Are there any benefits to piercing your kids ears when they are a baby?

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:This is the female version of the circumcision debate. Whether or not you should make permanent alterations and put holes in your child's body, causing your child pain for aesthetic reasons.


Agree 100%
Anonymous
Certain Asian cultures (Indian) do it too. I'm of that culture and think it's tacky for a 3 month old to be wearing earrings. Ped offices do pierce ears though -- not every (or even most) peds but I know several families who have grabbed a yellow pages and called every dr in a 50 mile radius to find one who will do it and then gone to them (even if that's not their regular doc). So most families I know are not having it done at the mall.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is the female version of the circumcision debate. Whether or not you should make permanent alterations and put holes in your child's body, causing your child pain for aesthetic reasons.


Agree 100%


Yes, duh, circumcision is largely cosmetic. Health benefits are minimal and most developed nations don't do it. We're the only one where it's routine.
Anonymous
Some people are so racist! At least latinos have a culture.anyways personally I took my daughter to get her ears pierced when she was two months. Best age or smaller. Did not really cry was easy. Also actually when they are smaller they are less likely to get an infection than when they are older.
Anonymous
I can't imagine why you would deprive your older daughter of the opportunity to make a choice about her body. My daughter doesn't want piercings, so I'm glad we don't come from a background that encourages it.

Also, I heard a baby girl be pierced at the mall and her screaming tore me in half. Just heartrending. I can't imagine causing that much pain to a sweet little baby.
Anonymous
Go to a tattoo/piercing parlor. A good one of course.
Anonymous
OP, did you have your ears pierced as a baby? I did not, but all my in-laws are Indian and they say the advantage of piercing an infant girl's ears is that once they're older, their holes won't close up as they do if you pierce as a teenager and go without earrings for awhile (as mine did). I don't know if this is true, but if it is, it is a major disadvantage in my book.
Anonymous
These responses are very interesting. My parents pierced my ears as a baby (white, but not white trash) and I was always glad I didn't have to deal with getting it done when I was older.
Anonymous
You people are crazy.
Anonymous
White, upper middle class Jew here from Miami - very common to pierce within the first few months.

I moved to DC so I "waited" until 6 months for both daughters.

Prior t 6 months in Miami, everyone asked why their ears weren't pierced yet. After 6 months here, everyone asked why their ears were pierced!

Its cultural and has nothing to do with poor or trashy.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:White, upper middle class Jew here from Miami - very common to pierce within the first few months.

I moved to DC so I "waited" until 6 months for both daughters.

Prior t 6 months in Miami, everyone asked why their ears weren't pierced yet. After 6 months here, everyone asked why their ears were pierced!

Its cultural and has nothing to do with poor or trashy.


I did both piercings at Claires in the mall. It took about half a second and neither girls cried for longer than 5 seconds. I would also circumcize a boy if I had one but for religious, rather than cultural reasons.
Anonymous
I also come from a culture in which most baby girls get their ears pierced. I always assumed I'd do the same with my daughters. And then first DD was born, and her perfect little ears were so beautiful, I couldn't possibly bear to punch holes in them. I don't see a benefit to doing it - she can decide when she is older if she wants to.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:From what I can tell it will confirm, or make people wonder if, you are poor or Hispanic.


People might think I'm poor?!? OR HISPANIC?!?!

Anonymous
I guess we are white trash then...
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:You people are crazy.


Are you calling the piercers crazy or the racists, classists people crazy??
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