the ear piercing debate

Before we even knew we were going to have a girl, Matt had already talked about wanting to get her ears pierced while she was a baby.  Although I agree that I think baby girls look really cute with their ears pierced, it is not something I had EVER considered doing to my own daughter while she was still in the infancy stage.

I have my ears pierced.  When I was 8 years old, I BEGGED my parents to let me get my ears pierced.  I was only in second grade, but a bunch of the girls in my class already had theirs pierced and of course, I wanted to be just like them.  My parents continued to stall and eventually told me that I could get my ears pierced after they came back from a week long cruise for my dad’s 40th birthday.  (Sorry to date this Dad.  But, I do think you look GREAT for your age!)

As soon as they walked in the door to pick my brother and I up from our grandparent’s house, I immediately started begging them to take me to go get them pierced.  I think by this point, my mom was so sick of me asking, she took me the next day.

And guess what?  I wore them until I reached middle school or maybe high school and then never wore them again until just a few years ago.  I think I just got sick of wearing them and I didn’t necessarily think they looked flattering on me.  Even to this day, I don’t wear anything very flashy – no big hoops or dangly, heavy earrings.  I like rhinestones and pearl earrings, and maybe a small hoop from time to time.  I’m not much of a jewelry person in the first place, so I know that plays into my earring choice.

When I first met Matt, he had earrings – in both ears and one in his cartilage.  Once we started dating a few months later, I confessed to him that I really didn’t like guys with earrings.  I think he wore them a few more months until he finally took them out and hasn’t worn them since.  (I promise, I’m not that much of a control freak – it was mostly his decision, and I still ask him from time to time if he misses wearing them.  Plus, as a teacher, I’m not sure it’s the most professional looking piece of jewelry.)

He doesn’t wear a lot of jewelry, but I know he thinks that babies with earrings are really stinking cute.  It’s not that I disagree with him at all – I think they are really stinking cute too.  But, just like I believe my daughter should have the choice as to whether or not she wants to be a vegetarian like her mommy (that’s a whole other post), I think she should be the one to make the decision if she wants earrings.

Of course, I would probably make her wait until she was in first or second grade, or at least responsible enough to take care of them on her own for the most part, but I’m not opposed to her having earrings.  I just think she should have the choice.  Plus, I don’t really want to put unnecessary holes in my daughters ears if I don’t have to.  I know how she will react to vaccinations and other shots.  Why would I want to put her through that kind of pain when I don’t have to?

So, I want to know YOUR opinion on this topic.  Do you think a little girl should have a choice to get her ears pierced when she’s a little older (say 8 or 9), or do you think it’s OK for parents to pierce their daughter’s ears while she’s still a baby and won’t remember how it feels?