by Terri Valerian

Created on: February 03, 2007   Last Updated: April 06, 2011

I don't believe there is one ideal age for children to get their ears pierced. As a parent, you need to examine your answers to some important questions to decide if now is the right time for you and your child. I have two boys, ages 9 and 2, and believe it or not, this question has come up already.

The first question for me was, is this even a fashionable thing to do? I think yes, it will most likely always be fashionable for girls. For boys, I wonder. I no longer think it is particularly attractive on men. My older boy was 7 when he said he wanted it done. His father considered it, but I said absolutely not. Personally, I am unsure that ear piercings for boys are still all the rage. He said a lot of his friends had them, but I remain unconvinced. From a fashion standpoint, I'm not sure boys should be getting their ears pierced. I'm not saying definitely not, but I just wasn't into it.

Now, assuming you have a girl or think little boys with earrings look cool, the question becomes one of responsibility: are you willing to take the responsibility for looking after the pierced ears? I, as a mother, did not want the responsibility of caring for one more thing on his body. Already, we need to make sure he is eating, bathing, brushing, clipping, and doing everything else necessary for personal hygiene. Nothing I saw in those behaviors led me to believe he would take care of pierced ears correctly. This argument is what got my husband on my side. My husband also has sensitive skin and cannot even have earrings, so that was another concern for us. On the other hand, I got my ears pierced when I was 8. I was very dutiful about cleaning them and taking care of them and don't remember having any problems. I imagine some children are better than others about this sort of thing. If, as a parent, you do not mind also making sure your child is cleaning out his or her pierced ears properly so as not to get infected, then age may not matter.

Another question I had was one of safety: is there a chance the earring(s) would be ripped out of his ear? My kid rough houses a lot. I thought there was a good chance of it. I didn't think it was worth it. If your child, boy or girl, is less prone to bouts of physical craziness, perhaps it makes more sense for them to have their ears pierced. For me, the answer to all of these questions made me decide that he was not getting his ears pierced in the foreseeable future.

One last question to consider: (why) does the child even want pierced ears? Is it to be like all their friends? Is it to be like a parent? Is it because they just love accessories? Do they even have a say in it at all (as in the case of babies getting their ears pierced)? Find out the answer to this question and determine if you think this is a good enough reason for taking on the added responsibility of a piercing.

You know your child best and can be the best judge. If I had to give an age, I don't think I would bother piercing any child's ears before they are 6 years old. Is fashion really that important? I'd rather have one less thing to worry about. Personally, I cannot imagine getting a baby's ears pierced. However, some people think it's the best time to do it. Like so many things in parenting, there is no right or wrong answer. Only what is right or wrong for you and your family. Give it some thought, and you will make the right decision for you and your child.

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