Is piercing a baby's ears "abuse"/violation of NAP?

[eduardo89]

I had my daughter's ears pierced when she was 6 months old.

I know a lot of people here are against infant circumcision, are you also against piercing a baby's ears?

[Paul Fan]

Yes. The decision to pierce any part of one's body should only be made by an adult.

[evilfunnystuff]

Yes. The decision to pierce any part of one's body should only be made by an adult.

Waiting till adulthood seems a little extreme if we are talkin a basic ear piercing, but I would not pierce an infants ears either.

I'd think whenever they are old enough to ask for it, carry on a conversation about it, understand the consequences and responsibility (pain, cleaning etc) it would be reasonable to allow them to do so in a safe manner.

When I was in 6th grade I wasn't allowed to get my ear pierced, So I took a piece of the "spring thing" in a spiral notebook and jammed it in my ear during school. Unfortunately, some of other kids that did that ended up with infections.

[specsaregood]

I'd probably have waited until they were old enough to ask for it themselves.

[eduardo89]

I'd probably have waited until they were old enough to ask for it themselves.

I was actually going to get them pierced right after she was born, but they didn't offer that service at the hospital. We waited till she was 6 months only because we spent the entire summer in Mexico and didn't want to pierce them there.

One of the reasons I wanted to get her ears pierced was because old ladies would always say "oh what a cute boy!" even when she was dressed head to toe in pink!!!

I guess it's also a cultural thing, my mom had hers pierced when she was a few days old, same with my girl cousins.

[specsaregood]

//

[eduardo89]

I was gonna get my boy cut, just cuz even though my wife objected. but she left the decision up to me.
I found out they wanted a couple hundred bucks to do it and I decided if he wanted it done he could wait until he earns enough money to pay for it himself.

Cut = circumcision?

If he wants it later in life it's going to HURT and that's a pain he'll remember forever. My friend had it done when he was 13 or so, still remembers the pain.

I personally will have every son I have circumsized. I know, I know, I'm a horrible person, a child abuser, a sociopath.


I, however, can't imagine comparing piercing and circumcision. If my daughter no longer wants her ears pierced, she can just take the earrings out and let it heal. Hope she doesn't do that though, girls without one piercing on each ear looks strange to me.


Edit: you could have "lent" him the money and charged it back (with interest) when he turned 18

[specsaregood]

Cut = circumcision?
If he wants it later in life it's going to HURT and that's a pain he'll remember forever. My friend had it done when he was 13 or so, still remembers the pain.
Edit: you could have "lent" him the money and charged it back (with interest) when he turned 18

yeah, but it will be his choice and his money. Cant charge him a loan without him agreeing to it, otherwise you are making the argument that he could later sue me for stealing it from him.

[Restore America Now]

I personally will have every son I have circumsized. I know, I know, I'm a horrible person, a child abuser, a sociopath.

I beg you to reconsider. What are your reasons for wanting the procedure to be done?

[heavenlyboy34]

Cut = circumcision?

If he wants it later in life it's going to HURT and that's a pain he'll remember forever. My friend had it done when he was 13 or so, still remembers the pain.

I personally will have every son I have circumsized. I know, I know, I'm a horrible person, a child abuser, a sociopath.


I, however, can't imagine comparing piercing and circumcision. If my daughter no longer wants her ears pierced, she can just take the earrings out and let it heal. Hope she doesn't do that though, girls without one piercing on each ear looks strange to me.


Edit: you could have "lent" him the money and charged it back (with interest) when he turned 18

Why? The hygiene myth has been quite thoroughly debunked by every reputable medical organization and it's not a cultural norm in the vast majority of the world. You clearly know that it's a painful procedure. Why put an infant through it?

ETA: If your daughter decides she doesn't like the peircings, she can always take them out and let them heal. There's no analog to this with circumcision. It's possible to "restore" using stretching techniques, but the unique tissue and nerve endings cannot be replaced.