When Is the Best Time to Have My Daughter's Ears Pierced?

I would wait until SHE asks to have them pierced. My daughter had hers pierced for her 8th birthday. At this point, she was old enough to clean the new holes herself and was cognizant of the fact that she had earrings in while playing (& takes them out for sports)so we didn't run into problems with ripped earlobes, etc.

My mom was the same way. She would not let me get mine done until I was 13yrs old. My daughter got hers done when she was 7 months and her second holes when she was 8yrs. So yes she has two sets of holes and she is 8yrs. I think it all depends on you, when they are little they only cry a little and thats it but you do have to take care of them until she is old enough to do it herself. As for if she has a reaction well my husband is a jewler and he would only allow his daughter to have the highest gold content you could get in the earrings because it is less likely to get an infection. He sees so many people come in and ask why they are having a reaction to their earrings and they don't buy earrings that are real gold and they pay for it in pain. My daughter had 24karet gold earring put in and she is only allowed to have earrings from her dad and what he buys. She is not allowed to buy from one of those costume jewlery places it is just not worth the risk.

Hi J.

I really dont think there is a specific time to do it. I did get my daughters pierced when she was 5 months old. She cried like when she gets shots. My sister had her 2 girls' pierced a couple days after they were born so I think it is all up to you how you feel about it and how brave you are to sit through it with her!

Good luck

L.

People say if they are young do it really young, like several months old, so they don't bother them. My daughter was 2-2 1/2 when she first started begging me for pierced ears. She was a mature 2 year old, and I figured if she wanted them that badly, she would behave when I cleaned them and she wouldn't play with them if told not too. It all worked out fine. At five months, they will not play with them too much and they will never remember the experience of one second of pain. Otherwise, you can wait and let it be her decision, which makes the critics stop talking about your choice. Overall, I think 5 months is just fine, they are so pretty in little baby ears!

I waited until I was 8 to get mine pierced, and yes it did suck waiting so long when I wanted them so badly. However, I used to work in an ER when I was in the Army, and we had a little girl come in, about 18 months old, that the back of her earring had imbedded in her ear. It was very painful to remove and that just scarred me for life. Now my decision for my daughter is to wait until she can ask that she wants them and is old enough to take care of them. I would just hate to see a little girl get her earrings ripped out because her hair got wrapped around, playing too hard, etc. Of course little ones do look so cute with earrings but that is my personal decision. My daughter is 4 and I really look forward to the day that we can go have a "girls day" and get her ears pierced!

I have 2 daughters and pierced both of their ears as soon as the doctors told me I could (after they had gotten their shots at 3 months old). Neither one of them seemed to be bothered by getting it done at this age and neither have ever really messed with their ear-rings because they've never known a time when they didn't have them so they're just there and not sometheing that they ever notice or want to play with or pull on. I don't chagne their ear-rings very often (the girls are 5 and 3 1/2 years now), but let them wear small ear-rings that are similar to the posts they use to pierce the ears. I was like you and hated not having my ears pierced and was made fun of by the other girls who did have their ears done. Good Luck!!!

I have a 6 year old daughter. I did not have her ears pierced as a baby because I did not want to have to take care of them. Plus, I did want her to yank them out.

She does not have pierced ears yet. I am waiting until she wants them pierced. My husband & I have not set any age limit. And now that she is older, she can take care of them (with a little help from me).

Best of luck to you!

Why not wait til she is old enough to decide?
A friend peierced her childrens ears at birth and up to 14 yrs old.
All have sagging ear lobes and off balance problems and hearing lose.
Personaly I think doing it so the child will be another tool for Mom or and Dad to get attention is wrong.
So weigh this please in mind.

I do not want to sound old fuzzy buddy but think how much pain the child goes thru with the peirecing and cleanings and removals and readding them please also.
D.

Funny thing is, I've been asking the same question lately. I'm not a first time mommy, but I do only have one baby girl. She's now 4 mos and I've been asking around. My friend had her baby girls ears done at 4 mos after she had her round of immunizations and said for me to ask her pediatrician about it, because if they do it at the office, they will give her a little numbing stuff on her ears, and chances are you may get a refund from your insurance, they did.
Also, I've asked a lady from Walmart and she said whenever you feel is right you can get her ears pierced. She said she pierced her daughters ears at 6 wks! My grandma is against doing it at all, because she thinks that the baby should have a say in whether her ears get pierced or not and I think that's just rediculous. If I get them pierced now (they heal faster when they're younger I'm told...plus, they're too young to remember the pain), if she decides later that she doesn't want them, she can take them out and they'll close up, but will have to get them redone if she wants when she's older.
Anyways, either way, whenever you get them pierced just give her some Tylenol, as you do for pain when it's immunization time. I want to get them done for my daughter before the summer time, because she doesn't have that much hair and I don't want to keep being asked when she's just in her diaper and/or onesie if she's a boy or a girl (believe it or not, I've been asked when she had her PINK blanket and PINK diaper bag, crazy huh?)
I hope I didn't ramble too much, lol, sorry if I did.
....oh 1 more thing, make sure and get the earrings with the rounded safety backs!

My dad made me wait until I was super old too. I hated it, my aunt took me when I was 12. My dad flipped, but it was already done:) I had my daughter's pierced at 3 it was her gift for getting potty trained. She wanted it and I wanted her to have them pierced. We have had some bumps along the way. We took them out (after the waiting period) to put diffrent earings in and she freaked after I took both out and wouldn't let me put the new ones in. I left it alone and tried again the next day and they were already shut. She was upset so we had them peirced again a few months later. All was well until I noticed one day one had fallen out and I didn't catch it right away. It too closed and she had to have that ear pierced again. She was scared this time and went around with one earing for almost six months. So I guess I have no answer for you other then it's ultimatly your decision. I personally wouldn't do it as an infant but that is me. I think maybe 5 is a good age, they can sort of take part in the cleaning and caring of. In some cultures (Indian) they pierce ears I think at birth.

I got my daughter's ears pierced when she was 3 months old. She never messed with them. And now she knows know different. Her diamonds are screw backs, so I don't have to worry about her loosing one or ever her chocking on the backs. I think it would be more stressful for you and her if you wait til she's much older. I honestly do not think she'll hate you for getting her ears pierced nor do I think a son hates his parents for getting him circumcised. ;) I think in the long run it's best to do it when she is younger.

I would do it when and if she wants it done

In my opinion, she should make the decision when she's old enough to be responsible in making a rational decision to do so, and is old enough to take care of them. (I'd say like 12.) I think it's a right of passage into teenhood and at that age, she will be able to care for them herself.

We let our daughter decide whether or not to get her ears pierced, at the age of 6 years we got her ears pierced for her birthday. But, not before we told her what we have to do to take care of her ears afterward so she don't get an infection and she made sure she undstands that once they are pierced they are pierced. We didn't want her to take her earings out and have the holes close up then want them pierced again. One thing to think about is are you willing to have a possible struggle with her when you have to clean her ears everyday. Some may feel that the younger they are the better, but what if she don't want her ears pierced? If you give her the choice when she is older you could make a special day out of it just a mommy/daughter day. You got to have those days! And it's just important for daddy/daughter day too:) Hope I helped some.

Having my kids look like boys didn't matter to me. It shouldn't be about what they look like. I feel they should be able to ask for them. I had a hard time even getting my 3.5 year olds done on April 5th. She's been asking on and of the past year and she is very happy about them. Yes, people thought she was a boy when she was a year old or what knot. I wouldn't get them done based on girl/boy looks though. I'd wait until she asks.

I would say that it is totally up to you as the parent. However I wanted to pierce my daughters right away and my Ped. said not to until they were at least 6-8 months old. I dont remember the exact reason for this but it had to do with how the cartiledge in the ear forms. Anyway we ended up waiting to see if my daughter would ask for them on her own. I am glad we waited!!! She was able to ask for them herself and knew what she was getting into, plus it allowed her to make her own choice. And she really liked that.

My response is to wait until your daughter is old enough to take care of the pierced ears herself, you know clean the new piercing to keep infection away, and keep track of her earings by herself.

Just my opinion. I don't believe in adding any holes that aren't medically necessary to somebody who isn't old enough to have a say in it.

I've never had my ears pierced and don't plan on it anytime soon.

I know that you have received alot of responses but I would like to add my opinion. My daughter is 10 now and she got her ears pierced when she was 6 years old. I waited so that the decision was her's and not mine. They are her ears after all. I also had to wait until I was 16 to get mine pierced and I hated it. My daughter is very happy having had her ears pierced when she did. She was also able to do most of the caring for them with minimal help from me, which she liked doing.

J.,

I think they are old enough to get pierced ears when they are old enough to take care of their ears so they don't get infected. I was 9 when I got my ears pierced and it was too young for me because I didn't take care of my appearance or my body well.

Congrats on your new baby. I would wait and see how well your daughter grooms herself. She may be ready at 8 or she may not be ready until 14. My daughter is 7 and NEVER wants her ears pierced. I am glad I didn't do it when she was a baby because it is her ears, her choice.

Good luck,
S.

We waited until our girls asked to have their ears peirced. One of my daughters got her ears pierced at 7 the other at 6. This way they can help take care of them.

Dear J.,

I wanted to let you know that I didn't get my ears pierced until 12. I have 3 daughters and I didn't let any of them get their ears pierced until 11. The reason why I recomend waiting is this. They could have an allergy to the metal. I do, and it really sucks that I can't ware them. I have repierced my ears several times thinking okay my body has changed over the years. ( Having kids, chemo treatments, ect) and I still can't.
1) I didn't want to deal with infected ears because of the piercings.
2) They are too little to care for it themselfs. They should be able to take care of it. At that age you are doing all the work. Wait until they are an age where they can pick out the ear rings, care for them and their ears.
3) I didn't want to worry about them pulling them out, loseing parts, finding ear rings in their little mouths, or stepping on them when they end up on the floor. I don't care what people say, sometimes the backs just slip off.
4) When they are older they might not wanted their ears pierced. I have a sister that is a Tom Boy and when she turned 12 my mom asked her if she wanted her ears done. She didn't. She didn't get them pierced until she got married.

It is up to you what you do, but life is better when they are babies if they are not pierced. I had 3 brothers growing up as well, and you can still be a little girl with out them pierced. They make stickers that you can put on her ears if she wants to play dress up. But please don't do it because everyone in the free world thinks because she is a little girl they need to be done.

In my opinion you should wait until she can tell you she wants them pierced and knows what it takes to take care of them. When I was a child, I wanted mine pierced when I was really little and my mom made me wait until my 5th birthday, that worked great. I would never pierce my daughters ears without her telling me she wants them pierced. That's just my opinion.

I know some people who pierece their daughter's ears right away for the same reason. I also had to wait until I was 16 to get my ears pierced, but I'm glad my parents made me wait. I ended up developing severe allergies and I'm allergic to everything the allergist tested me for. Any ways, two years after my ears got pierced I had to switch from cheap jewelry to the non allergenic and I now can't even where some of those. If my mom would have done this when I was younger/baby and this would have happened, she wouldn't have known what the issue was. She also made the decision not to do it when I was a young girl because some neighbor girls got their ears pierced, didn't take care of the posts/ears like they were suppose to and got infections.

So because of that and I think of my daughter as an individual. I don't know what she's going to want/not want as she grows up. What if she's one of those individuals who doesn't want any holes in her body and I went and pierced her ears? Then what? (I have a friend who really believes we shouldn't be piercing anything.) So I think this is a decision she needs to make and not for reasons of peer pressure, but because she really wants to have it done and is willing to take on the responsibility as such.

This is a personal decision though so you should think about your values personally and as a parent and base your decision on that. I'm sharing my thought process on how I came up with my decision.

J., I know for my girls, I waited till they told me they wanted them done. But on the other hand, they did not take care of them when they got done so they got infected and closed. Now first off my girls are 10 & 8, so they knew what they were to do. I think it is your own personal choice as to when you do it, because first off you have to think about the fact you are going to have to clean them and so on, but I have a friend who got her little girl's pierced when they were babies, and her youngest just about a month ago came out of her room and said "Momma I swalloed my ear ring" Thankfull it was stuck in her onsie but it still scared her mom. So I think it is a perosnal choice. I was 5 when I had my ears pierced, and my mom, and grandma did mine themselves, hence my crookedness in my ear rings. Hope this helps

I don't have a daughter but my boys wanted theirs done because their dad has his. They got it done when they were 3 and it wasn't too bad they said it hurt but they didn't cry. I have nieces that had it done before they were one and had no problems. I think with girls the earlier the better because they wont even remember it. With my boys I wanted it to be their choice not my husbands.
working mom of 7yr old twins, by the way I have pierced ears before in my profession, it's not a big deal for young ones

Wow, I am surprised by some of the responses. J., you are her mom. If you really want her to have pierced ears then go for it. There is no right or wrong to this one. One of my daughters was 2 when we pierced them and the other was about 3 months. Never had a problem with either. Go with what feels right to you-don't worry about what others think.

why is it so important that you pierce your daughters ears?? i didnt get my ears pierced until i was 21, and even now i dont wear earrings, and wish i hadnt have bothered. the only reason i did was to wear the earrings that matched my necklace for my wedding.

on the other hand, my sister got her ears pierced as soon as she could get away with it, and wears earrings all the time as a part of her 'look'...

still i would highly discourage piercing your daughters ears when she is still to young to care. not having earrings does NOT make a person look like a boy, and it wont make her any less of a girl if you dont pierce her ears. when she is older and asks if she can get her ears pierced, she will be lucky to have a mom that supports that and lets her do it! however, having her ears pierced now makes it something YOU want not something your daughter wants. what if she decides when shes older that she doesnt like them? 4 years later, my holes still have not closed. they are pretty permenant. they also fill up with dead skin and end up getting pretty gross sometimes.... so its probably something she would have to deal with forever, whether or not she likes it.

so i would highly recommend waiting. theres no hurry, and no reason you have to do it now. wait until your daughter is older and can make the decision on her own. thats an important part of mothering; letting your child make age appropriate decisions on their own instead of choosing for them.

This question was recently asked. I am sure you could find the responses if you looked. I had mine done after graduating 8th grade. I hated having to wait so long! My dd had hers done at 3 1/2 yo. She wanted them done. I would never make my child get them done. The piercing went fine, but it has made extra work for me. Cleaning them, changing them, keeping track of them, is all up to me. I think I would have preferred waiting until she could do all of that on her own. What mom doesn't already have enough things to take care of?! Early piercing was just adding one more thing for me to do. She has lost almost all of her earrings and the ones with the "child safe" backs that spin off are adult safe too and nearly impossible to get off with out feeling like you are pulling her ear off! I recommend waiting until she can really say she wants it done. I have a ds, also, and he had his done at 5 yo - just one ear. He really liked it. At that age, I just had to remind him to clean it, etc, but he could do it on his own. Eventually it got infected and he let it close. He got it done again about 10 years later. He is 18 yo now and rarely wears an earring anymore. My other dd is too afraid to have it done. Fine with me. :)
S.

My first rule for myself is that she had to be old enough to ask for it and understand that it was going to hurt. I always feel funny when I see babies with piercings. I always think they don't have any understanding as to why someone would hurt them like that.

My kid was 5. It also depends; I know a girl my daughter's age (10) who plays HARD. A kid like that might need to be a bit older. My daughter was also not allowed to wear any earrings that dangled for a few years. Less of a chance of problems with them catching on stuff, etc.

Whatever you decide will probably be fine...

I'm a new grandma of a 4-month old, so it's been awhile since I took kids for ear-piercing, but ... the summer before my daughters entered Kindergarten was when we had their ears pierced ... a special pre-kindergarten treat along with a shopping day for new school clothes.

I pierced my daughter's at 4mos. and it was nothing she hardly winced and I gave her a bottle and she was content. She never knew they were there to mess with them, therefore they have NEVER been infected. I left her original studs in for years. My daughter is now 6.5 years old and loves her earrings since she's had them pierced so long she can go without wearing earrings here and there and never has a problem. I let my daughter get a second hole last summer so she now has 2 earrings in each ear. She's had alot more problems with the second set because she's older and plays with them etc.

I am pregnant with #2 and if it's a girl again I will pierce her ears early on too.

I have 2 boys and am pregnant w/ #3. If it is a girl I plan on doing it as a baby. I will probably ask the pediatrician's advice and then go for it. :) I think it is soooo adorable to have a baby girls ears pierced! Go for it if that's your thing!!

I had my 2 daughters' ears pierced when they were babies. I thought if I had them pierced right away they'd be used to having them in their ears and they'd not really notice them. I was WRONG! They were both fine until they were about 2 and then they would pull them out, no matter what kind of earring they were, including screw backs!! I can't tell you how many single, high-quality earrings we have! They are now 51/2 and 71/2. They both do not wear earrings--now I don't fight with them. I keep hoping their holes are still open and they'll let me poke some earrings in, but I think I need to let it be their decisions.

I had to wait a long time when I was a kid as well. I've always thought it was so precious when babies and little girls have earrings in, so that's why I did it. I guess I'm not much help. But maybe my story will give you more to think about.

Good luck!

G.

I had my daughter's ears pierced when she was 6 weeks old. It is much easier to have them pierced when they are young, that way they do not try to pull them out and thy heal much more quickly.

Hi J.,
I think the best time is when the child can ask for them to be pierced and be old enough to help with cleaning them! I would say anytime after 5 yrs is a good time :) My daughter is 8 and still has no interest even though alot of her friends have theirs piered.
Good luck on the decision
M.

I am a mother of 2 wonderful kids, my Son us 11 yrs. and my daughter is 8 yrs. I have my own photography business in Eagan and watch my family and friends kids during the day!

www.journeysoflifephotography.com

I was told by my doctor to wait till after her 6 months shots. That is what I am going to do. I was asking everyone the same question. Good luck.

My daughter is 11 now and she got her first piercing at 4 months of age. We had them done at a Claire's and the ladies did both ears at the same time, so it was faster. She cried for a moment and then it was over and she was fine. She never messed with her earrings and we never had any problems with infections. I always knew that if I had a daughter I would get them done early. And if I had another daughter I'd do it the same way again.

I am against piercing a baby's ears. To me, it should be something they look forward to and want to experience and be able to take some part in caring for the piercings, picking out earrings, etc.
My daughter was somewhere around 7 years old when I got them done, and they had two people do it so they could pierce both ears at the same time, that way she wouldn't be too scared to get the second one done.
She hasn't regretted it and has since gone in to get second holes put in (she's 10 now).

My husband and I talked about this when I was pregnant with my daughter. Being Latina I got mine pierced when I was only a month old and that was with a sewing needle and not earrings in my ears but thread. You turn the thread over once in a while with some antibiotic cream until the ear heals then put earrings in. I am allergic to metals and can only wear sterling silver or gold. So we decided to wait until my daughter is old enough to take care of her ears on her own. Although I really wanted to do it when she was just an infant. Oh well.

congrats on your little girl! I had my daughters ears pierced when she was two. That way she knew not to pull on them. I have also seen very little babies with them pierced and the parents have said that they are little and just get used to them in there and it is less stressful when they are little. Do what you feel is the best for you. She is your bundle of joy and if you are willilng to watch her ears and keep them healthy go for it.

I did not read all of the posts on here, but this is what I did for my daughter. I got hers done for her 7th birthday. I don't agree with doing it when they are babies. You are deciding for them and maybe they don't want holes in their ears. I let my daughter decide for herself at at age 7. She did great with them and loved to show them off. That is just my opinion as I am sure you have heard several different things on here again.

I know I am probably late on this but my doctors office started peircing ears at 2 months. They chack the ear to make sure it is safe and will be able to handle being periced. Also, with the backs of the earings, they make safety backs now that children can't get off. I have a 12 month old who got hers done at 3 months, she didn't cry at all and she has never onced messed with them. I have taken them out to clean them, change them and to turn them, but never had a problem.

Sooner the better, she wont be able to pull on them and play with them (which will lesson the chance of infection).

Good luck with whatever you chose to do

I had both of my daughters' ears pierced at 9 and 10 months, but there is no age minimum that you have to wait. As long as your husband agrees and won't cause hard feelings, go for it! I had second thoughts for a little while and thought maybe I did something they may not want in the future, but they dress up and play with their babies so even if they become tomboys (as I was) they'll still like their ears pierced. Besides everyone will tell you how pretty they look....except the dumb lady in the Target checkout line who looked at my daughter all dressed in pink with her ears freshly pierced and said 'What a cute little guy!' Ugh, some people are just not all there. Claire's is highly recommended as their supervisory teams do the piercings here in ND, not sure about other places and they are very good and gentle. Good luck!

I agree with also letting your daughter make her choice. My daughter is 13 months and we are waiting until she is old enough for her to remember and for her to decide. I also didn't want to have it done because of the risk of her choking if the earrings came out. But it is cleary your choice. They say to wait until they are at least 6 months old in the books.

I would say do it now! I brought my daughter to get hers when she was just a few months old....she didn't even notice that they were there! She just fussed for a few minutes and it was like it was no big deal! If you wait, you might have a better chance of infection if she starts touching them a lot or tugging. I would highly HIGHLY recommend getting the push-on-screw-off earrings though, and switching to them as soon as you can change from the original studs. I made the mistake of not having those at first, and my daughter got her other ones off as she got older. I couldn't find the screw-back ones at any stores, so I got them on eBay...good luck!

They are your daughter's ears...shouldn't she have the right to say if she wants them pierced or not? I've had friends who took their daughters as babies and no harm came to them. We waited until our daughter was 4-1/2 and said she wanted it done.

We got my daughter's ears pierced at 6 months and have never regretted it. She did great - cried for all of 30 seconds - and has never messed with them. She's now 4 and loves having her ears pierced ("like mommy's"). She is such a girlie girl and I know would have insisted getting them done at some point and I'm glad we were able to do it when it could be a non-event for her. I know a lot of moms now that want to pierce their 4 -7 year olds' ears and the little girls are too afraid.

Be prepared for opinions on the subject though. I was completely in the dark on that and was surprised that we were the talk of daycare for a day when we had it done. Who knew that people were sensitive to this? I hear the whole - they didn't get a say - argument, but how many people actually know someone who regretted it? Worse case - let them close up.

This is totally a personal thing. I had my daughter's ears pierced when she was 9 months old. I love little girls with earrings...but it is a personal preference. You have to decide what you want to do with your child. It is somewhat easier to have their ears pierced when they are babies, since you make sure that they do not get infected. If you wait until they are 12, then they are responsible for the care (which in some kids is irresponsible...which can lead to infection, etc).

You've had a lot of responses, and you need to do what's right for you. I'm 32 years old and never had my ears pierced; I've never wanted to or felt the need to. My parents never forbid it; they just said that I had to wait until I was older and able to make the best choice for me.

One important thing my parents always did say, however, is that a person does not need her ears pierced to be a girl or to be beautiful--and that's what I always remembered. My little sister got her ears pierced at 16, and that was fine for her, but do remember that every girl does not need/want her ears pierced!

What's funny is that people rarely--if ever--have noticed that my ears are not pierced. And I've never missed it.

My mother made me wait until I was 12 years old. My little sister was a bit younger. But I think it is important to wait until the child is old enough to care for her own earings. I personally think anything under 10 years old is not a good idea. There are to many infection and choking hazards involved with peircings. I have 4 in each ear and a peirced tongue. I know very well what it takes to keep peircings healthy. LOL! But that is just my opinion. Good luck on your decision.

I am having a daughter next month, and I haven't even thought about that. My mom took me when I was 12 or 13, and I think that's probably what I will do with my little girl. By that time they understand why its so painful and can make their own decision about wanting pierced ears. I feel bad for baby's getting them pierced, because it hurts so bad, and its just like getting another shot or something. They don't understand why someone is hurting them. Good luck whatever you decide.

J. that's totally a parent thing.

My sister owns a hair salon and they pierce newborns and up.

Everybody is different, so, some have reactions, some don't.

Do what you want and when you want. My parents were the same way with pierced earings. I had to wait until I was 16. But my sister had her daughter done when she was just a baby.
It all depends on the parent.

J.

I know that i am a little late to respond and it seems like you have already gotten all the advice you can handle but here goes. I whole heartedly agree with what my mom did. When we were about 5-6 years and were asking my mom to get our ears pierced she let us. We were in charge of taking care of the piercings. That way it is still your daughter's choice. She is able to assume the responsibility for them and the choking hazard is pretty much eliminated. Good luck

Well, if you do get her ears pierced before she is old enough to consent to it, I would suggest it be done at the doctor's office and done soon. I remember having to witness a 16 month-old at Claire's Boutique in a shopping mall being made to get her ears pierced by an inexperienced 18 year-old employee and the child was screaming and red and her mother had to forcibly hold her down. It was awful. I wouldn't wish that experience on any kid. I always hoped there was a social services file on that mother out there somewhere. When they are not babies anymore, I imagine they are just going to think of it as punishment ("what did I do to deserve this?") and you'll end up with a kid with ripped earlobes and a trip to the plastic surgeon.

Then again, you could look at it as a 'gift' you could give to your daughter on her 7th birthday, as our family is considering with my oldest daughter. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Rule of thumb: don't impose your own sadness or anger about your childhood on your daughter. Rethink your motives J.. If you are doing it for her, wait, if you are doing it for you...

One day she will come to you and ask to have her ears pierced. At that time, you can certainly entertain the idea, letting her know that it will hurt and she must be ready to clean them herself.

Ear piercing is a gift we give to our daughters. Piercing them too young will make more work for you and it will hurt her greatly for a day or two - is pain a gift to a baby that is getting used to air, food, water, noise, teeth...?

People who say they don't feel it and it's no big deal are missing the point. It's not happening to them.

You're right, you will get a huge range of answers. We had all 3 of our girls ears pierced at 3 months old. This way they could not pull at them, mess with them, etc while they healed. By the time they were old enough, 5ish, they were healed, then they could take care of them.

I wanted to do the same thing w/ my daughter but my husband said something to me that made sense. Why put her threw pain when she doesnt need to be? I always thought about that. Sure its all cute but cute for who? That is the REAL question here. Babies go threw enough. Do her a favor and wait until she is old enough to deceide on her own. If you are worried about her being mistaken for a boy, keep her hair long and lots of girly clothes! Babies are little for only so long then they grow up, go out, and them come home with more than the ear peircing you gave them. Scary thought, huh? Think about what your baby wants NOT what you want or wished you would have had done. Good Luck!...T.

I would wait until she asks to get her ears pierced that way if she dosen't want it done it wont be, and when she does it can be her decision

J.,

Do it when you want to. Some people have it done when they are newborns. If you do it in a sanitary place with people who know what they are doing, you can any time.

L. :)

to be blunt - of course the decision is yours in the end but I don't understand why people pierce babies ears. I have daughter and she got hers pierced when she was about 4. we talked about it off and on for a while first and she talked to others who had theirs pierced to see what it was like.
yes, i've heard that it doesn't hurt babies as much but a baby doesn't care if her ears are pierced or not - mom or dad does. It's one more thing that you have to deal with - cleaning and checking daily for a while.
My opinion is to wait until the girl is older and can talk about it.

I have 2 daughters and my husband and I decided that we will wait to have their ears pierced until they say they want them. I didn't get mine done until I was almost 6. I don't get infections in them or anything. I just have to make sure that I clean my ears and the earrings every day or they will irritate me. It is a personal preference sort of thing though. Just remember if you get them done before she can tell you she wants them and grows up hating earrings, never wears them, and hates the fact that she has a permanent hole in each ear.

The best time to get it done is when your daughter is old enough to aks for it, and take care of it. Make it a special Mom/daughter memory for her.

My husband and I recently had this discussion about our 4-year-old. We agreed that we would allow her to get her ears pierced when at least half her classmates have them pierced or when she went into 6th grade, whichever came first.
While it looks like fun for a little girl, also remember that it is work for them to take care of them, and she should be old enough to take on that responsibility herself.

I think it is a personal decision that only you can answer for you. I know, personally, I cringe everyting I see a little baby with their ears pierced.

I got mine pierced when I was in second grade. It was something special my mom did for my first communion.

My daughter is six. Originally, I was thinking of doing the same thing with here. My husband wanted to wait. She has asked once or twice about getting her ears pierced. Each time I explained what was involved and she decided against it. My plan of attach now is to wait until she decides she wants to do it. Really her interest in getting it done has been pretty minimal at this point.

Good luck in your decision.

I have 3 girls newborn, 6 & 9 and getting it done at 6 1st grade was fine.

One thing we learn from our children as they grow is that they are their own separate person. Sure, they may look like us, and have similar traits, but they have their own unique thoughts and ideas. We can dress our daughters in sweet pink and lavender, but they may grow into a 9 year old who only wants to wear vibrant red and blue. What will you tell your daughter if she one day asks you why you put holes in her ears?

I had to wait until I was 16 years old to get my ears pierced. I remember how excited I was! Afterwards, I had second thoughts and did regret it for awhile - the whole idea of permanently altering my body. But it was my choice so I couldn't blame my Mom! I got over it and enjoyed earrings, although I don't wear them now because they make my ears itch/burn.

Pierced ears, like pierced tongues and tattoos, are a permanent cosmetic choice. Why not wait until SHE is old enough to really choose, and also old enough to take care of them?

I told my daughters they can when they are 12 years old - old enough to have wanted to for several years - delayed gratification is a good thing! At 12, they will have their ears pierced because they want to, not because I wanted them to, or because Suzie has them... In the meantime, they wear cute little stick-on earrings, or little magnetic ones (and fairy wings, and temporary tattoos, and nail polish...

It was 3 days after my 7th birthday that I got my ears pierced. I was thrilled. I remember being a little scared, but it only stung a little. I think it was around that time that I really started wanting them anyway. Now that I'm older, I don't wear any earrings at all because they itch. At least I know that the piercing was my choice and not my parents' choice. :)

For my first daughter she was about 5 mos when we got them pierced. It is better when two people can do it at the same time. She had surgery when she was 2 and the holes closed up. So when she was older around 6 we took her to get them done again and she was having a fit. For me it was much easier to get them done when she was an infant.

Hi, J.!

In my family, my parents said as soon as I could easily and safely take care of them on my own, I could have my ears pierced. When I was 7, I was pretty independent, had been taking piano lessons for over a year and keeping myself on track with that, I could easily watch my sister change hers without cringing, and I had been begging for over a year so they knew I was serious. They took me and made me tell the lady why I was there and pick out my first studs, etc. I still remember the day because I was finally being validated as having a say in my appearance by my parents.

I would whole-heartedly suggest waiting until your daughter can have this same type of "decision-making" learning experience. Having it done TO her (not FOR her) before she can even walk into the store just seems like an invasion of her personal taste and her right to make decisions about her own body once she's old enough to make those decisions.

Hi J.... I got my daughter's ears pierced when she just turned a year. I don't know if I had another girl if I'd do it at that time because she fought me cleaning her ears twice a day for 6 weeks. It was like torture to do it. I would probably have waited until she was maybe 2 just so she would understand a little more.

It is most of the time a personal preference, I pierced my daughter when she was only a few months old, and Loved IT, She now has a baby and had her ears pierced as soon as she got her first tetanus shot, 2 months,
NO problems, never infected, she doesn't even know they are there or that they are not a part of her, never pulls etc.
I too have heard from "others". What if she never wanted them". So far my experiences have been positive. My other daughters father would not let me pierced hers, so now she is 9 had got them pierced on New Years, been infected several times and she wants to know Why I didn't do it when she was a baby... Good Luck..

I got my ears pierced when I was nine, but my husband is East Indian, so when I didn't get her ears pierced right after she was born they wanted to know what was wrong with me. I eventually took her when she was three. She was just about to become a big sister, so we wanted to do something special so that she felt big. Most of her friends were getting it done in kindergarten. For myself, I really liked having her be able to pick out her first pair and show them off so proudly to Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa. It made it more special.

When she asks for it, at the very earliest.

I would do it now! I have 2 daughters, 3 1/2 yrs. and 5 1/2 months old, they doth have them done! I pierced both at 3 months of age. I think it is best because I used to pierce older girls and it was not easy. One girl even left the shop with one ear pierced! The older they are the harder! The younger the better! If you do it now, she will cry a little when it is first done but then they get over it very fast. You have to clean them and they tend to heal better because the younger the girls are, the more they leave them alone.

Not until she's old enough to ask for it herself. I've known a few women who don't have pierced ears and they were glad for it.

When you do get them pierced go to a real piercing salon, not a jewelry store in the mall. A licensed piercer understands how ears grow and where earrings should be placed. The type of piercing they do also heals better than the piercing guns.

We started out at 16, but by the time we got to the third daughter (fifth of seven kids) she got hers done at nine. In hindsight we should have held out until at least 12. Some cultures believe ear piercing instills femininity, and that may be true. My bigger concern is the responsibility level of the child. Can she take adequate care of her ear health, and obey the rules about what kind of earrings to wear (ours were not allowed dangles until high school and were limited to real gold and silver to prevent infection)? Is she into sports or other activities that preclude wearing them regularly? These all have to be factored in. In the case of our youngest daughter, she had two big sisters at home who influenced her choices, was very mature and extremely persistent. But it still required more input from me to maintain her ear health than I would prefer. Babies open up a whole other can of worms in my opinion, because there skin is to tender, they can be very messy offering more opportunity for contamination of the ear area/infection, don't know not to pull of their ears, play with their earrings, etc. and potentially can swallow small parts. Keep in mind that I do not come from a "early piercing" culture and you might get a very different response from others. I also wonder about the wisdom of making a major physical change to someone w/o their consent. In this case it's cosmetic not medical, and what if they grow up to dislike piercing? The option by that time is to let the holes close, most likely with some scarring. I suggest waiting.

SAHM of seven

We waited until our daughter was able to take care of them herself and make the decision to get them done. She was 4 (almost 5) and was excellent with taking care of her ears and still is at 7. Our second daughter is 4 now, but not nearly ready to have her ears pierced, so we will continue to wait until she REALLY wants them done and we think she can handle the responsibility of it.

I also wanted to wait until they were old enough to remember and have a fun memory of it. I was 5 or 6 when my Dad took me to get my ears pierced and I still remember it at 30 :)

My father had a problem with me getting my ears pierced as well and my mother really wanted me to get them pierced so she sent me to stay with my grandmother when I was 8 and grandma got them pierced. You know that old saying it is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission. Then I had a daughter and as soon as she was born her dad said all you need is a ponytail and to have your ears pierced. [she was a little bald when she was born  ] When she was 6 months old I took her in and had her ears pierced. She was old enough to sit up by herself, she had, had several immunization shots by now she knew what a needle felt like [and did not like them] and still young enough not to worry about this new thing I had placed in her ears. It was also easier to put the cleaning solution on her ears daily, she just sat there and let me do it. After the first couple of weeks that you are to keep the earrings in their ears I went out and got her a pair with screw backs and never had to worry about them again until this year [she is now 5] when she noticed new earrings at Wal-Mart… now she likes to change them.

I too got all sorts of opinions from I would wait until she was old enough to take care of them to does her dad know that you did that? I guess it just boils down to how do you and your husband feel about it. If you are both in agreement and you want to do it, do it. She will cry, but not for long and the pain is not going to be any less now or if you wait. But if you wait until she is older and she does not like the first pierce… you could end up with a child with only one ear pierced, because the older they get the more opinionated they get  I can just say that in my experience I found it a lot easier to do it when she was 6 months old because she never bothered with them and I did not have worry about her ripping them out.

I wish you luck!
K.

Here is another response to throw on the pile of them you already have! :)

It is really up to you... However, I would recommend waiting until at least age 4 or 5. That way she can make the decision herself. Also, another thing to think about is her sensitivity... I have VERY sensitive skin and I had all kinds of problems when I got my ears pierced (at age 5) - I had to use gold earrings and then things finally calmed down. I think if I were to have pierced my daughter's ears as a little baby, she would be very sensitive and they wouldn't heal for a long time, because her skin is like mine. I just really recommend waiting - you can use it as a special reward or preparation for kindergarten and then teach her responsibility about cleaning them herself.

Once again, it is your decision, but that is what I would do.

We actually asked our pediatrician that same question this week in regards to my 11 month old daughter. She suggested not until the age 4. She said that is what the American Academy of Pediatrics actually recommends due to the risk of the small pieces being swallowed. She said she's seen babies with their ears pierced at all ages so its really a matter of preference...but she also added that if you get their ears pierced before they are old enough to take care of them themselves you'll have to be the one that takes care of that as well. Hope this helps! :-)

When our daughter was born, we decided that we would wait until she was old enough to ask to have it done. That turned out to be 4 1/2 years old after a close friend got her ears pierced.

I had my daughter's ears pierced when she was a year old, but she tore one when she fell on a chair and it caught, so I don't recommend that. We let them close up and while she was in kindergarten she asked for them to be pierced again, so we did. She was laying down for a rest time in Kindergarten and caught the front of the earring on the rug, pulling the back into her ear. We had to have a doctor remove it, again we let them close up. I think she was in 3rd grade when she got them done again, this time she did well with it. So my suggestion would be wait until the rough and tumbling stage is over to keep from the earrings catching on something. My daughter in law says she won't pierce my granddaughter's ears until she is old enough to ask and be able to take care of them right.

I say do it now. I had my daughter's done at the hospital when she was born. Her pediatrician did it. I chose this for a number of reasons. 1. She was too young to mess with them. 2. She was too young to remember it. 3. A doctor did it instead of someone in the mall. 4. It's a cultural thing for me. 5. My poor kid had NO HAIR for 2 years. At least there was no mistaking she was a girl!

Honestly, from a hygiene & safety standpoint alone, I think doing it early while she is too young to pull on them & while you can be assured that you can take care of them for her.

Hi J.-

I went through the same thing with my daughter. I was just so excited to finally have a daughter that I really wanted to do "girly" things with her. When my daughter was 18 months old, her 4 month old cousin came over with pierced ears. That was it. She constantly talked about Allie's earrings. She kept asking for them. (She's a very verbal child. :) Finally, I told her that she could do it, but it would hurt. I took her at 19 months and she cried for about 10 seconds. She still loves her earrings and she's almost 3. I guess you just have to do what feels right to you. She's your kid.

It really is a personal opinion, I got my daughter's ears pierced when she was only 10 weeks old. I had previously asked her doctor and even called around to see what the youngest age that places would do it. I have found that having her ears pierced at such a young age was great because she didn't even really notice. She cried for a few minutes but once we left the store she was fine. Also, she has never played with her ears. It was easy to take care of them because she never touched them so we didn't worry about infection. She is now 1 1/2 and is wearing little gold hoops that she doesn't touch, but she loves her "prettys". Hope this helps....

If it were me, I would wait until she makes that decision for herself. It won't hurt her any more (or less) if you wait until she is older to have them pierced. There are definate health benefits to waiting until she is old enough to take the responsibility of cleaning and caring for her ears herself. You may actually find that she might not want to have it done when she is old enough to choose - better for her to make that personal decision than you as she will have holes in her ears for the rest of her life. (This is what happened with me, my father wanted my ears to be pierced when I was very young, he took my when I was 5. I found out in my teen years that I had wished that I'd never had it done. This was for many reasons - sports, style, health, etc.. I never had the option of choosing for myself.)
Something else to consider is that piercings can be like tatoos. You may want one desperately in one instant, but find out later that you wish you hadn't gotten one. Even though it's less visible than a tatoo... you can't take it back after it's done. This may be a case for your daughter to consider when she grows older.

I want to get my girls' ears pierced before they are old enough to mess with them. That way they are used to it when they can reach up and pull on them. Plus, at that age you can nurse them right through the piercing or immediately after, and they forget all about it.
My husband forced me to wait until 8 months with my first, and she screamed when ever she saw the jewelry counter after that!
I want to do it at 2 months or younger, but my husband makes me wait. Now I do it at 6 months, which is still too old in my opinion. But at least it is young enough you can still nurse them and they forget about where it was done.
It really doesn't hurt long, but some kids are hyper sensitive and remember and get angry. One of my girls I had to get hers done later, at nearly 2, because she had to get a boys haircut (don't ask, I still cry) and she was royally mad at me! But it only lasted less than a minute and she was happy with a sucker.

I think that only you know the answer to that.My niece had her pierced at 3 months and never had an issue.Another niece had them done when she was about two and pulled them out.She then waited a couple years before another attempt was made.My daughter is one and we are going to wait until she is old enough to understand since we are sure she is the pulling kind.Keep in mind that this is a personal choice.

I hate to be so judgemental on this issue, but please don't pierce your baby's ears. That is a huge pet peeve of mine, it's just gross and cruel. Don't put an age on it right now but at least let her be old enough to decide for herself. Maybe she won't want them pierced at all?? I think I had mine pierced at the age of 6 and I remember begging my parents for it. But at least it was my choice and I had to take responsibility for keeping them clean and helping my ears to heal. There are already enough changes to go through with a 5 month old, why give her another reason to cry and be uncomfortable and in pain at this age? And in a lot of these responses, the mom's were saying that they looked "cute" or were worried that someone would think their baby was a boy. Don't do it for your own ego, your daughter certainly doesn't care what she looks like right now. My daughter is 2 1/2 and we use the stick on earrings when she asks for them and she loves them and they stay on for days.

you have a ton of responses--i didn't read, so sorry if this is repetitive.

I think you should wait--if she asks to have them done when she's older you can do it for a birthday or special occasion & she'll totally love you for letting her have it done! It can be saved as a reward for good behavior, etc!

But it is a personal decision. good luck!

I'm a first time mom myself. I have a beautiful little girl. I got her ears pierced when she was 1. She is now 13 1/2 months. I would have pierced them sooner but she kept "playing" with her ears. She was teething and a few were coming in at the same time so her hands were always near her face. I didn't want her to pull at the studs. It's scary ,at least for me, to have someone put holes in your baby. My little girl was pretty good. she only cried for a minute and then she was perfectly fine. She doesn't even really know they are there. I got mixed feelings from family after I did it. Everybody said they were cute though. Now no one can call her a boy. Of course people mistook her for a boy even when she was in pink. :) I know I talk to much... So what I'm saying is it is completely up to you and your hubby when you want to. But I personally would wait until she is at least a year old. Good Luck

J.~
My advice is to wait until your daughter is old enough to ask about it. I was five. My neice was 4 and got it done for a special occasion- she did a great job walking down the isle at our wedding and that was her incentive! In my opinion I don't like when infants have their ears pierced- I think it looks tacky! But like you said you'll get tons of mixed answers, so do what you feel is right! Have a great day! ~T. T. :)

If you want to do it early, I would do it now otherwise you will want to wait until she is old enough to know not to play with them. I got my daughter's done the day before she turned one and I was only able to keep them in for about 8 months because she started playing with them, and pulling them out, and I didn't want her to rip it out so I am going to wait to re-do them until she is closer to 5 years old. I was told after! I did it that I should have done it when she was 3 months old!! So, it is up to you but that was my experience with it.

I had my daughter's ears pierced (by her Dr., not in a store) when she was about 6 months old. This was in the mid 1980's.
By the way, I wasn't allowed to get my ears pierced until I was a teen, just as you. And, like you I had 3 brothers and I was the only girl!
If you want to pierce your daughter's ears, take her to a safe and sanitary place, and do it, when ever YOU are ready.

As an elementary school teacher i say LATER! It is the WORST to have a kid ask me to help them get an earring back in or out. Yuck! Our rule was, when we were old enough to take care of them ourselves, then we could have pierced ears. Also you can use it as a bargaining chip later...like to give up her blankie, stop sucking her thumb...etc. Also, My cousin pierced his daughters ear at a week old and by 18 months old could pull them out. Choking hazzard, yikes! I realize that maybe that was just an isolated thing, but I did not want to risk that with my girls. Ultimately you are the mama, and whatever you decide IS the rigth decision for you and your girl! :-)

Kids, Children, Baby’s & Adult Ear Piercing
A Hair for Kids Salon LLC
14023 W. Greenfield Ave
New Berlin, WI 53151
###-###-####
At A Hair for Kids Salon LLC we are licensed, sanitary, professional, and have 25 years of piercing experience. Our salon located in New Berlin is required by the law to provide the highest standard of sanitation. Our salon uses a sterilized gun method to pierce the ears and we are required by the state law to wear gloves for the service. Our earrings are nickel free, surgical steel, and hypo allergenic.
We provide a kid friend atmosphere to make kids feel comfortable. We are not some adult tattoo piercing salon that looks dark and gothic.
Piercing Service requires a guardian to fill & sign a consent form if under the age of 18 years. We start piercing 1 year old and up. Children should have their regular shots first before thinking of getting their ears pierced.
A ear care instruction will be given to you to take home to know how to care for your new piercing.
Our salon offers this service Wed & Sat. afternoons and all day Sundays.
By appointment only, cash or check only.
Piercings start at $25 and go up depending on the choice of earring picked out.
What We Need To Know
▪ When your child first gets an ear piercing, make sure it is done by someone who is experienced, and who uses sterile equipment. The earring posts should be made of 14-carat gold or stainless steel. The posts should be worn for six weeks – and the earring clasp applied loosely, to allow for swelling. During those six weeks, the posts should be turned about three rotations, twice a day (be sure to first wash your hands and both sides of the earlobes with rubbing alcohol). By the end of six weeks, the lining of the channel made by the piercing should be healed. (University of Michigan Health System)
▪ Signs that an ear piercing is infected are: the skin around the piercing may be swollen, red and hurt to the touch. There may also be pus coming from the piercing. Minor infections can be treated with over-the counter antibiotic ointments – as well as warm compresses and mild sea salt soaks. (American Academy of Family Physicians)
▪ Call your doctor as soon as possible if an earring clasp becomes embedded in the earlobe and can’t be removed; if the redness or swelling spreads beyond the piercing, if your child develops a fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, if the infection doesn’t improve after 24 hours of treatment – and, of course, if you are concerned your child may be seriously ill. (University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital)
▪ Teach your child to prevent pierced-ear infections. Remind them not to touch their earrings except when they are being inserted or removed; and to clean the earring, the post and the ear lobe with rubbing alcohol before insertion. Also, they should apply the earring clasp loosely: pressure from tight earrings reduces blood flow to the ear lobe, putting it at risk for infections. (Children’s Memorial Hospital – Chicago)
Resources
▪ Aurora Health Care - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
▪ Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media

Licensed, Professional, Sanitary, & 25 years of experience, we are not a salon that has teenagers working on your children to pierce their ears.
Our salon is required by the law to provide the highest

I agree with the mom who said your daughter should have a choice in the matter - and at 5 months, she just doesn't have the ability to say yes or no.
I'm pretty against piercing little ears. My daughters are now almost 5, and are begging me to get their ears pierced. Their best friend at school has her ears pierced, and whatever she does, they think they should be allowed to do. However, I have made it clear that they are not getting their ears pierced until they are old enough to take care of them all alone. So, we're looking at 10+ before they're getting holes in their ears. I've seen my friend's little girls pull their earrings out, or have them fall out - that poses a choking hazard to little ones and can also hurt little ears.
Just my two cents

I have been the caregiver for my granddaughter since she was brought to my home after she was born. My daughter left her entirely in my care when she was two months old. She is now 15. I had her ears pierced when she was less than two weeks old. But it is more or less common among American Indian people to have pierced ears. We wear earrings almost all the time. The men did too. My Grandpa had his ears pierced. Not just one as is now fashionable. It was no big deal when I had her ears pierced. In fact there is a ceremony done to mark when a child's ears are pierced. There was no drama or trauma on anyone's part when it was done. Probably I am very lucky that she was not sensitive to things or allergic at that time even though she was born at least six weeks premature. She has always been a very healthy person, as I am. But we, American Indian people, tend to be healthy people. We just have to realize that we are strong people and have lots of good genes to call upon.

J.

i have 2 daughters myself ( they are 12, 8) and a step daughter( she is 12) and all 3 my girls have thier ears pierced when they were 3 months old..they cried for a few min then i gave them bottles then they were ok.. Every time i changed thier diapers i put solutions on their ears after thier diaper changes.. my girls never knew its was there.. its up to you and when you want to do that.. i always say now is best time to do it because they are babies and thier ears heal quickly and they wont play with the earrings.. to them its like getting another shot
Good luck and hopes this helps!

Hi J.:
I am the mom of a 2.5 yr old girl who did not grow hair until she was nearly 2! I got her ears pierced when she was 4 months old, and I am really glad that I did! At first, I will admit I felt a little guilty for putting holes in my perfect little baby, but that left after a day or two. Now, she loves having earings and I loved that since she couldn't wear cute little ponies etc, she had something that made her look like a little girl without having to dress her in pink or purple all of the time.
She never has fussed with her earings and lets me change them when I want. If you are really interested, I would recommend sooner rather than later...as she could tug at them and want to pull them out if she is closer to 1 year old before you do it. Hope this helps.

My mother's rule about pierced ears was that we had to wait until we were 14. She felt it was important that we make the decision to pierce our ears for ourselves, and that we be mature enough both to make the decision, and to care for our ears following the piercing. I have always thought she did the right thing, and would have the same rule if I had daughters. Actually, I suppose it's possible that one of my sons would want a pierced ear, in this day and age!

My other reason for not recommending piercing a baby's ears is that I really don't like the way it looks. I think it looks a bit unnatural on a baby or little girl, and perhaps even a bit tacky.

I don't know anyone who has pierced their baby's ears. Unless every one around you -- relatives, neighbors, friends, coworkers -- does it to their baby girls, I would wait. Let your daughter decide for herself. She might not turn out to be the kind of kid who likes earrings! You never know what her personality and style will be.

The sooner the better. You can get a nice pair of gold earrings and put them on your daughter and forget about them for a while. As she grows you can start changing her earrings and she will be used to having them on. All the girls in my family had our ears pierced before we were a week old.

I do not have daughters so I can't say for sure BUT my best-friend has two daughters. She had their ears pierced when they were just months old. I did NOT agree with it although it does look cute. I feel like your daughter should have some say in it. Think about it, if you were months old would you want someone taking you and shooting holes into your ears? Who knows, she may not want them pierced! I remember when I was four or five I asked my mom for my ears pierced and she took me. I enjoyed the experience and my mom had hers done for the first time then too. My friends daughters don't seem to have any questions as to why theirs are pierced, it's probably just "the norm" for them
But personally, I think you should wait until your daughter asks you! Just my "two cents"!

Good luck!

As someone who used to have to pierce ears, I say wait until she is old enough to know what is going on/ask for it. I, and many others, HATED doing the ears of anyone under the age of five, and I really did not feel comfortable doing babies.
The "gun" that is used is often too big to fit behind the earlobes of infants, so the end result could be a hole in a place that might look funny as she grows. At the toddler stage parents ask for the 2 ears to be done at the same time, however, that also could end up with an uneven match. What happened to me at the age of 5 was earrings in the same spot on both ears, but they went in at different angles. I never wore earrings. I have many pictures from my childhood and the only time I wore earrings were 6th-9th grade.
That is just my experience/preference. The way your daughter will react for shots is how she will react for piercings. I think doctors will pierce ears, and if they do it with a different method than a "gun" I would have it done there perhaps. But I would wait :)

I think there is nothing cuter than a baby girl with pierced ears. I have 2 daughters, now 16 and 18. My oldest was born in Puerto Rico, where many girls have their ears pierced before they leave the hospital after birth. My second daughter was born in Wisconsin and the culture is VERY different. I waited a few months, then took her to get her ears done and had to "talk" the store into it. I had my ears pierced at 10, and thought it was painful and tiresome to care for while they healed. My babies never minded the process. It was very easy to take care of them.

One of my friends had her ears pierced as a baby and then as her ears grew, the piercings became asymmetrical. I think my husband wants to wait til our daughter is like 16 and he'll take her to a piercing shop, not some place like Claire's. I don't particularly care where she goes but I think middle school is a more reasonable time. Course, my sister in law didn't get her ears pierced until shortly before her wedding and she was fine with that too.

I just had a son and if I had a daughter instead I would pierce her ears now. I had read some of the other advice about she should be able to decide when she wants them which is true but she is young and I dont think that it is wrong to get them pierced. She is in your hands and its up to you and your husband. I mean its only getting her ears pierced. Later in life if she doesnt like them she can always close them up/not wear earings. Thats my thoughts! Let me know what happens?
-A.-

I've decided to allow my daughter to get her ears pierced on her 13th birthday. Even though other girls her age (she's 10) have pierced ears, she's not bothered by that at all.

When she's 13, I plan to make a trip to Claire's to get her ears pierced part of her 13th birthday party, and all her friends can gather around and watch. (It will also be her golden birthday, so that will be fun too.)

I think at that age she'll be more than responsible enough to care for her ears and earrings, etc. But my main reason is that I want to give her something positive to look forward to as a celebration of being a teenager. Our culture has lost positive ways of marking the transition into the teen years. We plant the idea in their head that being a teenager means changing into some scary, hormone-driven monster or something, rather than celebrating it as a passage out of childhood and into something better.

Maybe that's why so many young teens are becoming sexually active. We haven't given them any other ways of celebrating teen-hood. I think waiting for pierced ears is one little way of making that transition special -- just like we wait until we're 16 to drive, 18 to be able to vote, etc. The longer you have to wait for something, the more dear it is to you when you finally get it!

Just my two cents! God bless!

I had my daughter's ears done at three months by her MD. It was horrible to hear her cry. However she stopped by the time we left the MD and I cleaned and turned them three hours later and she felt nothing. She is now 18 months old and has never even touched them. The older they are the more pain they will feel and the more they will know they are there. Then you risk infection from them playing with them or she might even pull them out. I say if you want to do it, do it! There will always be people who disagree, thats their opinion. I love that her ears are pierced and I'm sure you will too!!

I don't think it really matters when you get their ears pierced. I have seen babies as young as 2 weeks get their ears pierced. I had my daughters' ears pierced on the day of their 2nd birthdays. It is totally up to you, you are the mother.

When she is old enough to take care of them herself: keep them clean, take her own earrings out and put them back in, not lose all her earrings. If you pierce them now, accept the fact that you will have to keep an eye on her ears until she is responsible enough to do so. Also, be prepared for her to lose a pair or two of earrings!

I had mine pierced when I was around 6 or so. My mom was not diligent, and I got a raging infection. Also, it turned out I was allergic to most earrings, so I could only have certain kinds of metals. This can be expensive for a small child who might lose her earrings on the playground.

I agree with everyone else it is up to you and your husband. My sister-in-law pierced both of her girls ears when they were really little and she has never ever had any problems and then I had a friend who waited until she was old enough to say she wanted them which was around 4. I have a 6 month old daughter and I've decided to wait until she was old enough to say she wanted it done too but that was just our choice.

I think this is one of those things that is purely personal. I however, got my daughter's ears pierced at four months and have never regretted it. She has always known her ears to be pierced (because it was done so early), so when she finally "discovered" her ears, it was only natural that they had earrings in them! She has never messed with them, and I have never had any problems with them (she's two now).

The only thing that I can suggest is that if you get them done, have two people do them at the same time(one on each ear). You'll have to be sitting with her in your lap, pretty much squishing her head against your body so she doesn't move. So, the quicker, the better. This way, there is only one "pinch" and it is all over with. My daughter cried for less than a minute, and then literally, she was completely over it.

I would also recommend going for a higher quality earring at this young an age, just because it lowers the risk of infection.

I am a nurse and a mom of a 6 month old girl. Being a nurse I look at it from a medical point of view and want to point out that the earrings are a choking hazard especially at this age when they are putting everything in their mouth. If you do decide to get them pierced be sure to take her somewhere they all the equipment etc is sterile and they are experienced in piercing baby ears. I have unfortunately seen too many kids with severe infections from just running to somewhere in the mall to have it done. Also remember all the cleaning and care they require when they are first pierced. I also would like to get my daughters ears pierced someday, but look forward to waiting until she is older and can pick out the earrings, show them off when they are done, etc.

This advice is based purely on opinion, but I believe that you should pierce your daughters ears when she can be a part of the decision. It is really cute when babies have their ears pierced but you are the one that has to take care of them. When your daughter is 5 or 6 is probably when I would suggest. Then she can be part of the decision and she can also help take care of her ears.

My daughter is 2.5 and my only regret is not having her ears pierced when she was an infant. I tried when she was about a year old and she wouldn't have anything to do with it, she wouldn't let the lady come near her. I had my ears pierced when I was an infant and I really regret that I didn't do this for my daughter. Now I am going to wait until she asks me. If you want to do it, do it now.
PS congratulations on your daughter!