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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got our DD ears pierced at 4 months because her father gets keloids and the risk of keloids increases with age. If she were to "opt" for earrings at 9 or older it would increase her chance of getting keloids. Coupled with the fact that culturally it is the norm for babies to have earrings I saw it as a no brainer. Those who would look down on me for that choice would probably look down on me regardless so I'm not going to not do what I see fit because of them.

OP, as soon as I opened this thread I knew where the posters were going to go. It is a bit sad but no unexpected.

One person was rude and maybe racist. No one else was. I think baby ears with earrings look a little trashy. I also think white girls who tan too much look trashy. Neither opinion is racist.

Um - do you not understand that by calling people trashy, you are one of the posters that the PP is talking about. You may not be racist, but you are definitely a classist who think you're better than other people. That's almost the same thing.

That's right, because "trashy" is a word only used by wealthy white women. No, no, I haven't heard women of all races and incomes use that word at various times. Not at all.

Arguing with you is like arguing with a toddler - it makes no sense to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tacky/trashy no matter the "culture".

According to you, but who appointed you King or Queen? Trashy is a value judgment and it is very much dependent on the cultural values of people. SO if for most of the world it is considered culturally acceptable and prefereable regardless of educational level/ class level/ income level, then how does it become trashy just because you deem it so?

I'm not the PP but you can't really believe any of our fashion judgments are otherwise, right? Whether a dress is boring, great, or vulgar has to do with which country you are in and who your audience is. No one appointed any of us Queen. You like one dress and I don't like it. Or I think it is lovely and sexy and you think it is over-the-top and slutty. Fine. Neither of us is Queen, whatever that would mean.

I'm sure OP doesn't care if some people think baby earrings are trashy just like she doesn't care if a stranger thinks her daughters dress is cute or not. Why the special hatred for this one type of fashion judgment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only possible benefit I can think of is that it makes it less likely that people will mistake your infant daughter for a boy. Because, you know, that's really damaging to a developing psyche.

LOL! Ear piercing is absurd. Might as well put makeup on your baby too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tacky/trashy no matter the "culture".

According to you, but who appointed you King or Queen? Trashy is a value judgment and it is very much dependent on the cultural values of people. SO if for most of the world it is considered culturally acceptable and prefereable regardless of educational level/ class level/ income level, then how does it become trashy just because you deem it so?

I'm not the PP but you can't really believe any of our fashion judgments are otherwise, right? Whether a dress is boring, great, or vulgar has to do with which country you are in and who your audience is. No one appointed any of us Queen. You like one dress and I don't like it. Or I think it is lovely and sexy and you think it is over-the-top and slutty. Fine. Neither of us is Queen, whatever that would mean.

I'm sure OP doesn't care if some people think baby earrings are trashy just like she doesn't care if a stranger thinks her daughters dress is cute or not. Why the special hatred for this one type of fashion judgment?

Because it is judging people based on class on assumptions about them as a people. The judgment is not a mere "fashion judgment" and comes wiht a lot more vitriol. It is not just saying I do not like blue dresses or ballet flats don't go well with trousers. Exhibit A- the 91 comments this thread has inspired. To claim that it is just a "fashion judgment" is inconsisten with the facts- trashy indicates that those people that make the choice are inferior and one that does not make that choice occupy a different part of society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only possible benefit I can think of is that it makes it less likely that people will mistake your infant daughter for a boy. Because, you know, that's really damaging to a developing psyche.

LOL! Ear piercing is absurd. Might as well put makeup on your baby too!

The same people that argue against earrings are the same ones that see no problem with maekup for 5 years olds "just for fun" to go to the mall or hot pink toenails on a preschooler.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to work for a pediatrician, and we would see a lot of infections in little girls who got their ears pierced as babies. It's very important to keep pierced ears clean, especially in kids that are active and get dirty (ie, most kids!) They also pull on their earrings and, over time, it makes the holes bigger.

It's an individual choice, but I am going to wait until my DD is 10-11 and let her decide. She has to live with her pierced ears, and I think it's important that she be part of that decision-making process. I also want her to take some responsibiltiy for cleaning her ears and appreciating the need to keep her pierced ears free from infection.

She doesn't "have to live" with pierced ears. If she doesn't like them she can not wear earrings. I had mine pierced as a baby and frequently forget to wear earrings. I don't see it as a big deal no to.

Oh, so much better . . . if she doesn't want to wear earrings then she will still "have to live with" holes in her ears. I think this is a decision she should make for herself.

You are so over the top dramatic. Live with holes in her ears? You probably can't even see if someone has piercings since the "holes" are so small. I am sure you are the same type of mother that decides for her kid to put makeup on her and put nail polish on her because you think it is "cute" without for a second finding your decision hypocritical. Wait, let me guess your response is "but it won"t be HOLES IN her ears.!!!"

This made me LOL. That's the pot calling the kettle black. Take a Valium and chill out. You have completely missed the point (not surprising).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to work for a pediatrician, and we would see a lot of infections in little girls who got their ears pierced as babies. It's very important to keep pierced ears clean, especially in kids that are active and get dirty (ie, most kids!) They also pull on their earrings and, over time, it makes the holes bigger.

It's an individual choice, but I am going to wait until my DD is 10-11 and let her decide. She has to live with her pierced ears, and I think it's important that she be part of that decision-making process. I also want her to take some responsibiltiy for cleaning her ears and appreciating the need to keep her pierced ears free from infection.

She doesn't "have to live" with pierced ears. If she doesn't like them she can not wear earrings. I had mine pierced as a baby and frequently forget to wear earrings. I don't see it as a big deal no to.

Oh, so much better . . . if she doesn't want to wear earrings then she will still "have to live with" holes in her ears. I think this is a decision she should make for herself.

You are so over the top dramatic. Live with holes in her ears? You probably can't even see if someone has piercings since the "holes" are so small. I am sure you are the same type of mother that decides for her kid to put makeup on her and put nail polish on her because you think it is "cute" without for a second finding your decision hypocritical. Wait, let me guess your response is "but it won"t be HOLES IN her ears.!!!"

This made me LOL. That's the pot calling the kettle black. Take a Valium and chill out. You have completely missed the point (not surprising).

How so? You're shrieking about holes in a child's ear when it is just a small piercing. Valium?really?

[Anonymous]

It is a signifier of low class. (So are makeup, fingernail/toenail polish, and bikinis on little girls. Trashy!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just had my eight month old daughter's ears pierced. I did it not because it is cultural but because, I had my ears pierced when I was about 12 years old and had a horrible experience. I wanted to spare her any pain or horrible recollection of having her ears pierced. I had a doctor do it and made sure he put in sterilized gold studs. He put numbing medicine on it prior to piercing. She cried only because the nurse was holding her. She was fine within minutes of it. I have been cleaning them as instructed but it really does not bother her. I don't like the look of earrings on her little face but I just wanted it done for her sake. I don't think its trashy or representative of a culture. It's a choice more and more people are making for their kids. Of late I have met a number of baby girls in the DC area with pierced ears and half of them are white and not trashy. Each to his/her own!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got our DD ears pierced at 4 months because her father gets keloids and the risk of keloids increases with age. If she were to "opt" for earrings at 9 or older it would increase her chance of getting keloids. Coupled with the fact that culturally it is the norm for babies to have earrings I saw it as a no brainer. Those who would look down on me for that choice would probably look down on me regardless so I'm not going to not do what I see fit because of them.

OP, as soon as I opened this thread I knew where the posters were going to go. It is a bit sad but no unexpected.

WOW, I cannot believe you would pierce your child's ears when keloids run in the family.

The risk is decreased when the ears are pierced when the child is young. Keloids run in HIS family and not mine. My child is very fair and the risk is therby decreased as well. The risk to her is very low given her skin tone and given that NO ONE in my family has keloids but as a precautionary measure we got them down early because studies shows that the risk increases with age and markedly so after the age of 9.

You realize that ear piercing is a COSMETIC procedure, right? This post just confirms all the stereotypes.

[Anonymous]

Some of you posters are just absurd.

Ear piercing is cosmetic. It is also cultural. For whatever it matters, I did not have my baby's ears pierced. But, let's not pretend like ear piercing is something dramatic or traumatic. It isn't. That's a fact. It's over in less than 20 seconds (I've had mine pierced; my daughter who is not 5 just had hers pierced). That some of you are getting worked up over this -something that is frankly none of your business- is bizarre. I find you people absolutely bizarre. Please put your righteous indignation toward something more useful, like volunteering at a soup kitchen.

As for you utterly classless people who would call an infant or toddler "trashy" for having their ears pierced? You're really the pot calling the kettle black. No infant or toddler could ever -ever- be called trashy. These are children. Please get a grip, perspective, and a dose of class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got our DD ears pierced at 4 months because her father gets keloids and the risk of keloids increases with age. If she were to "opt" for earrings at 9 or older it would increase her chance of getting keloids. Coupled with the fact that culturally it is the norm for babies to have earrings I saw it as a no brainer. Those who would look down on me for that choice would probably look down on me regardless so I'm not going to not do what I see fit because of them.

OP, as soon as I opened this thread I knew where the posters were going to go. It is a bit sad but no unexpected.

WOW, I cannot believe you would pierce your child's ears when keloids run in the family.

The risk is decreased when the ears are pierced when the child is young. Keloids run in HIS family and not mine. My child is very fair and the risk is therby decreased as well. The risk to her is very low given her skin tone and given that NO ONE in my family has keloids but as a precautionary measure we got them down early because studies shows that the risk increases with age and markedly so after the age of 9.

You realize that ear piercing is a COSMETIC procedure, right? This post just confirms all the stereotypes.

Yes, it does. You are a classist bitch. A procedure? Really? Give me a break

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of you posters are just absurd.

Ear piercing is cosmetic. It is also cultural. For whatever it matters, I did not have my baby's ears pierced. But, let's not pretend like ear piercing is something dramatic or traumatic. It isn't. That's a fact. It's over in less than 20 seconds (I've had mine pierced; my daughter who is not 5 just had hers pierced). That some of you are getting worked up over this -something that is frankly none of your business- is bizarre. I find you people absolutely bizarre. Please put your righteous indignation toward something more useful, like volunteering at a soup kitchen.

As for you utterly classless people who would call an infant or toddler "trashy" for having their ears pierced? You're really the pot calling the kettle black. No infant or toddler could ever -ever- be called trashy. These are children. Please get a grip, perspective, and a dose of class.

er...I don't think anyone is calling babies trashy - they mean the babies are innocent victims of trashy moms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got our DD ears pierced at 4 months because her father gets keloids and the risk of keloids increases with age. If she were to "opt" for earrings at 9 or older it would increase her chance of getting keloids. Coupled with the fact that culturally it is the norm for babies to have earrings I saw it as a no brainer. Those who would look down on me for that choice would probably look down on me regardless so I'm not going to not do what I see fit because of them.

OP, as soon as I opened this thread I knew where the posters were going to go. It is a bit sad but no unexpected.

WOW, I cannot believe you would pierce your child's ears when keloids run in the family.

The risk is decreased when the ears are pierced when the child is young. Keloids run in HIS family and not mine. My child is very fair and the risk is therby decreased as well. The risk to her is very low given her skin tone and given that NO ONE in my family has keloids but as a precautionary measure we got them down early because studies shows that the risk increases with age and markedly so after the age of 9.

You realize that ear piercing is a COSMETIC procedure, right? This post just confirms all the stereotypes.

The same people that would like at my child and think that her having her ears pierced "confirms all the sterotypes" would be the same people to think I "confirm all sterotypes" without knowing anything about me. So what are the steroypes that I confirm? My low income level - I do well. That I have only a HS degree? I have a JD. What are the sterotypes exactly that would be confirmed about my sweet daughter because she has earrings. Please inform us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got our DD ears pierced at 4 months because her father gets keloids and the risk of keloids increases with age. If she were to "opt" for earrings at 9 or older it would increase her chance of getting keloids. Coupled with the fact that culturally it is the norm for babies to have earrings I saw it as a no brainer. Those who would look down on me for that choice would probably look down on me regardless so I'm not going to not do what I see fit because of them.

OP, as soon as I opened this thread I knew where the posters were going to go. It is a bit sad but no unexpected.

WOW, I cannot believe you would pierce your child's ears when keloids run in the family.

The risk is decreased when the ears are pierced when the child is young. Keloids run in HIS family and not mine. My child is very fair and the risk is therby decreased as well. The risk to her is very low given her skin tone and given that NO ONE in my family has keloids but as a precautionary measure we got them down early because studies shows that the risk increases with age and markedly so after the age of 9.

You realize that ear piercing is a COSMETIC procedure, right? This post just confirms all the stereotypes.

Yes, it does. You are a classist bitch. A procedure? Really? Give me a break

I cried when my first born got immunized because I felt so badly for her! I could never have gone through with a piercing. Nothing to do with my perception of whether its "classy" or not, I just didn't have the heart for it.