Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see why a four year old needs earrings?

So what age would you say “needs” earrings?

Old enough to have a sense of permanence about bodily modifications and their own aesthetic. So maybe 11-13?

I mean, someone who gets tired of them can just take them out. It's not a neck tattoo.

I haven’t worn earrings in a decade and the holes have not closed and are still easily visible. It’s scar tissue. They never go away.

Anonymous wrote:My four year old (almost 5) keeps asking to get her ears pierced. What if she changes her mind at the store? I would be so embarrassed. Or she does one and won’t do the other.

Who cares if she changes her mind at the store? I let my eldest get her ears pierced at four. She was adamant and we watched two YouTube videos of other kids getting their ears pierced, so she knew what to expect (only time she has ever watched YouTube). She went in and got her ears pierced and didn’t cry at all. I have two younger daughters are three and one. If they want to get their ears pierced at at four then I would be ok with that. My parents let me get my ears pierced at six because we were moving across the country and they felt bad and the experience didn’t negatively impact me, so when my daughter wanted her ears pierced at four I didn’t see the issue. Many kids can’t wear earrings while playing sports so it can be a hassle to pierce ears in upper elementary and middle school.

Anonymous wrote:For us., I always delayed until DD never wavered and understood that it meant cleaning every day, etc.

I would have done it at any age, but I wanted to make sure SHE was ready - she often wavered. I reiterated it was something cool, but a responsibility. At 7, she “got it”. She happily dealt with all the PITA stuff, like multiple cleanings a day, turning, and we never had an issue with infection, etc. She understood what she was in for.

She was ready, and now wouldn’t mind a second one. So we’re waiting on that for a few years.

This is our approach and our 7 year old isn't ready and she knows it. She has minimal interest because she's scare of the piercing and doesn't feel ready to take on the responsibility of cleaning and caring for them. She still fights us on other regular hygiene like brushing teeth or showering (not every day but sometimes it still takes coaxing).

Every kid is different.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My four year old (almost 5) keeps asking to get her ears pierced. What if she changes her mind at the store? I would be so embarrassed. Or she does one and won’t do the other.

OMG. Who cares if you're embarrassed or not? What a bad parent.

We waited until our girls were 5 then took them to a piercing shop where they did both ears at once. Easy peasy. My first had recently received a flu shot and said the ear piercing hurt less than the flu shot.

Yeah you have to get over the embarrassment. There are so many things I've taken my kid to and she was excited and then bailed last minute -- it recently happened with getting a manicure and I had to cancel both appointments (and wound up leaving a tip anyway because I felt bad about the last minute cancellation). But I wasn't embarrassed -- she's 7 and this is normal. She thought she was ready but the reality was different. Who cares?

There is no need for an arbitrary age to do ear piercings. Earlier is better.

We had our 2 year old daughter’s ears pierced by a traveling nurse who does house calls- she specializes in ear piercings from Blohmdahl hypoallergenic jewelry. Shana Feldman. She is a registered nurse. I was so happy we were able to do the ear piercing right at home. Shana’s manner with small children is so sweet- she is a mom of 3 girls and has pierced all their ears as well.

She is in Maryland but might travel around the DMV - I highly recommend getting her to do the ear piercing.

The hypoallergenic jewelry was just right as the starter earrings. After my daughter’s ears healed, I bought baby sized diamond studs with friction “bullet” backs that cover the entire post and prevent scratches.

For us., I always delayed until DD never wavered and understood that it meant cleaning every day, etc.

I would have done it at any age, but I wanted to make sure SHE was ready - she often wavered. I reiterated it was something cool, but a responsibility. At 7, she “got it”. She happily dealt with all the PITA stuff, like multiple cleanings a day, turning, and we never had an issue with infection, etc. She understood what she was in for.

She was ready, and now wouldn’t mind a second one. So we’re waiting on that for a few years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see why a four year old needs earrings?

So what age would you say “needs” earrings?

Old enough to have a sense of permanence about bodily modifications and their own aesthetic. So maybe 11-13?

I mean, someone who gets tired of them can just take them out. It's not a neck tattoo.

I got mine pierced at 5, but I took them out one time and the holes quickly closed. Then, I grew and the holes were no longer symmetrical. I got them repierced as an adult, but one of the new holes doesn't perfectly line up with the old scar tissue. Because of this, I will make my DD wait until 10.

Anonymous wrote:I’d wait until at least 10

To add: partly because she’ll need to wear earrings daily for a long time. Over year at least, consistently, but maybe longer.

I pierced my DDs as a baby because I had mine done as a baby and it seemed normal. But I had her at a young age and didn’t think through it very well. It was uneventful and no issues with infections. But as a toddler or maybe preschooler she didn’t want to wear earrings anymore-at all. By the time she was maybe 8 the holes had closed completely.

My daughter got hers pierced at 8 years old. By that point, a few of her friends had pierced ears and she said she was ready. We felt comfortable with it by that point. She’s been cleaning them and it’s been going great.

I’d wait until at least 10

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thirteen in our house.
A rite of passage into the teenage years.

+1. Children don’t wear jewelry in our family. A 12 year old is a child.

Your children aren’t allowed to wear things like a friendship bracelet? Weird rule.

A friendship bracelet isn't really jewelry. Like yes I let my five year old wear a plastic tiara too. Earrings are actual jewelry.

I got mine done at 8… I’d wait longer because my DD got hers at 7 and then was at her grandparents over the summer for a month and it got so infected it had to be cut out of her ear. It scared her so she’s ok not having pierced ears for awhile. Now I’d rather wait til middle school, but she may ask for it earlier, we’ll see.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thirteen in our house.
A rite of passage into the teenage years.

+1. Children don’t wear jewelry in our family. A 12 year old is a child.

Your children aren’t allowed to wear things like a friendship bracelet? Weird rule.

My ears were pierced as an infant, in accordance with our culture. My DH is American and we did not pierce our daughter’s ears as a baby. She’s 6 now and said no the last time I asked her, so it’s her decision now. My brother and SIL gifted her a beautiful pair of diamond earrings when she was born so I’m hoping she’ll wear them someday soon.