ear piercing

[Anonymous]

Today we went to Montgomery Mall. There was a women holding down a screaming three year old to get her ears pierced in one of those center earring/piercing stores. I just can't believe what some women will do to their little kids in the name of fashion. Disgusting, just had to rant.

[Anonymous]

I sure don't like how it looks either--sorta like you're rushing your girl to grow up!

[Anonymous]

What do you get out of posting things like this?

[Anonymous]

For many people it's a cultural thing and what is "disgusting" to you may be completely normal for others. Try a little tolerance!

[Anonymous]

Yes, this was something I was surprised to find out. In some cultures, girls get their ears pierced as babies. Doesn't mean it's okay to hold down a screaming kid but could change the context of the situation.

[Anonymous]

I agree with PP. You have to evaluate the importance of this "cultural thing" if it involves freaking the child out. I can't imagine a culture where she'll be ostracized if she waits a year or two.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I'm not against ear piercing, but I am only holding my child down while freaking out for something medically necessary like shots or stitches.

Here's another cultural phenomenon: girls as young as eight getting bikini waxes. Some probably have unusual hair growth, but many of them have mothers who are trying to build them into little Barbie's:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26182276/

[Anonymous]

It's a cultural thing, too, to slice off the clitoris of young girls in some parts of the world. Not equating this procedure to ear piercing in terms of long-range consequences, obviously.

But the "it's their culture" to permanently change the bodies of babies and young girls before they have sense enough to give consent doesn't hold water with me.

If it's so cultural ... ask them when they're older if that's indeed what they want.

[Anonymous]

Have you ever met an adult woman who regretted having her ears pierced as a young child or infant? I haven't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you ever met an adult woman who regretted having her ears pierced as a young child or infant? I haven't.

I had mine pierced at 8 years old and regret it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Here's another cultural phenomenon: girls as young as eight getting bikini waxes. Some probably have unusual hair growth, but many of them have mothers who are trying to build them into little Barbie's:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26182276/

This article was so disturbing that it made me feel physically ill.

[Anonymous]

Three is a terrible age to get ears pierced. Honestly, anything after about 6 months until at least 6 ot 7 are probably terrible ages. I, personally, do not like seeing infants with their ears pierced. HOWEVER, when you see infants, (1) the piercing is more than likely done by a pediatrician; and (2) they are too little to find their ears and mess with the earrings. By the time they are old enough, they are just used to the earrings and it's practically a body part. But in between those ages, the kids are going to play with them, and they will probably get infected, fall out, or whatever. Plus, as the OP noted, the child is old enough to be petrified of the procedure.

I got mine pierced when I was 7, and even at that age, I was so afraid that they would fall out, I tightened them so much that the earring went inside my earlobe and I had to have it removed.

[Anonymous]

Actually I put off piercing my ears until my early 30s!

[Anonymous]

What usually gets me is that many of these anti ear piercing posters, think nothing about circumcising their boys. (NOTE: Not turning into to a circ debate, just noting irony)
It all boils down to personal preference, culture, and tradition.

[Anonymous]

Give me a break - there is NO comparision. Ear piercing is purely cosmetic - just a look that certain types/cultures find pretty or feminine. Male circumcision has medically backed rationales within the MEDICAL community for cleanliness and decreased likelihood of contracting sexual trasnmitted disease. To compare the two is irresponsible. I would perhaps personally chose not to circumscize a son, but would not judge those who do, however, I would never pierce the ears of a baby or child.

Ear Piercing an infant is one thing, as previous posters have explained, but holding down a screaming three year old in order to give her earrings (make her pretty???) is child abuse pure and simple. It is barbaric. It should be illegal.