Ear Piercing???? What Is Your View? What Age?

I think they're super cute on babies. Yes I do.

But did I get my own daughter's ears pierced? No way. It's her body. I'm not going to put any extra holes in it to feed my own vanity.

When SHE wants them and resolves to go through the discomfort to have them, then I will gladly take her. It's got to be her choice. Right now, at 8 1/2, she's still a little squeamish, so we'll wait. Maybe she'll never get them.

I am in the camp that I don't own my daughter's body so it is not my decision. If she wants her ears pierced, she can make that choice because it is her body.

My daughter is 18 and she's had her ears pierced about 6 yrs. She decided at that time that she wanted pierced ears and was old enough to care for them.

I was about 12 when I got mine pierced as well. Like you, it was a rite of passage thing. I would not have an issue with an 8 yr old because she is old enough to take care of them.

I personally don't like seeing little babies with pierced ears.

I got mine pierced at 7. I didn't take care of the piercings (didn't apply the alcohol, etc.) and one got infected. Had to let the holes close up. I got them repierced at 12 and took care of them fine.

I think "is she old enough to care for her own ears" is a good rule of thumb.

My daughter is 5 and sometimes she wants it done and sometimes she does not. I never had any kind of preconceived age in mind, like 12 or 13 - I just figured it would be when she wanted it AND I felt she was ready. Right now she thinks sometimes she does, but the idea of it hurting, even for a second, freaks her out. I don't think she would be good about having to get cleaned every day afterwards either. So I keep telling her no. And I have told her it will be for a birthday, when we both feel she is ready - basically when she is mature enough to deal with caring for them.

I understand how you feel, since kids seem to get things at younger and younger ages these days and it feels like there are very few "rites of passage". On the other hand, my cousin was always being held back by things by her mother and looking back on it, she thinks it was kinda dumb. She couldn't do a slumber party at 10 because she wouldn't appreciate it as much as she would at 13, she couldn't get her ears pierced at 13 because she wouldn't appreciate it as much as she would waiting until 16, and so on. She still resents it to this day, because she felt like, really? Who says I would not have appreciated it at 10 or 13? Why the arbitrary age limits? So sometimes you have to look at those old-fashioned ideas and decide if they are really relevant or not.

I got mine pierced when I was young, maybe five or so? Turns out I have a metal allergy. My piercings were a disaster, inflammed, oozing, painful. I let them heal and have not had pierced ears since.

I have two boys, but if I had daughters I would probably make them wait to have their ears pierced until I was sure they could take care of them. You know your daughter and know if she can be responsible for caring for the piercings, but maybe it could be her birthday present if you think she's ready.

I don't agree with piercing girls' ears before they ask, like when they are babies, but once they are interested, I don't see the point in waiting for some arbitrary age.

I didn't have a specific age, I just felt they needed to be mature enough to take care of their of their ears properly, around the same age when they started taking care of their hair and nails on their own. They both got them pierced around 8 or 9 (I can't exactly remember!) and it was fine. My only "rule" was I didn't allow anything dangly until they were out of elementary school, I was paranoid about playground injuries.

I grew up with similar "rules". You are not alone. And there is nothing wrong with holding to them for your daughter. Just because "everyone else is doing it" earlier, doesn't mean you have to change to fit the times.

I had mine done at 13.
My daughter never had any interest until she was about 9. When she seemed interested, we talked about it a little. She let it go for a few days, then started asking me about if it hurt, etc. I offered to take her and let her watch someone else getting it done, and she liked that idea. So we went. She decided after we left that she wanted to do it. So we went the next day after her karate class. She was about 9 1/2 if I remember correctly.
I didn't have a specific age in mind for her, only that she was old enough to care for them on her own, and to make a cognizant decision about whether she wanted them or not. (she isn't a frilly, lacy, kind of girl)

If you want to make it a milestone event, go ahead. Maybe it doesn't have to wait until 12, though, if you want to let her do it sooner. It can still be a milestone event. Maybe when she hits "double-digits" or something. Or let it be her birthday present when she turns 8, if you want. It can still be
"special" if it is a birthday present that she has to anticipate for a bit first.

Is she old enough to take care of then herself? If so, then I say why not. And PLEASE, take her to someone licensed in piercing, NOT to the mall. Getting minimum wage to sell cheap jewelery does not qualify you to pierce ears. Call around and go to a reputable piercing/tatoo shop. You can ask for a woman to do it if you feel that would make her more comfortable. They will use a hollow needle (instead of piercing gun) and her ears will heal better and faster and you know everything will be sterilized and clean.

Perhaps you could stop in and have someone explain the procedure to her, and also explain what kind of care her ears would require.

So this is a situation, where you need to teach your daughter..... about how, she needs to be her own person.
A person cannot possibly do everything everyone else is doing, simply because everyone else is doing it or having it.

My daughter is 10. Does not have pierced ears. But many of her classmates do. So what. Even she says so what. She is her own person and goes by her own cues.
But she has asked us about it.
And we told her that when SHE is ready... then fine.

It is not about being old-fashioned or hip and letting a kid do things or not.
It is about... you as a parent doing what YOU think is best... and about the child knowing who they, are.
Not just being a copy-cat.
Because, ALL throughout school... there will be things that ALL the other kids are doing. So a kid needs to learn, to choose and discern their wishes. Not just because ALL the other kids are doing it.

I got my ears pierced in middle school.

I made my daughter wait till she was 13. I thought, like you, it would be something to look forward to, kind of a rite of passage.

It doesn't hurt them to learn to postpone gratification, and then the thing they have waited for is that much more special.

Call me old-fashioned, but I'm with you.

Living in the NY metro area there are a lot of ethnic cultures where their babies' ears are pierced as a newborn. I didn't get mine done until my 15th birthday - we are a more conservative family. My now 16 yr old daughter got hers for her 13th birthday - when I felt she was able to be more responsible. But she hounded me for years....! I'm not a big fan of kids with peirced ears - but I know there are MANY who are.

My brother's a jeweler. He hasn't pierced ears in a long time but used to do it a lot, and always said that he hated to see kids under about 11 or 12 getting ears pierced because he knew they didn't really have the patience or attention to keep their ears truly clean enough. He sometimes saw kids coming in because parents wanted to know what was "wrong" with the piercing (infection because they didn't keep it clean or they messed with the new piercing--not because the originally sterile piercing was faulty).

He also jokes that he's the only jeweler in the world whose sister and niece don't have pierced ears and says he'd do ours for free and throw in earrings....but we both decline (and she's 12!).

It's utterly up to you. I say, make it an event like you prefer. If you say yes to everything she wants at the time she wants it, that takes away any specialness to it and makes it just another thing wanted and given, not a rite of passage (which it was in my day too, just not one I wanted). I totally agree with you -- do it when you say, not whenever she wants. If she is pulling the "but all my friends have pierced ears" attitude just smile and ignore her. If my kid started that it would actually make me much less likely to say yes, not more likely!

And... in the end it's an ornament, an optional extra, not a hard and fast requirement of childhood. You can say yes or no because you're the boss of her, frankly.

I feel the same way. I was 11 and headign into middle/junior high school. It was a rite of passage. I think that it gives girls something to look forward to and sets them up to have an appreciation for those little things and tradition, etc., and not to take it for granted as a given.

If this is a conviction for you, try to turn it into something that she can look forward to, instead of only something that she doesn't have RIGHT NOW. What are her specific reasons for wanting to have her ears pierced? Just because her friends have it or because she thinks that she's ugly or too plain without it? Maybe you can address that and make her feel better. Little girls also want to wear lip gloss and wear elevated heels, because it all makes them look more grown up. Treat ear piercings as just another one of those things that she has to "grow" into. Don't let her give in to the impulse of "Everybody's doing it". When she doesn't have the discipline to handle that perceived pressure, it's your job to help her.

Good luck with that.

Side note: I remember the pinch of the piercer, and that is probably the main reason that I didn't get more piercings in my early twenties. I toyed with the idea of a second hole in each ear, belly button, nose.... I remembered the pinch. I was also old enough to consider how it could affect me professionally. It's your job to protect your children from childhood decisions that could permanently affect them. There is an age of majority for voting, another for drinking...for doing all kinds of stuff, to protect them and other people from the whims of a child. You have the right to implement some of those in your own home. Just like any other life lesson that you want to teach, you just have to be clear about your objective and not treat it as just something for you to control.

i always thought as long as they are old enough to ask and know the consequences i'd do it. previously i thought it was wrong to pierce a babies ears for purely vain reasons aand make that decision for them, although now that my daughter is 6 and LOVES earing but afraid to get her ears pierced I kinda wish i J. had them pierced as a baby

its literally a dot in the skin and does not hurt more than a pinch so if she wants to get them why not let her?

I think it might depend on the girl. Pierced ears need lots of cleaning, tending to, etc., in the first few weeks. Is your daughter careful with her belongings? Does she keep her hair and fingernails clean? Is she able to stick to the schedule of regular cleaning, following the instructions she will be given by the ear-piercing place? Maybe you could give her a 2 or 3 week trial. Don't pierce her ears, but have her pretend that she has newly pierced ears. Tell her that after her ears are pierced, she will have to use a swab or cotton square to clean her ears with the solution provided, each night. Make a chart. Give her a small bottle of water and some cotton squares (the water can be the alcohol cleaning solution stand-in), and have her pretend to clean her ears each night and check off the chart. If she can do that faithfully for 2 or 3 weeks or whatever you decide, and if she keeps the water bottle and cotton squares neatly taken care of (not left unopened, or scattered around the bathroom counter), then maybe you will both know that she can handle the responsibility. You might google pierced-ear cleaning instructions so you will know what to put on the chart. If she forgets, then you can tell her she isn't ready, and you can both look forward to it at another time.

I had to wait till fourth grade and never could understand the logic behind that so I decided it was a stupid rule. Both my daughters had their ears pierced between 2 and 3 years old. Neither got infected, torn, they are still there, they still have ears.

The thing with old fashioned rules is sometimes they just don't make sense. I had two year olds that took care of their ears. I know 14 year olds that get infected just thinking about a piercing.

It shouldn't be based on some old rule, or age, it should be based on their ability to maintain the piercing.

I'm totally with you! The first opportunity to 'earn' ear piercing in my family was 6th grade. We had to get straight As all year and then that was our reward. I got mine pierced at the end of 6th grade. My sister missed it in 6th and earned it at the end of 7th. I agree in waiting until they can decide and making it special. Personally, I don't like when I see babies with pierced ears. Why would their parents put them through the pain? My sister got her daughter's ears pierced before she was 1. Now she is 9 and hates earrings--hasn't worn them in years.

I had to wait till I was 16.
(Since my Mom wanted to get it all over with she didn't make my sister wait - so she had hers done the same time as me - she was 14).
One hole each ear lobe.
(16 was the magic year for panty hose and make up, too - this was the 1970's)
I had contact lenses (at 13) before I had pierced ears.

My sister has continued getting more holes in her ears over the years and she use to wear some pretty heavy earrings.
As a result she needs some reconstructive surgery to repair the damage.

I've worn very small earrings and I don't wear them all the time.
These day I'll put some on every few months just to keep the holes open.
When I'm not wearing earrings you can't tell my ears are pierced.

In our house (and my Mom's too), when ever anyone pulls the 'but EVERYONE ELSE is doing it' whining - they instantly lose the argument.
Think about what sort of precedent you want to be setting because it'll keep coming back to haunt you.

My mom said I had to be old enough to clean them and put them in by myself without help and I had it done at 8.

I would've allowed my daughter to at 8, but her dad was opposed to it. Most of her friends had theirs pierced and didn't take care of them and they let them close up. Her dad told her that if they got infected they'd fall off so she had that thought to overcome before doing it. She finally did when she was 13.

I think its a personal choice on your part. Is she old enough to take care of them herself or will you have to remind her/help her? Many girls pierce them by 7/8 (even younger), but many don't so not EVERYONE has them pierced. If she plays sport though, it would be easier to do them a little younger as they generally have to remove them for games/practices for safety reasons.

I hang on to my up-bridging on this one. I can't really help it, my mother so loathed pierced ears on babies that eveytime we saw one she'd mutter and fuss about it, so I can't really see it as normal. Earrings on adolescent girls makes my skin crawl. On babies it just makes me sad. I have no absolute plans, but think I will encourage them to wait until 15. I'm with you, its something to look forward to. And even then, I won't let them wear the big ones.

looking back, my mother had a real problem with little girls acting "sexy". Now that I'm a mother of little girls, I totally get where she was coming from. You just want them to be little girls for as long as they can get away with it.

My daughter had her daughter's ears pierced when she was a baby. She had them pierced again when in the upper elementary grades.

Before this happened I, too, felt that it was more of an adult thing but now I say do it whenever the child wants it done. There are many other things to look forward to. And, it's also likely that her interest will wane and she'll need to have it redone when she's older.

My granddaughter's piercing healed up when she stopped putting in ear rings. She's now 12 and is more consistent with wearing ear rings so that the holes stay open.

im going on 25 and my parents had my ears pierced when I was 6months.. we got our daughters done at 4.5months.. I got my second holes when I was in 6th grade.. sometime between then and junior year of highschool I had 3 more done (cartilage piercings) up my left ear .. earrings are no big deal for me (I also got my tongue and nose pierced when I was 17- not my parents choice, they weren't thrilled)
I got my daughters done very early because I know im the one taking care of them.. I would let your daughter get them but you need to let her know if she doesn't take care of them they can get infected,, and im sure shes aware theres a little bit of pain involved
maybe its my age or where I grew up but everyone I know that has little girls all have gotten their ears pierced as babies..

You have to do what you feel is right. I personally feel that at 12 or 13, when they can be relied on to take care of their own bodies/hygiene responsibly, is a good time, because earrings require care. I like the 'rite of passage' sort of thing, too.

My mother got my ears pierced when I was 4, nearly 5, and by the time I was 7 or 8, I wasn't taking good care of them and the holes became infected. We reinserted the earrings when I was about 12 (they never grew completely closed) and I had no more problems with them. I have a son, so if he ever asks to have his ear pierced, he'll have to wait until 13 and I can see him being responsible with showering/etc.

(Personally, I don't quite fall in with the 'it's fine when they can ask for it' philosophy, if only because we don't really use that logic about most other areas of parenting, right? I would want my child to be well-informed about the possible consequences of altering their body permanently. I know our culture is becoming increasingly casual about body alteration (the tattoos I see these days certainly attest to a less thoughtful approach, and I'm not trying to compare the two), but I think it still behooves us to have some things to look forward to when our kids are young adults. Lots of things seem like a good idea at the time.:) )

We did our daughter's when she was 14 months old. She got her second hole in each ear when she was 9. So I don't think it needs to be a big coming of age thing, but that's me.

Her first holes were easier to maintain because we did them in the bath every night. They didn't bother her. Her second holes had to be done twice. She forgot sometimes to clean them and then the studs were too short. They are great now, but I felt bad for her. She is responsible, and is now asking for a 3rd hole. We drew the line at two, but when she is older if she wants more, that will be her call (within reason, she has to be able to get a professional job).

My oldest is 8.5 and scared enough of the needle (my scare tactic) that she's not pushing at all. Otherwise, I probably would let her only bc I remember nagging my mother to death. Beg, beg, beg when I was 8 or 9. My parents are super conservative, old fashioned etc but my mom let me. It was just so impt to me that I never let up. And I was responsible about it, it meant a lot to me etc. I'd try the scare tactic and putting it off - maybe her 8th bday present at the earliest - but if she's persistent for a while, I think I'd go ahead. There's no magic age. Lots of girls have them when they're born practically. Ideally to me it would be an age 12 type thing too but 4 more years of her begging if this is impt to her doesn't seem worth it. But I'd try to buy some time and see how persistent she is. Kids do go through phases so she may forget about it.

I come from a family where girls got their ears pierced as babied. Didn't do that with my daughter but when whe was 6 and asked, I said yes. I told her it would be kinda painful. She did great!

I had mine done as an infant when some old neighbor of my mom's called me a boy. In a dress.

SD got hers at 8. DD has yet to get hers done. If she wants them, she can have them at any time, IMO. DH doesn't like babies with pierced ears and he cared more than me so I held off. We compromised in that whenever DD wants them, she'll get them.

Maybe I'm not the best person to ask, but if my 7 yr old wanted them, I'd probably get them for her 8th birthday to be special, and then hold off on dangle earrings til she was 12 or so. If she didn't take care of them, then she would have to wait to get them re-done.

I got second holes at 16 or 17. That was a big deal to me.

My mom did mine when I was 2 weeks old. Then I had a 2nd hole at 10, and now I have a total of 6. My daughter was 3months old when I did hers. She didnt make a peep. Never got infected because I knew they were properly cleaned.

My dd is 8 and most of her friends have them, but i have told her for a while now that when she turns 12 i will take her and make a day of it and it will be a real milestone.

I realized that i do this alot, in my mind there are times when it is appropriate for certain things and you just wait to there is anticipation and somethign to look forward too.

My kids are close in age, DS just took his swim test last summer and could go off the divign board, DD had the ability to pass the test but i really wanted that accomplishmnet to be special for him ,so i made her wait and, she talkes all the time about now that she is 8 she'll be able to go off the diving board. Lots of ancipation and a real sense of MILESTONES.

I just think it would be so easy to say sure baby what ever you want when ever you want it, but i think kids need and want the structure of knowing they need to wait for somethings.

I got my ears pierced when I was 12. My parents wanted it to be my decision, because it was something I would have to live with forever, and they felt that before I was 12 I was too young to make such an adult decision. Of course ear piercing was not as common place then as it is now, and I am sure my parents thought that it might just be some passing fad and I would be stuck with these holes in my ears when wearing earrings went out of style. I guess I am lucky they haven't gone out of style.

I had my older girls get their ears pierced when they were 10. I wanted to be sure they would take care of them. My 5 year old wants earrings because all her friends do. I would take her but she has a tag on the back of her ear so it is in the way. A couple more years and it should be out of the way as her earlobes grow. When my older girls were babies I was pressured to get their ears pierced by daddy's family.

I got in trouble for piercing my ears when I was 13.

It varied with each girl. They got their ears pierced when they were old enough to take care of them and they understood that it was going to hurt. my youngest got hers done for her 6th birthday, but she a very responsible kid.

I got mine done for my 8th birthday. I remember it clearly. We went to Clares. But I had to take care of them. My mom felt that I was able to clean my ears, and twist them etc..

I have a 22 month old daughter, and she will get them peirced if she wants them about the same age. Providing she is mature enough to do the work herself.

This is a personal decision, hence I did not do it for my daughter (if I would have it would have been when she was a baby). I am not sure there is a right or wong age on this.

Good luck

I was 12 too, and it was a big deal. I wanted it for years before that, but even at 12 my mom said it was my responsibility to take care of them. I didn't, hey got infected so she took them out and we waited another year, in which whe I wanted the. Again, I had to pay for them. I thought about having my toddler gets hers done, but the my husband reminded me that I would have nothing to "hold over her". Which really isn't the point, but it is nice to have rewards for positive things they are doing around that age. Do what you feel is right, this isn't going to be the end all of her life, just feels like it right now (c;

I had my first piercings when I was 13 years old. Back then, I had mine done at my hair dressers. The gun they used was different than what the mall stores use today, the starter earrings was thicker, and the starter earrings had a sharp point on the end. I actually saved mine and showed them to my daughter. They were WAY different--and better--than the starter earrings being used today. And LOTS cheaper without sacrificing quality.

My parents made me wait until age 13 because it was a very important decision and one that would stay with me for the rest of my life. Even if I decided to never wear earrings again, I would always have holes in my ears to attest to the fact that they had once been pierced. I loved them so much, I got a second piercing when I was 18--and I didn't need my parents permission for that one. It was one of the first things I did on my own when I turned 18. :)

I tried to hold out and make my daughter wait until her 13th birthday to get hers (which is what I told her every time she asked if she could get her ears pierced--simply because it's a decision that is lifelong and she needed to be absolutely positive that it was something she wanted to do. She wavered back and forth for years as to whether or not she did or didn't want them until finally, within the last year, she was positive she did want them pierced.

I finally decided last Sept 2012 to let her get her ears pierced early--only because she has her dance recital in May 2013 and they aren't allowed to wear their earrings when they're performing. Since her birthday's in April and her ears wouldn't have been healed enough to take out the earrings, she got to have hers pierced a little earlier than the agreed upon age.

However, we have had issues. She had hers pierced at Claire's, and I bought 14k white gold earrings. So I spent quite a bit on the earrings. According to the manufacturer of the earrings, they are "supposed" to be hypoallergenic and nickel free. However.

My daughter's ears took from the end of Sept 2012--when she got them pierced--until the end of February 2013 (5 months) to heal to the point where we were finally able to take out the studs and start changing earrings. It turns out she was allergic to the solution that Claire's uses, then she was allergic to the sea salt I was using to clean/disinfect them, AND she was allergic to the starter earrings themselves!

IF I had to do it over again, I would take her to an actual piercing salon (like those found at a tattoo parlor/body piercing place) and have them pierce her ears. They use a better and safer piercing machine gun as well as better and higher grade earring materials like niobium or titanium metals (I found out all this when I started doing research on jewelry allergies/nickel allergy). If she had gotten a better grade of metal for her earrings to begin with, she might not have had all the complications.

The only issue I don't know with tattoo parlors/body piercing places is if they have an age limit on the age they are able to do piercings. I didn't look into that, and after everything my daughter's been through, she told me she's more than happy having only one earring hole. Not that I blame her. It was a tough 5 months for both of us.

I had mine done when I was about 8. I didn't monitor them very well and went through a growth spurt right about that time. I ended up having my ears grow over the backs of the ear rings. I literally had to go to the emergency room and have them cut out of my ears. It was traumatic for sure. I didn't even try to wear ear rings again until I was about 12. Amazingly enough, the holes had not closed up.

I will be waiting until my daughter is older than I was.

I had to be 16. My girls will probably have to be around 12 years old or so. Since they are only 3 and 6, though, that could always change. Most of my other thoughts/opinions regarding parenting decisions have changed; why not this one?

I was 7 when I got mine done. My daughter is now 8 and I told her a few years ago that it's up to her when and if she wants to get them pierced. She wanted to when she turned 8. We went to the store, she got nervous and backed out. Not a problem. I told her to just let me know when she is ready and we will do it. I also told her if she never wants to do it, then that's fine also

I let my daughter get hers pierced when she asked for it - she was 4. I told her that it would hurt a little and even pinched her earlobe to show her what it would feel like. She still wanted to do it so we did.

I was 6 years old. For my daughter, I'll probably wait until at least that age and I would wait until she asks. I think she's too young now. It's not that I'm old fashioned, but after talking to a couple of friends who had their ears pierced as infants/toddlers, they said they wish their parents had waited. The holes moved into a weird place as they grew.

I think age doesn't matter so much, as long as they're able to take care of their ears by themselves. Of course will vary, depending on the child. My SD from my devious marriage had her ears pierced when she was in 2nd grade (I can't remember if she was 7or 8). She wanted them pierced forever, so her mom had it done as a reward for something. Unfortunately she wasn't taking care of them like she was supposed to...she would turn the front but not the backs. After a long stretch at her moms, she came back to our house and we found out the skin had attached to the backs and had gotten very infected. I had to soak her ears to loosen the scab to get them off and it was really painful for her. And for the next couple days, they would ooze so badly that in the mornings I would have to soak her in the bathtub to loosen up all the crust and goo and hair that was glued to her ears. It was horrible, and after they healed she decided she did not want to have pierced ears ever again.

After that horror show, I'll definitely make my girls wait until they're mature enough handle all the possible repercussions.

My oldest got her ears pierced at 3 years old, my youngest got hers pierced at 4 years old, and my middle girl got hers pierced at 7 years old. My rule was whenever they chose to have them done it was fine. I will say that my middle daughter cried the most when getting hers pierced. My oldest did not cry at all and my youngest only cried a little bit. We have never had any ear infections or anything. My girls are now 12, 7, and 5

I let my daughter get hers done when she turned 5. I told her it would hurt, but she wanted to anyway.

Let it go and get them pierced :)

I had mine pierced at age 6 and my daughter had hers done as soon as she was interested which was age 7. She did great with the ear cleaning and all. We made it special with a dinner afterward with the family and took pictures of the occasion.

Ear piercing is very important in my family. All of the girls in my family have pierced ears when they are very small, including all of my aunts, sisters, cousins, and now my cousin's daughter. I would absolutely pierce a baby girl's ears, if I had one. I will get my boys' ears pierced happily if they ask, but I agreed to let DH have his way and not pierce the boys' ears when they were tiny. If we had girls, he would not have had a say :)

Hubby and I agreed our daughter could get her ears pierced when she asked for them. She's 5.5 and still has no interest in getting them pierced. I think at almost 8 she is old enough to understand how to take care of them. You can still make a special day out of it!!

i always said i would wait until my daughter expressed an interest on her own. she was about 3.5 when that happened. we talked a lot about how it would hurt, and she would have to cooperate with me cleaning them a few times a day for several weeks, etc. i took her to a place that pierces by hand, one ear at a time, it was NO big deal, she sat perfectly still like a big girl, no fussing/squirming, she never fought me on turning them or cleaning them, she LOVES her earrings, and i have no regrets.

I let my daughter get hers pierced when she expressed a large desire to have it done and understood what went along with that (the actual piercing, the cleaning, etc). That happened at age 3.5 It just didn't seem like a big deal to me to make some huge production out of it.

I have mixed thoughts on this. I had mine pierced when I was young (maybe 6-8) and my little sister (1.5 years younger) had then done at the same time. I let them close...had them repierced a few years later. Then I had a second and third hole done. All but one is closed now and I rarely where earrings.

If you know you are going to get them done, ideally you get them done when they are infants so you can keep them clean and in so they are healed before they learn to mess with them. But, I don't like that idea.

I was all set to wait until my daughter was older (at least 5 but preferably 10-12). When she was about 32 months she asked me where her earrings were (she's a very bright, "wise beyond her years" kind of child). We let her get them pierced as her "reward" for potty training...just shy of 3. She prefers to just wear the piercing studs.

When they're old enough to responsibly take care of cleaning them on their own. This varies from child to child due to maturity. My daughter wanted them at 8, but we made her wait until 10. She does well on her own now, but at 8 she wouldn't have been responsible enough. We treated it as a reward on her 10th b-day.

Do what is right for you and your daughter. It really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks because everyone will have their own opinion, thoughts, beliefs, culture, pros, cons, etc =)

I was around 5 years old when I got mine done. My DD will be three soon and her ears are not pierced. For us, we want it to be her decision, not ours so that is why we are waiting. Same with her hair cut with one exception, the bangs. If they are in her face, they ahve to be snipped, otherwise it is her hair and she is free to be her firey almost three-year old self, and boy is she!

My girls got theirs when they were 4 and 6. It's kind of a non-issue in our house. Not a big deal at all. They didn't flinch, and we took good care of them, so nothing ever got infected. They're 10 and 12 now...if they ever said they wanted a second or third hole, I'd have no problem with that either. There are plenty of other rites of passage to look forward to. For us, ear piercing isn't really one of them.

I still remember my grandmother shaming my mother for letting me get my ears pierced when I was in 5th grade, so 9 or 10. She said it was inappropriate for little girls to have their ears pierced. She said it like it was dirty, and made me feel bed without really understanding WHY I should feel bad.
I have heard some fathers still get upset when they hear their daughters want their ears pierced. Is there some kind of sexual undertone going on or what? I got that feeling from my grandmother though she never actually said it.
My girls got their ears pierced when I felt they were old enough to do the turning and cleaning themselves, they were 7 and 8. I just don't see what age has to do with it, I never have.

I think earrings are just an accessory through which someone can express themselves, like a necklace, or ring, or handbag.

I don't get the age minimums... it's not that hard to help your child clean their ears 2 times a day and rotate them. To each her own, though. Ulitmately, it doesn't matter what we think. You have to what you're comfy with.

65 answers wozza guess ppl has a lot to say about ear piercing.

i am VERY old fashioned as well. Kids are growing up entirely too fast 8 is the new 12 and I dont feel this is a healthy or good thing. But then again most 18 yr olds of my grandmothers generation were getting married and the 18 yr olds today are incredibly imatrue on a level i was at around 14.

We pierced our daughters ears at one. She pulled them out so often I gave up and was worried she would ingest an earring. We recently at 3 had them done. One of her earrings was bothering her at dayschool and the teacher took them out. I was livid. Her ears of course were closed by the time I went to pick them up and I threw in the towel. I figure she can wait till twelve or even double digits which ever she age she is able to take care of them herself and tell the teacher no we cant take them out. GRR face! lol So for me the earrings indicate girls and are something to be proud of but now they will fall into the not till your a certian age (take care of them youself). But hair dying I believe needs to be once they have a job and can pay for it themselves. Nails only on special occasions to have them done. High heels when they are 13 and only a certian height. Makeup when they are 13 and only mascara or lip gloss. I wore base and every other thing I could smear on. Luckly it was an natrual look then. I dont think to restrict a child is actually old fashioned or out of date. To teach your kids about honor, your body, privilages and rewards, to feel special and girly at certian times and reasonings why not!

My mom was fairly strict and old-fashioned, but she allowed me to get mine done when I was seven. I would let my eight year old get hers done, but she has no interest, and her father says not until they are eighteen and on their own because it's body altering. Most of my friends have their babies ears pierced in the first few days of life. I guess it's more about preference! :)

My mom is as old fashioned as they come, but she took me to get my ears pierced on my 5th birthday. I remember it, but it wasn't traumatic. It was a slight pinch and a sting, and diligent cleaning for a while, but then it was over. I've worn earrings almost every day of my life since getting them pierced.

Here is my answer to a previous question about this subject that I posted to someone else that asked.

I was 9 years old when I got mine done the first time and it was by a doctor. I don't know if the mall or store were available way back then, (1973) LOL My daughter was 6 years old when she got hers done the first time. It turned out fine,but now I know that the earrings they use for the gun really push through the ear lobe and doesn't pierce it. If you look at the end of the earring closely you can see that it is not a point but dull. I always use alcohol to clean my ears after piercing,not the stuff that they give you at the mall or store.

I would take your daughter to professional piercing place when she is ready.It will be more expensive,but cleaner,safer and better.

My first hole was for my 5th birthday. Dad was going to be at sea on my birthday, so we went in early to have them done. My grandmother did NOT approve. She approved even less when I was 15 and had the second ones done. It was the mid-80s ... Everyone had two and Mom and Dad finally said ok.

I'm glad I had them done when I was younger, because the first ones are relatively low on my ear lobe, so when the second one was done, it didn't look too high and out of place like some others I have seen. I only have two holes and since I started staying home, I don't actually wear them very often anymore (little hands like to pull on them).

If we are blessed with the adoption of a little girl, we'll take it step by step and see what happens. This isn't one of the things we've discussed, so not sure how my husband feels about it.

Is you daughter a good girl? Is she responsible (for an 8 year old). Does she try hard in school?

It's not like she is asking to get her nose pierced - just her ears.

I would still make a special day of it. Perhaps when it's her birthday. Bring her as a surprise to the mall and get it done. Then buy her some nice earrings as a gift. She will always remember it.

What difference is it if she is 8 or 12? Either way it can still be a memorable experience for both of you. She's old enough to take care of them so just make sure she knows what she needs to do. Maybe take her for her 8th birthday and pick out earrings together, mother-daughter lunch etc. I don't remember how young I was but remember I had mine done at the same time as my grandma who had been wearing clip on's forever!

I was 12 when I had mine done, after begging my parents for a couple of years.

My oldest is 9 1/2 and has been asking for a year or two. I told her she can when she turns 12, but she's really pretty mature, so I'm thinking we'll probably surprise her for her 10th birthday.

I wasn't allowed until I was 18 and by then, I didn't want to. I'm almost 35 and don't have my ears pierced. Now with my daughter, she will be able to get them when I feel she is old enough to care for them herself. Of course, I will monitor her cleaning of her ears and earrings, but I want her to know it's her responsibility.