Baby’s Got Studs

Is it OK to pierce an infants ears or should we wait until the child can say for themselves. Interestingly enough, this question raised eyebrows and quite a few nasty comments on one of the New York Times blogs the other day. Although this is sometimes a moral thing and sometimes a cultural thing, many people have different opinions on the ideas of poking a (semi)permanent hole in a baby’s ear.

Many were rather snipe-y and pissy and some downright rude. There were even words used like “Mutilation” and phrases like forced “cosmetic alteration”. People actually compared it to circumcising a boy.

Wow, all this judgment over a tiny hole. We’re not talking about tattoos or enhancement surgeries. If you’d like to read the article, find it here,

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/15/babys-first-bling/

I know people who pierced their daughter’s ears at 3 mos. and gals whose parents made them wait until they were teenagers (myself included). I really don’t think either way, it shapes the girl’s life. The bottom line for me is that it’s each parent’s and each family’s decision. It’s up to them as to how they raise their girls and what earring decisions they make. It may not be your ideal but we’re in America, remember...many cultures and all that.

I know you have an opinion….what do you think? To pierce or not to pierce, that is the question…