One question that has come up a lot with my mama friends is “What’s the best age for ear piercing for your child?” I think we can probably all agree that it’s a personal decision.
I still remember the day I got my first earrings. I begged my mom long enough that she finally caved; I had my surgical steel posts and couldn’t have been more excited — until they became infected. I don’t even truly remember how old I was, but I obviously wasn’t old enough to take care of them on my own.
As a mom, I’ve always said my two girls had to be old enough to take care of their ears if they want to get them pierced. My oldest daughter was 8 when she got her ears pierced and only had a few small issues (mostly, remembering to turn and clean them), but overall, she did great. I believe this was the right age for us to take the plunge and let her get earrings; I think waiting as long as we did was a big part of the success.
My younger daughter, who is 5, has only mentioned wanting them a few times, but I’m already prepared with my answer of telling her she has to wait until she’s at least 8 years old, just like her sister. One of the benefits of holding out as long as possible with the older kid means the younger one has to wait that long, too…because we know that’s only fair, right?!
So, how do we as mamas make sure this is a happy memory and not a painful one? Here are five tips that I’ve compiled from my friends and family over the years. Brace yourself, mamas; if you’re anything like me, this whole experience may be harder on you than it is on the kiddos.
- Talk to your pediatrician. Some practices now offer a safe, professional, medical environment in which to have your child’s ears pierced. Even if they don’t offer it at their practice, they may be able to refer you to a recommended location. You want to make sure you’re getting them done in a safe and clean environment.
- Do it when your child is able to handle the responsibility. This is just based on my own experience and so many stories I’ve heard from friends. It’s a great opportunity for your child to learn more responsibility, but if they’re not ready it can be a very stressful and painful experience for everyone.
- Don’t do it on vacation. It can seem like fun to have this experience while on vacation, but this is something you’ll want to have done somewhere local, somewhere you’ve had experience with or that has been recommended. You don’t want to add tears or a painful experience as a memory to your vacation.
- Use the buddy system. My oldest daughter had her ears pierced (again) with two of her friends. We had a little moms’ and daughters’ day out and they all had them pierced together. The girls loved having their best friends there with them and we got a ton of cute photos to remember the day.
- Trust your gut. You know what’s best as a parent and sometimes we just have to live and learn. Kids mature at different ages and can handle different things. I chose to wait until my daughter was old enough to decide for herself if she wanted her ears pierced or not. My girls also know this means they, not me, have to take care of their ears. My oldest daughter did a great job, cleaned them, turned them and had no problems.
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