Deals.Woot

Ears? IMO when they can ask for it... I don't believe in babies with their ears pierced, but every parent has the right to decide for their children.

When they are old enough to properly care for freshly pierced ears and probably when they can pay for the initial piercing. Piercing someone else's ears without their permission is like snipping off a part of someone else's body. Oh. Wait.
My latin M-in-L gave me so much grief fro not piercing either of my daughters' ears when they were babies. I was adamant their earlobes were THEIR earlobes. The eldest chose to have them pierced when she turned double digits. Her younger sister thinks putting extra holes in ones body is flat out stupid. So, I think I did the correct thing in allowing them to chose.

It might be a regional/cultural thing.
We lived in Texas when my daughter was born.
It was just assumed we'd pierce her ears when she was young.
Everyone did and it was not a big decision.
Not quite like piercing a nose, navel, etc.

As I recall we did when she was about three, and had little, tiny studs.
Every year she got decorative new studs or earrings. Thirty six years later she has quite a collection of earrings.

I personally wouldn't pierce a baby's ears. Like previous posters have said, that means they don't have any input into the decision at all. I ended up giving in to my own daughter's begging earlier than I thought I would. She was 4 when I let her get her ears done. She had already been begging for a year and we were on vacation. She has always been a very girly girl, so there was little danger that she would regret the decision. That was 3 years ago and she is quite happy that her ears are pierced.

When they are adults and can live with the decision because it was one they made. I would never give my consent to my minor child to get a tattoo or piercing--that's something they should earn once they turn 18.

Hmm...@publicart, so what did you get pierced?

I was ten when I asked to get my ears pierced. I never really cared much about them, I was just trying to fit in. I figure once a kid is old enough to ask for it and can take care of the aftercare, one set of ear piercings is no big deal.

I've got two daughters - a 3 year old and a 6 month old - whom I adore.

For them I'm thinking.... When they go to college?

Just kidding, I'm not going to be "that dad".

But there's no way I'd pierce a baby's ears. I know it's a common practice in some cultures, but that doesn't make it right. It is a painful, unnecessary medical procedure that some parents inflict upon their infants because they want to make sure that strangers can tell the baby is a girl.

That's insane.

Early signs suggest that both my daughters are going to grow up to be attractive. But I don't want their self-worth to be tied to their appearance.

When our first daughter was born we were surprised by how often we were asked when we were going to: A) pierce her ears B) shave her head*. This was when she was about a month old.

*Apparently there's an "old wives' tale" that if you shave a baby girl's head her hair will grow back thicker, or she'll never go bald, or some nonsense that has no basis in fact.

At birth
Seriously, why not?
It's just ear rings

My only real criteria was that they be responsible enough to care for it themselves. I think it was at age 9 or 10 for both daughters.

@pamfenway: It's not that I don't approve of piercing. Had mine done when I was 10. My best friend's mom was a doctor who agreed to pierce our ears. My mom let me have mine pierced, but I had to pay for the gold studs myself. They were probably around $7 back then (that was decades ago--ouch).

I had a second set of piercings done when I was a junior in high school. Pretty daring for that point in time for where I attended school. I also was the only one I knew in my entire school who had the bright idea of wearing a ring on her toe. My rebel nature was subtle.

Had a semi-midlife crisis when I was in my 30s. Pierced the outer edge of my right ear about halfway up the ear. (Through the skin, not the cartilage so it does not show when no jewelry is in place.) Also got a small tat on my left buttock that year. Only bad girls had tats back then. It's a heart about the size of a 50 cent piece with a viking helmet hanging off one side. Seemed like a SUCH good idea at the time.

@justincredibleg: Why can't boys get their ear pierced without being labeled gay, goth, trailer park trash, ghetto, not normal?

Granted, I've never seen a preteen boy with pierced ears before, but they're just earrings...they can just as easily be taken out when they don't want it anymore and the hole will close (unless they gauge).

I'm a guy, 3 years in the engineering field, and I still have my ears pierced. I don't keep them in for anything but the fact that I like them. If somebody (boss, etc) were to tell me to take them out, I would without hesitation.

I was 11 the first time -- I didn't keep up with it so they closed back up. The second time I was 16 and it hurt so much I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't do it again. I think I would make my kids wait until 16 or 18.