I agree to wait a few years. My dd had them pierced at 9 yo, the day after the last soccer game. By fall, she was technically able to take them out but it was really hard to get them back in (not because the holes closed up, but because we just couldn't get them the right angle, etc.) She hated it every week. A year or two later, it's just easier for kids to handle it all...

14:53 - you should be able to take them out by then without fear of the holes closing up. I think we were able to take ours out 3 weeks afterward.

Earrings are not a necessity and there are health risks to wearing earrings during sporting events. Why risk it? Just wait till after fall season to get them done - it's just a few months.

I had my 5yos done in June and there was no mention of no swimming.we had them done at a tattoo parlor in MD. He told us to leave them in for at least 3 months. She starts gymnastics in Sept so hoping we can bandaid for the first couple of weeks.

SoccerRef wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are smart to ask this. My DD got her ears pierced for her 10th birthday, for which she had waited years and was sooo excited. The next week she had a soccer game and the a-hole ref made her take them out despite me yelling at him and my daughter being in tears. He would not accept tape or bandaids over the studs, it was really annoying. Rather than try to put them back in after the game, she decided to wait until the season was over so that she wouldn't have to deal with it every weekend. Smart kid. Although it was another $50 and a trip to the mall.

The ref was not an a-hole.

Yes, the ref was.
If the earnings were securely taped over, the ref should have let her play.

That is not the reason they don't wear them ref dude, the stem has punctured many of kids and an earlobe ripped from the earring being caught on something is not pretty, yes even when tapped

sign an athletic trainer that has plenty of experience tending to ripped earlobes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are smart to ask this. My DD got her ears pierced for her 10th birthday, for which she had waited years and was sooo excited. The next week she had a soccer game and the a-hole ref made her take them out despite me yelling at him and my daughter being in tears. He would not accept tape or bandaids over the studs, it was really annoying. Rather than try to put them back in after the game, she decided to wait until the season was over so that she wouldn't have to deal with it every weekend. Smart kid. Although it was another $50 and a trip to the mall.

The ref was not an a-hole.

Yes, the ref was.
If the earnings were securely taped over, the ref should have let her play.

Earrings can easily be removed for the duration of a game, then replaced right after, and they will heal up just fine. My daughter played with newly pierced ears, they took about a month to heal up, and several girls on her team also did the same thing, and there was no issue. Earrings are a safety issue for sports like soccer, so pretty much any ref will require them to be removed.

Everyone's ears are different, but I would shoot for a time when she could wear earrings for at least 3 months straight. When I was younger my earring fell out at a friend's birthday party and just a couple of hours later when my mother tried to put in another earring the hole had already begun to close. This was a few months after they were initially pierced.

We waited till after soccer season to do it- did it thanksgiving weekend on a pre-Christmas trip to the mall. The ref is not wrong- having jewelry in during a game is a liability and the rule is there for a reason.

We let our 10 year old get hers pierced in June and come Sept it was a CRISIS every time she had to take them our for travel soccer.
They were still sore and would crust over just a tiny bit every time we took and (our tough soccer player) would moan and howl.

If I had to do it again I'd wait until she was 12 or 13. Not worth the drama. Thankfully by the spring season (and she got them pierced the previous June) the holes were 100% healed and taking them out was a non event.

Anonymous wrote:You are smart to ask this. My DD got her ears pierced for her 10th birthday, for which she had waited years and was sooo excited. The next week she had a soccer game and the a-hole ref made her take them out despite me yelling at him and my daughter being in tears. He would not accept tape or bandaids over the studs, it was really annoying. Rather than try to put them back in after the game, she decided to wait until the season was over so that she wouldn't have to deal with it every weekend. Smart kid. Although it was another $50 and a trip to the mall.

The ref was not an a-hole.

You are smart to ask this. My DD got her ears pierced for her 10th birthday, for which she had waited years and was sooo excited. The next week she had a soccer game and the a-hole ref made her take them out despite me yelling at him and my daughter being in tears. He would not accept tape or bandaids over the studs, it was really annoying. Rather than try to put them back in after the game, she decided to wait until the season was over so that she wouldn't have to deal with it every weekend. Smart kid. Although it was another $50 and a trip to the mall.

If summer is a no deal and soccer is a no deal, then wait until December or over Christmas break.

OP here: I spoke with a reputable Dr (family member) who thought 6-8 weeks sounded like a crazy long wait time, and then I spoke with his daughter (who is big with piercing and tattoo parlors) and she felt it wasn't too unreasonable, and perhaps some places might up the wait times to cover their bases for the customer they are likely to encounter that won't follow recommendations

You may be able to cover the earrings with band-aids--call your league office and ask. We've been having a similar difficulty, but our piercer said 2 weeks for avoiding pools, not 6-8.

How do folks navigate the "No Jewelry" rules of soccer (or other sports)? We are having the damndest time, timing my daughter's ear piercing. We want to go to a reputable tattoo parlor, but the one we spoke with (who will take a 10 year old) recommends a 6-8 week wait for return to any pool, hot tub, and I expect--since it is relevant to me--lake. That pretty much rules out the summer months. So if we wait until Sept, then we are dealing with getting back into a sports schedule and needing to remove the jewelry too soon (in order to be allowed to play). I'd appreciate any thoughtful advice. Thank you.