfit or dress she's wearing and I'm sure even if she had earrings we'd still hear it!
Reply
MotherNature 09:45 AM 03-29-2013
I shudder when I see babies at the mall 'piercer.' Yikes. I wouldn't do it, because it's not my body to permanently/long-term alter purely for a cosmetic purpose. I have no problem getting a kid piercings later on when they can articulate their wants, maybe 8, 10..depedning on the maturity of the kid, since they'll be taking care of it. As a matter of fact, my 17 yr old wanted several facial piercings & I signed off on those & paid for the process & jewelry for birthday & Christmas gifts.
Reply
wdmmom 09:53 AM 03-29-2013
I have only had 1 child in daycare that had her ears pierced and she was 13 months. They had it done when she was 3 months old.

As long as she wore studs and had backs that were harder to get off, she could attend.

If she pulled at them or tugged at them, my stipulation was the mom needed to come immediately and take them out or take her home.

It was never an issue while in attendance.

All of my girls including myself have our ears pierced. I got mine when I was 6 as did 2 of my girls and the other was 7 before we chose to get them done.

They are responsible for taking care of them themselves.
Reply
laundrymom 10:12 AM 03-29-2013
I did all three of my girls at 6 weeks.
Reply
Play Care 10:19 AM 03-29-2013
I have two girls and we have not done it. Mostly because I want them to ask for them, and be able to take care of them. I don't think anything of anyone who does it sooner. I know ear piercing is a big deal in some cultures.

I begged my mom for it and finally got them done when I was 5. I never had any issues. My older sister has thick lobes and they always got infected.
Reply
crazydaycarelady 10:22 AM 03-29-2013
I think ears are fine but nothing else on a baby. If I had a daughter I would let her do a hair streak or those little glitter strips in the summer.
Reply
Starburst 11:44 AM 03-29-2013
My mom says that she had my pediatrician pierce my ears when I was 3 months old. I don't remember a thing. I heard in some places it is cultural because the moms don't want people to think that their baby girls are boys (because of the short hair and in some places they just assume all babies are boys). Your just not supposed to do it when they are too young, you have to wait a few months so they can build up enough immunity to fight the possibility of infection. As long as it is done in the bottom part of the ear lobes (where its just a flab of skin) and not on the top part (hard cartilage) I think its okay for a baby but anymore than that and I think you should wait until they are older. I thought it was weird that one of my friends in elementry school didnt have her ears pierced, she always wore clips or magnets- I just always assumed it was something that girls had done when they were babies.

If you are going to do it I would either get it done at a doctors office or a professional tattoo and piercing parlor, or possibly do it yourself as long as you have sterile nickle-free starter earrings (those ones with the sharp endings) and a piercing gun that has never been used on anyone else. I got more piercings on my ear when I was 13 (I have a total of 6 piercings in each ear) and I keep getting keloids (small scar tissue cysts) because I got them done at Walmart (with a piercing gun in the jewlery department) and everytime I try to put earrings in them now they have a clear fluid come out of them- before I knew that there is not a 100% way to sterilize those guns after use. But I never got keloids or fluid in my lip or nose that were done professionally (they use fresh needles every time- they never use guns). And if you do get it done on a baby or toddler need to make sure that you are always turning it for her and cleaning it.

If a kid in my daycare had pierced ears I wouldn't mind as long as it wasn't a distraction to others or wasn't a present or potential hazard to others (like if she kept playing with them or taking them out). But I would not allow clips or magnants because they can come off too easily.
Reply
AmyKidsCo 12:27 PM 03-29-2013
I think it's cultural, too. I didn't have my girls' ears pierced until they were 7 or 8 but I don't judge parents who do it younger.
Reply
daycarediva 12:37 PM 03-29-2013
Originally Posted by jenn:
My daughter had her ears pierced at 4 years old. She had wanted to do it since she was 2.

Before becoming a mom, I would have said I wouldn't allow it until at least teens. My daughter has some internal health issues (liver, lungs-you would never know to look at her). She goes to a childrens hospital to monitor her condition. Right now, she is doing great. What tomorrow holds...who knows. A mom there with a really sick child told me she let her 6 year old get her ears pierced and dye a pink streak in her hair, because life is short. I guess you see things differently when your child has health issues. Later doesn't always come. You aren't promised tomorrow. After seeing the look on my daughter's face when she saw her diamond earrings in her ears and then get tears in her eyes and say "It's my dream come true!", I knew we made the right choice.

Piercings other than ears...no way.
I let my dd decide, she was in ICU 3 times in the first 6 years of her life. We had a blue streak in her hair at 4, and no jewelry at all. She is 13 now, and STILL doesn't have/want any. Still has streaks in her hair though. Last time she had them done they were teal/purple. Hair is changeable.

I am also the Mom who let my ds get a mohawk because he wanted it (at 5). It isn't permanent, and it belongs to them.

I grew up in a culture that was common place to wear gold jewelry. I had a gold bracelet and earrings in 3 month baby photos. I also see lots of children in that same culture with 2 piercings in each ear, bracelets and necklaces (choking hazard). I have had this come up in child care, and I banned them for safety reasons. All earrings and jewelry come out for daycare.
Reply
Meeko 04:15 PM 03-29-2013
I had my ears pierced when I was 19. I only had them done then because my great grandmother had some earrings that nobody else wanted because they didn't have pierced ears and I loved them!

I wanted my daughters to decide for themselves. One had it done at 15, and then let them heal over! My youngest had hers done last year on her 16th birthday and LOVES wearing earrings every single day.
Reply
Patches 09:16 PM 03-29-2013
Originally Posted by ABCDaycareMN:
I would not choose to pierce my daughters ears. In my mind its not my choice to make but if my daughter asked say tomorrow to get them pierced I would in a heartbeat as I think little girls with pierced ears are soooo cute! It's her body she can make that choice. She may not ever want them pierced... And that's her choice.
This! I would never pierce my baby's ears. I don't judge people that do, just wouldn't do it to my kid.
This is just a funny story:
I once ha d a baby boy in my class who was just pretty and if he was in nuetral colors, you might have thought he was a girl....Then, his parents decided to get his ears pierced (Yes, EARS...plural) with these big fake diamond studs. He was just too pretty for that. Poor boy looked like a girl in all blue after that
Reply
Candy 12:44 AM 03-30-2013
My family does baby girl ears at 6 months i think. There is no way i would have gotten my ears pierced if my mom hadn't done it when i was a baby. I would have kept getting scared. Better it done when they are babies. We do pierce boys ears in my family but most of them are 1 and 2 when it happens.
Reply
Starburst 12:48 AM 03-30-2013
Originally Posted by Candy:
My family does baby girl ears at 6 months i think. There is no way i would have gotten my ears pierced if my mom hadn't done it when i was a baby. I would have kept getting scared. Better it done when they are babies. We do pierce boys ears in my family but most of them are 1 and 2 when it happens.
My brother got his ear pierced when he was about 8 or 9 cuz he really wanted one, now I think he has both ears pierced.


Originally Posted by Patches:
This! I would never pierce my baby's ears. I don't judge people that do, just wouldn't do it to my kid.
This is just a funny story:
I once ha d a baby boy in my class who was just pretty and if he was in nuetral colors, you might have thought he was a girl....Then, his parents decided to get his ears pierced (Yes, EARS...plural) with these big fake diamond studs. He was just too pretty for that. Poor boy looked like a girl in all blue after that
I think having both ears pierced now isn't as taboo for guys as it used to be. Most male rappers/rockers have both ears pierced (i.e. 50 Cent, Eminem, Dave Navarro, Tommy Lee...). Guys can always just wear one if they want or both (or none), and some guys gage them. I heard some male actors have them done so they can play more roles (i.e. Howie Mandel, Johnny Depp).
Reply
Candy 12:51 AM 03-30-2013
Originally Posted by Starburst:
My mom says that she had my pediatrician pierce my ears when I was 3 months old. I don't remember a thing. I heard in some places it is cultural because the moms don't want people to think that their baby girls are boys (because of the short hair and in some places they just assume all babies are boys). Your just not supposed to do it when they are too young, you have to wait a few months so they can build up enough immunity to fight the possibility of infection. As long as it is done in the bottom part of the ear lobes (where its just a flab of skin) and not on the top part (hard cartilage) I think its okay for a baby but anymore than that and I think you should wait until they are older. I thought it was weird that one of my friends in elementry school didnt have her ears pierced, she always wore clips or magnets- I just always assumed it was something that girls had done when they were babies.

If you are going to do it I would either get it done at a doctors office or a professional tattoo and piercing parlor, or possibly do it yourself as long as you have sterile nickle-free starter earrings (those ones with the sharp endings) and a piercing gun that has never been used on anyone else. I got more piercings on my ear when I was 13 (I have a total of 6 piercings in each ear) and I keep getting keloids (small scar tissue cysts) because I got them done at Walmart (with a piercing gun in the jewlery department) and everytime I try to put earrings in them now they have a clear fluid come out of them- before I knew that there is not a 100% way to sterilize those guns after use. But I never got keloids or fluid in my lip or nose that were done professionally (they use fresh needles every time- they never use guns). And if you do get it done on a baby or toddler need to make sure that you are always turning it for her and cleaning it.

If a kid in my daycare had pierced ears I wouldn't mind as long as it wasn't a distraction to others or wasn't a present or potential hazard to others (like if she kept playing with them or taking them out). But I would not allow clips or magnants because they can come off too easily.
Keloids come if you have a certain type of skin. It has nothing to with where or how you get them pierced. Its actually rare, there is only one person in my family that i can think of that has them. They also don't appear everywhere
Reply
Candy 12:51 AM 03-30-2013
Originally Posted by Starburst:
My brother got his ear pierced when he was about 8 or 9 cuz he really wanted one, now I think he has both ears pierced.
Dont you just love men in earrings
Reply
Starburst 01:31 AM 03-30-2013
Originally Posted by Candy:
Dont you just love men in earrings
I would love it if my FH had piercings (or tattoos ) but he doesnt for a few reasons:
1) he is terrified of needles (I couldn't convince him to donate blood with me)
2) he comes from a semi-conservative family (he went to a private catholic school, and his mom panics anytime he talks with a girl's voice just joking around{then again it doesn't help that its usually when I ask him to hand me my purse})
3) he wants to go into the agriculture business where he will be working for very conservative businesses and some of them may not approve of piercings/tattoos

I wouldn't mind piercing my future son's ears if they wanted them done but I am not sure if my FH would allow it.
Reply
Starburst 01:40 AM 03-30-2013
Originally Posted by Candy:
Keloids come if you have a certain type of skin. It has nothing to with where or how you get them pierced. Its actually rare, there is only one person in my family that i can think of that has them. They also don't appear everywhere
I think it was an infection that caused them. They werent very big and my ears were very swollen, red and would even bleed- some of them come and go but I mostly don't have them anymore, I still do get them sometimes when I try to wear all of them. Some of those piercings have closed up even though I wore them for the minimum amount of time and I always have to re-pierce some of them when I want to wear them.
Reply
TheGoodLife 02:04 AM 03-30-2013
Originally Posted by jenn:
My daughter had her ears pierced at 4 years old. She had wanted to do it since she was 2.

Before becoming a mom, I would have said I wouldn't allow it until at least teens. My daughter has some internal health issues (liver, lungs-you would never know to look at her). She goes to a childrens hospital to monitor her condition. Right now, she is doing great. What tomorrow holds...who knows. A mom there with a really sick child told me she let her 6 year old get her ears pierced and dye a pink streak in her hair, because life is short. I guess you see things differently when your child has health issues. Later doesn't always come. You aren't promised tomorrow. After seeing the look on my daughter's face when she saw her diamond earrings in her ears and then get tears in her eyes and say "It's my dream come true!", I knew we made the right choice.

Piercings other than ears...no way.
beautiful thought!
Reply
Blackcat31 06:58 AM 03-30-2013
Originally Posted by wdmmom:
I have only had 1 child in daycare that had her ears pierced and she was 13 months. They had it done when she was 3 months old.

As long as she wore studs and had backs that were harder to get off, she could attend.

If she pulled at them or tugged at them, my stipulation was the mom needed to come immediately and take them out or take her home.

It was never an issue while in attendance.

All of my girls including myself have our ears pierced. I got mine when I was 6 as did 2 of my girls and the other was 7 before we chose to get them done.

They are responsible for taking care of them themselves.
My DD as well as a most the DCG's I've had that have their ears pierced have the type of earrings where the backs actually screw on and cannot be pulled off.

It actually takes a long time to unscrew the back off and as long as the parent is diligent about checking to make sure they are clean and secure, I too have never had an issue while in attendance.

Similar to these:


Reply
Candy 10:28 AM 03-30-2013
Originally Posted by Starburst:
I would love it if my FH had piercings (or tattoos ) but he doesnt for a few reasons:
1) he is terrified of needles (I couldn't convince him to donate blood with me)
2) he comes from a semi-conservative family (he went to a private catholic school, and his mom panics anytime he talks with a girl's voice just joking around{then again it doesn't help that its usually when I ask him to hand me my purse})
3) he wants to go into the agriculture business where he will be working for very conservative businesses and some of them may not approve of piercings/tattoos

I wouldn't mind piercing my future son's ears if they wanted them done but I am not sure if my FH would allow it.
We usually start off with just one ear first(the left one) then when they are older they can get the other if they want. For my cousins head start pictures he sported huge black onix studs with a very tall mohawk cutest thing i had ever seen.
Reply
Patches 06:24 PM 03-30-2013
Originally Posted by Starburst:
My brother got his ear pierced when he was about 8 or 9 cuz he really wanted one, now I think he has both ears pierced.




I think having both ears pierced now isn't as taboo for guys as it used to be. Most male rappers/rockers have both ears pierced (i.e. 50 Cent, Eminem, Dave Navarro, Tommy Lee...). Guys can always just wear one if they want or both (or none), and some guys gage them. I heard some male actors have them done so they can play more roles (i.e. Howie Mandel, Johnny Depp).
I have no problem with boys or men having their ears pierced. I just think on baby boys it's a little wierd, because from what I've heard, a lot of people pierce their baby girl's ears so they don't get mistaken for boys.

Side note: I love gaged ears on a guy
Reply
mamac 06:52 PM 03-30-2013
Originally Posted by Starburst:
1) he is terrified of needles (I couldn't convince him to donate blood with me)
How about asking him to donate blood to see if you both are compatible blood types in case of an emergency? That's how I finally got my dh to donate with me. He's never been back since but at least it's good to know that we have the same blood type.
Reply
Starburst 06:59 PM 03-30-2013
Lol I asked him once if he knew what his blood type was and he said no and he doesn't want to find out because he hates needles. I don't think he would go for it, I think he would say "well I guess you will just bleed to death then". Lol ok probably not because I don't have a very rare blood type (A+, same as my mom's) but I think he would wait it out as much as possible to avoid it.

I got my brother who also hates needles (yet has tattoos and his ears pierced) to donate once and he has an unusual blood type (O +) he almost passed out and never wants to do it again. They kept calling him after that and he started freaking out because they would cal him all the time- he finally got his name off the list though. Guys are such babies sometimes .
Reply
MNMum 07:42 PM 03-30-2013
I was going to ask this question. I recently had a parent text me that their 19 mo old's earring was missing, had I seen it? She got her ears pierced at about 3 mos old. I was so afraid one of the other kids would try to yank them out. Never happened, though.
Reply
Blackcat31 08:09 AM 03-31-2013
Originally Posted by Starburst:
I got my brother who also hates needles (yet has tattoos and his ears pierced) to donate once and he has an unusual blood type (O +) he almost passed out and never wants to do it again. They kept calling him after that and he started freaking out because they would cal him all the time- he finally got his name off the list though. Guys are such babies sometimes .
Blood type 0+ is the MOST common blood type for Caucasian, African American, Asian and Hispanic people.

People with Type O blood can usually donate to others with ALL blood types as Type O has neither A nor B antigens on red cells (but both A and B antibody are in the plasma) making it almost "universal".

http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-a...od/blood-types
Reply
Starburst 12:06 PM 03-31-2013
IDK the stats I just know that they really wanted his blood and it was type O. It could have also been O-.
Reply
countrymom 06:03 PM 03-31-2013
my girls where done at 3months. they barely cried. My 8 yr old wants a second hole in her ear, we will see. My mdd (shes 12) has 3 earings on one side and 2 on the other. and she only wears studs. Most of the little girls that come her have their ears pierced.
Reply
AnneCordelia 06:16 AM 04-01-2013
We believe our children have a right to autonomy of body, and that any modifications made to their bodies will be a personal choice made by them.

We are supportive of peircings and tattoos, and both dh and I have tattoos/body peircings. However, aside from a classic earlobe peircing for girls, we will not allow tattoos or peircings for our children until they are 18. I want my children to have equal opportunity to go into any career, and there are stigmas around male peircings, or body peircings for any sex. We dont want our children to be judged for choices they make in their youth, especially permanent modifications like a peircing or tattoo.
Reply
Blackcat31 06:55 AM 04-01-2013
Originally Posted by Starburst:
IDK the stats I just know that they really wanted his blood and it was type O. It could have also been O-.
More than likely they wanted his blood because he is a universal donor NOT because his blood type is rare.

People with Type O blood can donate to anyone where as others with Type A, Type B and Type AB can only donate to like people.
Reply
Springdaze 07:19 AM 04-01-2013
I had to wait til i was 16 then they let me at 14. i was so excited, now, I never take the ones I have in out! too lazy!

I had my dds done at 5 mos. she hardly wears them for the same reason as me!
Reply
Reply Up