age for ear piercing?

I have one of those super girly girls. She started wanting to pick out her own clothes at 18 mos! Nail polish, shoes, chapstick....she loves it all.

Dh and I debated getting her ears pierced when she was a baby & we decided against it, thinking it would be better when she was older & would be excited about it. She's only 3 & already asking about it! I think one of the little girls at her preschool has earrings. I told her, "You have to talk to Daddy about that" b/c I'm too much of a pushover. Daddy said "When you're 21".

What's a good age? When they'll be old enough to not pull on them?

 

We did both girls as babies...but if we hadn't, I'd definitely give in if my 3-year-old asked for it. I love little girls in earrings.

 

Same here, except I only have on dd. I would give in too because I just love little earrings. :wub: FWIW, my 3 year old never touches her ears or pulls on them, but she's had them in since she was 3 months old.

 

We did my oldest DD's when she was about 3. I'm sure Abby would love to get hers done b/c she is very girly as well. I think I'm afraid Gabe will yank them out during one of their wrestling matches or something. She is also much more physical than Bel ever was...just constantly on the move and a bit clumsy at times, but also in gymnastics, t-ball and of course the wrestling. lol

 

My first reaction is 12 is the right age, but that's probably because my parents made me wait until I was 12. I guess I might let my girls get their ears pierced when they're six or seven - old enough to take care of the earrings themselves.

 

We let my daughter get them at age 8 (same age I got them) because by then you are old enough to care for them....take them in and out and not loose them. She was just ready for the responsibility and we got them for her birthday.

Cindy

 

Hannah has wanted her ears pierced for awhile (her four little neighborhood girlfriends all have them done). We told her that she could have them done when she is five. She is counting down the days.

I had mine done at five, right before I started kinder. So when she asked, that was my gut reaction. In retrospect, I should have said a little older. That way she would be old enough to be a bit more responsible for cleaning the ears, etc. Oh well, once I said five, it was hard to take it back. FWIW, DH didn't care and kind of left it up to me.

 

We're letting our oldest DD get her ears pierced on her birthday this year. I wasn't brave enough to do it as babies, and about 3 years ago was wanting to get it done then. I was okay with it, but after telling her what it would be like, she got scared of the thought of it hurting, so she chickened out. DH was not keen on it then, but is okay with it now. So, I would definitely say older just because of the cleaning. However, if you think your daughter would be okay with you cleaning her ears, than go for it!

 

My dh wanted to wait but I wanted it done earlier so when we talked to our ped. he said wait until they are atleast one so when they were almost one we did it. I was worried about them touching and pulling on their ears but they were good about leaving them alone for the most part. We did have a problem with one of my dd's in the she kept losing the backing to her earings in her one ear. They were the originals but for some reason she kept losing it and we checked the backings everyday. I think any age is a good age to pierce ears if that's what they want. As you clean her ears maybe have her try first so she will learn to take care of them on her own. Our biggest problem when when they wanted their earrings changed it was hard to get the earrings out and it would hurt them.

 

We will wait until Meggie is a bit older. Neither my husband nor I wanted to get them done when she was a baby (just not a big fan of that). I want to make it a special day for us when we do have it done, but that probably won't happen until she is 7 or older. (We haven't really discussed age.) I know I was 12 when my parents let me do it. She has never asked about it, I don't think any of her friends at preschool have them pierced.

 

I had my daughter's ear pierced at 6 mos but she was pulling on them. I was disappointed because she did look so beautiful with her curly hair. Unfortunately, she had a bit of an infection so it was time. We will wait until she get older to be responsible with cleaning her own ear.

 

we actually had to do DD's twice...we had them done when she was 9 mos old (had to wait that long because her lobes were too small!) and within a month or 2 one fell out in the crib and closed...last year around November she started asking for them (at 2 and a half) and was OBSESSED with EVERYONE that wore earrings - she'd stop people in the mall (including guys) to admire their earrings! :blush: anyway I took her right before Thanksgiving - let her pick out the pair she wanted and she did great!!! she was very patient with having them cleaned etc - she doesn't touch them and neither does her brother (but I won't put hoops in until she's a bit older since they still wrestle)...

 

We decided to wait until she asked for them, thinking she would be at about 5 or so. Nope! At 2, she was talking about it constantly and wanted them so bad. So, we got them pierced and have never had a problem. She didn't pull on them and never got an infection. She has never actually changed her earrings, either. She likes the ones she has (Little diamonds. I wanted something that matched everything.) and won't let me take them out to put new ones in.

 

I do not believe in piercing them as babies either. My girl will wait until 10 or 11? They must take them out to play soccer here. So maybe in the Spring at 10 or 11? I think I got mine pierced at 12 or so.

 

In my opinion the best time is either, newborn or wait until about 8 or 10.
(We're waiting, even though it seems like my girls are the only females in Mexico without pierced ears.)

 

This is what we are dealing with right now! Meara admires everyone's earrings and is begging for her own. She is stuck wearing Mr. Potato Head's earrings for now though because I want to wait until she can take care of them herself- around 5 or 6.

 

This is what I have always said about letting my DD get them.....when she is old enough to take care of them herself.

 

I would have gotten them done when they were babies, but both of my girls pulled on their hair and ears a lot and I just knew they would get infected. So, I just got my older DDs pierced for her 4th birthday in February. She did WONDERFUL! She didnt cry and she was so pleased with her new earrings. She let us clean them twice a day everyday for like a month.

Just recently for some reason though, they have been getting caught on things and coming out. Fortunately we havent lost either of them yet, but Im ready to just take the darn things out for a while, rather than risk losing one. My mother says if you havent had them for a year, the hole will close... ? dont think it has to be that long but whatever. She paid for them, it was her bday gift from my mother, and shes willing to buy different ones that may not come out as easily.

ETA: I wont be getting my other DD done anytime soon because she is NOT as tought as my older DD and I know she will have a screaming fit if we try to do hers. She wants them, but its not happening yet.

 

too funny!

we had ally's done the day she left the hospital when she was born--but here in mexico it's pretty normal to do it on newborns. she has never pulled on them and we still have those tiny studs (which i switched for bigger ones at about a year old) in a box as a keepsake for her...

 

I'm waiting until 6 at the earliest, and only then if they ask. I got mine done at 6 and had a lot of infection issues at first.

 

I debated too over wether or not to get them done as a baby, but I'm glad I didn't. My reasoning is when they're older and can care for them and ask for them, then I'll let them get it done. I'm under the belief that it's not "my body" to be poking holes in, so if they want to make that decision about their own, then I'll give them permission.

 

They had mine doen at 3 months and I rarely wear earrings but my holes never close. My second set was done around 13 and my lil sis just had hers done at 15. If they aren't pierced as a baby i'd wait till they are like 10. I had the girls don a 4 months because Jessy had to be so big before they'd do them. We have had lost earrings(they usually bring them to me but i've stepped on a few!!! :shok:

 

A lot of people have said that you should either do them as a baby or wait. But, did anyone really have a bad experience (not counting an infection that can happen at any age) when they pierced their toddler's ears? Just wondering because I never had any problems with my DD.

 

I would never do something to my kids like that when they were babies so we chose to wait. My girls are 3 and asking for it but I'm going to wait until they are 4. I had mine done when I was 4 so I think that's a great age.

 

I did not have any issues piercing Abby's ears at 2.5 - one big tear rolled down her face and then they gave her a sticker and it was great...the only small issue we had was the ear she slept on most of the time took a little longer to heal and bled a little bit at times but no infections (I cleaned them militantly twice a day for 2 months though!)

 

I would say VERY young or as a 'rite of passage' when they are 12 or 13....sorta a reward and special thing!

Good luck!! :hug:

 

DH wants to know why I want to wait! LOL! Who knew guys cared so much.... My gut answer is 10 simply because I was that age when I had mine done. They just rough house so much that I am petrified that one would rip the others out.

 

DH and I decided that we will wait until 8. At that time they can take care of them better and are old enough to decide if they truly want them done or not.