When did you get you daughters ears pierced?

[*Sparklez*]

Just a warning this may turn ugly lol... its a touchy subject with some.. there is mine and a number of others that went abit sour..

But i did my dd at 3.5 months

[LizLemon]

Just a warning this may turn ugly lol... its a touchy subject with some.. there is mine and a number of others that went abit sour..

hehe yeah my first thought when I saw this was "uh-oh"...

I don't have a daughter but if I did it wouldnt be until say eight or nine, which was when I had them done. I remember BEGGING my mum to get them done and it was all so exciting - I'd want my daughter to be as excited about it, or not get them done at all.

[helle]

if i have a daughter i'd get them done as young as possible, otherwise not at all.
my mum got mine done when i was 3 and they got terribly infected because I'd play with them and not let her clean them. it took me another three shots to get them done, and to get them to stay and by that stage i was 21.
i know it's a touchy subject for some, but I don't get the big deal. they're holes. if you take them out they close up.

[Doing my best]

When they can ask and understand what it involves and that it is permanent.

My DD is 3, and has never really asked about my earings.

But my niece and cousin both got theirs done for their 5th birthdays as they were hassling their parents so much..

[mel_cur]

I was 12 and my mum got her's done at the same time! I think I will wait until DD can understand how to look after them herself and understand the pain of having it done.

[Curlygirly]

Yes it was quite a discussion with my mum and me to the point where we came to no conclusion but in the end of the day it's preference I suppose Some cultures it's a tradition for ears to be pierced no matter what age saying that though I would feel terrible if her ears got infected even at 16 years old lol! I obviously can't remember getting mine done at 2 but mum said all I did was a little whine then I got a lollipop and I turned out fine and still to this day my ears are blinging away. Thanks for the thoughts ladies and experiences, open discussion is the way

[Glamourcide]

My DD1 was around 17 months when she asked for 'pretties' in her ears like mine. I did explain that it would hurt, and that she had to let me clean them every day for a long time (only a couple of weeks but to a kid that age it would feel like forever!), and it was a reward for her during the toilet-training process (she could only get earrings like a big girl if she could act like a big girl and use the toilet). It was just 'right' for us at that stage, DD2 is now 23 months and hasn't shown any interest at all so I don't feel the need to get her ears pierced. DD1 coped great, she wasn't bothered by the pain of the actual piercing and she let me clean them with saline every day with only a little bit of a whinge when she was bored/busy doing other things, and we had no problems with infection or damage from playing with them etc. I feel like DD2 would pull at them or be annoyed at the healing itch, so I'm not pushing it - when she can ask me for them, I will take her to get them pierced JMO, it works for us but every child/parent is different

ETA: My mother took me to get my ears pierced at something like 6 months of age. The general consensus at that time was that you should either get it done before 9 months, or wait until after their 3rd birthday as babies start to explore their bodies around 9 months and may pluck or pull at their earlobes because of the earrings, so it was best to get them done early and allow them to heal before they started poking around, or wait until they were old enough to leave them alone. Mum said I never had a problem with mine as a baby, I cried a little when they were pierced (for a few minutes) and never seemed bothered by them after that.

[Kazzo]

Both my girls got their ears done at 3.5months. Done quickly and easily, about 30 seconds of tears and thats it. Cleaning was also easy, I would do a quick clean during a nappy change. DD1 now loves changing her earings when we go out.
My ears were done when I was that age aswell. I even still have my first pair of earings.

[*Ash*]

My DD was asking for about a year before we had them done. I wanted to wait until she was at least 6.

It was part of her 6th birthday gift.

[toomanyshoes]

For me not until she's old enough to understand what's going to actually happen and she's able to look after them herself.

People always ask her when she's getting them done and she says she's not because "they use a needle and it hurts" lol Personally I also would/will take her to a professional piercer who will use a needle rather than a hairdresser/chemist with a gun. (but thats a whole other thread lol)

[briggsy's girl]

12 weeks (and only that old because the person doing them was away prior to that)

it was something DH and I wanted to do so we did it. i had my first set done at 11 months, and then i got a second set at 13 when i asked for them. third done at 21 - and that's the one that got infected!

[Traveller]

My 3yo daughter has been asking for months now to get hers done, but I am trying to distract her a bit longer and will probably take her to get them pierced when she is 5 (maybe as a reward if she has a big accomplishment at school, for example). I just think if she gets them done now she will fiddle with them and they will get infected.

[damprye]

My friend's DF got their DS's done real early. I don't remember exacts but there was a lot of people going mental over it.

The professionals say that there has to be a certain amount of (I cant remember the name of it, but it's the part that gets peirced ) present before it is ok to do it.

IMO- As long as the professionals ok it and you are ready for it to happen then go for it. Everyone is different and so are their views.

I had mine done at four (I wanted them done and so did my Mother) but I just didn't wear earrings often so a few years later (quite a few) I had them redone because I couldn't fit studs in anymore, just sleepers. My sister had hers done at 10 and I have a lot of friends that get their kids done ASAP. They are just earrings and it has no impact on their quality of life so whenever you are ready, go for it.

[Feijoa Mum]

Just a warning this may turn ugly lol... its a touchy subject with some.. there is mine and a number of others that went abit sour..

I did think oh here we go again ..................

I got ladys done at about 8 months. She did have the numbing cream and only cried because I had to hold her head still for the girl to do the 2nd ear. She had no interest in them aside for the occasional tug when she realised there was something there. I put gold sleepers in about 2 months ago and have had no issues at all.

It is preference but I have also been told to get them done young (before they know what is going on) or wait until they can clean them themselves. This was from the woman in the beauty salon where I got DD's done.

[Floweryfields]

I really, really dislike earrings on babies. Personally, I think it should be the child's decision when they are old enough to decide for themself.

[hj1981]

I really, really dislike earrings on babies. Personally, I think it should be the child's decision when they are old enough to decide for themself.

Totally agree

I got mine done for my 13th birthday! was so excited all day at school knowing that i was getting my ears pierced after school! it is something i will always remember!

[Gigi]

thanks Glamourcide for your comments, i will ask my GP if i have cysts in my ears, it would be nice to have an end, or an answer to the oozing (that has been going on for two decades without me understanding why).

ZButterfly - i have seen MANY of these threads on another parenting forum, and they developed into trainwrecks REAL fast, so yes, this one has stayed on track, with multiple views, which is great (and unusual for this topic).

Astrid, i agree with the "keeping it simple" approach too. Right now, just getting dressed and having hair done, is enough of an ordeal, i have no desire to ramp up the time it takes to get ready, by adding arguments about which earrings will be worn, where are they? where do they get put/lost when she does sport etc? Getting ready is complicated enough as it is (for us).