BABY EAR PIERCINGS: For Vanity or For Them?

As a blogger we tend to over share and by over share I mean have a rant every so often. Normally I try to keep my rants neutral but I'm afraid on this, I just can't. Last month you may have seen video of a 4 month old baby getting her ears pierced. Could you bring yourself to watch it? It took me a couple of attempts by the end I was completely outraged! I remember thinking how could she put her baby in pain for the sake of vanity!!!! What was she thinking? 


This story made national news and was the cause of outrage amongst many parents. Some even went as far as to accuse the girls mother of child abuse. I’ll be honest, when I saw it I felt disgusted. As I said it took me a few attempts to watch, I knew that I would be outraged but I needed to watch it to see for myself. That poor baby girl! She didn't even have a clue what was going on, only that one minute she's playing and smiling and the next gets the biggest shock with with a sharp pain in her ear lobe! It was difficult to watch and even harder to understand. Why would parent their child to unnecessary pain?

I had my ear pierced when I was around five years old. I remember whittling and whittling about getting them pierced, pretty much whittled my mum to the point of insanity, but you get the point. I wanted my ears pierced! My mum was completely honest with me and told me that it would hurt, and that I was responsible for taking care of them. With that, I agreed and therefore it was my own choice. My parent in no way had any influence on my decision and made me fully aware of the pain, the care and the lasting effect that piercing my ears would be. Finally, after all my persistent whittling I was finally getting them pierced and I couldn't contain my excitement. However, this was very much short lived as the piercing gun went through my ear lobe causing excruciating pain. Yes, I could remember the pain and saying to my parents that I only wanted one pierced, but my parents said that I couldn't really change my mind about my ears being pierced and showed me how it looked in the mirror. I chose to have my other ear lobe pierced, but the pain wasn't as bad as the first and so I see it as my own decision that I was full aware of and was responsible for. At what age do you think it's acceptable to make your own decision about your ears being pierced?

All I know is that 4 months is way too young! That poor baby probably hasn't even hit the four months sleep regression faze let alone know if she ever wants her ears pierced! Just the thought of her little distraught face makes me feel awful. I just cannot comprehend why a parent would see something like this as acceptable. As a mother I would like to assume that the majority of parents wouldn’t allow their children to suffer, if they could help it. But it seems that when it’s in the name of vanity it becomes socially acceptable. 

© Baby's Ears Pierced/YOUTUBE 

Aside from the fact that many choose to have their infants ears pierced in the sake of vanity. What other reasons would you want to pierced your infants ears? Some suggest that many won't remember the pain, and I guess to some extent this is true, as we are all different. However, I had my ears pierced at five years old and twenty something years later I can remember the pain. The severe pain and fear is inflicted upon this little girl is unnecessarily. It serves no purpose other than to satisfy the parent’s vanity. It makes me a little uncomfortable to have an opinion and share it, to pick a side and risk backlash. As a blogger I have been known to voice my opinion, but normally like to see both sides of any story, but on this issue I cannot! 

There are differing viewpoints on whether children should have their ears pierced and, if so, at what age it is acceptable. While some may think a child under a certain age is just too young to be wearing earrings, to others the image of a little toddler with tiny gold posts in her ears is darling. But I can't help but think as parents shouldn't we allow the child to make that choice, after all it is their body. Children have rights, their own bodies, regardless of whether they are old enough to express their opinions or not. 

So, would you get your baby's ears pierced? What age do you think it's acceptable? Are they asking for the piercing(s), or is this for your own vanity? Can he or she understand the process that will occur in their body? Is your child responsible enough to care for their piercings and follow all of the rules when you are away from them. Will they avoid touching their piercings? Only you can answer these questions for them right now. In my opinion and my personal belief that no child should be pierced without that child's consent. While many young people may be capable, young baby's or toddlers are not. I cannot stress enough how cautious a parent needs to be when making this decision.

What are your feelings on piercing young children's ears? Please leave comments below...


7 comments

  1. I cannot help but agree with you wholeheartedly, it should be their decision to make. Fi x

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  2. I agree with you. Wait till they are old enough to decide for themselves! I can't even bring myself to watch the video 😬

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  3. Oh I completely agree! I have never understood this I'm afraid. I think it's so important to respect children's bodies and give them the opportunity to decide when they are old enough to make the choice. That will probably be different for every family. My mum said I had to be 13, but I don't remember wanting them done before then anyway! x

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  4. i saw this and I actually cried for the poor baby. Hearing that cry was awful and almost as awful as the cry you hear when they have injections. I personally wouldn't pierce my girls ears I'll leave it for them to decide when they're older x

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  5. Personally I totally agree with you, I couldn't imagine putting such a small baby through unescessary pain x

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  6. Yes. I agree. I had mine done at 7 I think. I'm dreading the day my ladies ask for theirs done. But a baby, just no!

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  7. I don't think it is right to pierce young babies ears. I think that there is plenty of time to get ears pierced so why rush. Also, wait to see if the child actually wants their ears pierced. I don't have mine pierced and my daughters haven't asked about getting theirs done either. Time will tell though.

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