My daughter is turning five this December, and she has been talking about getting her ears pierced ever since she was three and saw a friend's baby with earrings. She's also a little mad at me because my sister was going to take her to get them pierced at the mall and I found out about it and stopped her from going.
What does everyone think? Is five still too young for earrings? Should I wait until her sixth or even seventh birthday like my parents did? If I do get them pierced, I don't want to take her to the mall and do it because I don't like those ear guns. Where could I take her? I have a favorite tattooist and piercer, but I've never asked him if he can do children. Could he do it? That way, I can get mine repierced along with her, and she won't be so scared about it.
i would only do it if i knew i could trust my kid with the aftercare of the piercings. I'd discuss it with her and make sure she knows how to clean them and care for them properly.
I agree with Emily. I would make sure she is able to care for it herself.
And I also agree that piercing guns are BAD BAD BAD and it would be best to get them done at a regular reputable piercing shop (with an autoclave and single use needles). Most piercing places, however, will not pierce children under 12 (in my experience), and many will not pierce anyone under 16 or even under 18 (even WITH parental consent). This is not a reason to "settle" for getting it done in a dirty mall with a dirty gun, though.
Do doctors still do it? A friend of mine told me when Tori was very, very young (too young imo) that a doctor could pierce her ears. Or is she too old for a doctor to do it?
I probably won't do it this year anyway. While my daughter is very mature for her age, I don't think she would be able to take care of her ears. I could clean them for her, but I think I'll just wait until she's older. Maybe I'll get her a cute set of clip on earrings for her. I don't know if they make them for her age, but it'll be something to look into. Or maybe a cute necklace. I think its just the appeal of having something pretty to wear.
I think some doctors do it but I wouldn't want a doctor doing it either. A professional body piercer has more experience in it and I would choose them over a physician any day for ear piercing.
They still sell little stick on earrings... You get a whole sheet of fun shapes and colors to wear. Me and my brother used to love them.
My aunt makes her own clip on earrings. She'll buy cheaper earrings that she likes, and goes to a craft store and picks up a bunch of clips. They look great and you can't tell they aren't "real" earrings. Maybe if you can't find age appropriate clip on earrings, you can do this?
Good luck!
I do my kids when they are very yound and don't know to play with them yet. I have had only good experiences with this so far. Maybe you could tell her that she cannot play with them or they will hurt (because they will), and to let mommy clean them. I don't know if you want to be stuck with cleaning them tho. But something for other mommies to think about that are reading this thread. My kids hardly even reacted when they got pierced, so I am glad I got it done at such a young age.
Why didn't I think of stick on earrings before? I used to love those when I was little. I'll bet she really likes those, because I don't think she realizes you have to keep in the first pair for a long time. This way, she can change them everyday if she wants to.
Thanks for the suggestions!
Most 5-year-olds that I've seen mess with their earrings all the time when they have them in. Even if she's cleaning them all the time, they could become infected easily if she keeps touching them. If you can trust her not to mess with the earrings and to take care of them, I think it'd be a nice idea to let her get them pierced.
That is, if the stick-on earrings don't work out well. :wink:
I think what I'm going to do is go ahead and buy her some stick ons next weekend, so she can get use to having things on her ears. Then later on, when I get my ears pierced, I'll let her see me get them done, and show her how to take care of them. I'm going to call my favorite tattoo parlor to see if he would do it. We've been friends with him for a long time, and he did a wonderful job when I got my tongue pierced. Plus, she loves to go to his shop, so if he could do it, then that would be great.
I'm still on the fence over whether or not to do it this year, but this way she can see what happens and how you take care of them. That way she can be totally prepared by the time I get the courage to let her get it done. :lol:
Or you could get the magnetic ones from Claires, or Icing. I'm not sure on pricing but if she's really that set on getting em, they'll feel like real earrings.
Thats a good idea grease!
i just wanna add that i think its kinda crappy that your sister would go behind your back and against your wishes. i understand that aunts and grandparents are supposed to spoil kids, but shes not going to have to deal with possible infected ears or things like that. and thats playing the parent against the kid putting you as the bad person.
anyway, wouldnt your daughter need parental permission to get peirced, not just some other adult?
My doctor did mine when my mom said I could.... my 12th birthday appt. The nurses at my pediatrician's (who i still go to) do it allllll the time. It was the best option for me, granted I was older, I am just saying that if you find a doctor's office who does several a day (like mine does) than you know it will be sterile there.
I use to work at a mall... at one of those ear piercing places. the kind that pierces with a gun.... I hated piercing babies. More often then not the placement turns out wrong when the child grows up and the piercings end up in the wrong places or lopsided and such. I think once a child is old enough to take care of the piercing themself then they should be able to get it done.
Plus with piercing babies its not their choise. What if they hate them Sometimes those holes never close.
Mine got hers done 2 months after she turned 4. She dilligently cleaned them and cared for them by herself. it was her idea and her choice.
When i was 4 i begged my mother for months! to get mine pierced..she finally gave in and took me. Wasnt so bad more scared than hurt by the piercing. She just told to to "rotate" the piercing after I washed my hands after I went to the bathroom. After the piercing is healed theres no maintainence. A good squirt of the solution they give you a couple of times and day and you're set....them after they heal a wash every now and then. It's not difficult and I never got mine infected. I plan on piercing my babys ears when shes old enough.
:)
I had my ears pierced when I was 5. Like Betty's daughter, totally my choice, and I cleaned them and cared for them myself. I still have the same holes 20 years later.
riley is almost five, and we are about ready to do it. i wanted to wait till she could verbally express how much she wanted them, and wouldnt suggest doing it sooner. it really should be a choice imo.
Ive had my ears pierced since I was 3 months old, I refuse to get kaylas done because I cant trust her with them I am uber-paranoid something wil happen IE infections, pulling them out ect ect, I was gonna get them done awhile back but sitting done and actually thinking about it i couldnt bring myself to do it, she can wait til shes older shes not missing out on anything.
My mom let me get mine done when I was five, and one of them became too low in my lobe as my ears grew, and I could not wear earrings in it, so I had to get it redone. My holes also never closes even though I never wear earrings.