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10 Bright Stars
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| Posted: Aug 19 2008 at 3:13pm | IP Logged
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Hi all,
I had my ears pierced when I was 13 or so. I don't really wear earrings anymore since I don't own any jewlery! Anyway, my 7 year old daughter was around her cousins this weekend who both have their ears pierced. She asked if she could get her ears pierced sometime. I told her I would think about it, and "maybe when you are 10". I wondered if piercing ears on kids is o.k.? I told her it would hurt A LOT! She had recently been stung by a hornet, so I told her it would hurt "Like that!" I didn't know if the Church had any thoughts on this, or if it is considered to be something that would not be treating the body like a temple of the Holy Spirit. Any thoughts as to how you all went about considering this or not?
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Kim married to Bob (22y)
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Matilda
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I don't know if the Church has anything to say on this subject but I can tell you my experience with pierced ears is one of the reasons I would have my daughters wait until they were older to make that decision.I had mine pierced when I was 10. I was too young to really take care of them properly and I ended up with closed holes within a few years. When I went to have to them redone, the lady doing the procedure got one hole right smack on the old hole, but the other side was a little off, so it looks as though I have one hole on one side and two holes on the other lobe even though one of those holes is not actually open in the back.
As far as the painfulness of the procedure, it isn't so bad. It hurts like a shot, for just a minute and then it just aches a little until it heals. I watched a three year old get hers done and she didn't even flinch.
Hope this helps.
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Charlotte (Matilda)
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Martha
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I get my girls ears pierced at about 3 or 4 weeks of age. No big deal. If you can go to a body piercing shop instead of using those wacko-mart piercing guns it's much better. No tears for either, maybe 1 drop of blood for my first. When done young, it's a piece of cake to take care of properly by mom and they are so used to having themin they never even notice them.
And yes, pierced ears are okay and allowed for Catholics. 
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Martha
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mama251ders
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My oldest daughter was 4.5 when we got her ears pierced. She had one infection, but that was my fault. I got distracted and didn't clean one the earrings before I put it in. She does a really good job of making sure that she keeps her earrings in and keeps her ears clean now that everything is established. I am not sure if the next daughter will get hers done that early. I think it all depends on how well you think they will do with all of it.
Blessings,
Betsie
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JodieLyn
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we've gone with 11 yrs old (our oldest got them pierced for her birthday) AND is taking care of herself (hair for instance) properly.
with that "and" in there I've found we have had few problems and I only have to check on her occationally. Our local option is only with one of those guns.. but at soonest we switched her to very small endless loops.. they're very comfy, you don't notice them for sleeping or anything so they can stay in except when you want to wear something else. No worries about closed holes that way.
Charlotte, I had one ear close over the back as an adult, no problems just hadn't worn earrings in so long (couple years) then dh gave me earrings for Christmas.. I repierced it myself with a needle.. having to push the needle through was worse than the bit of pain 
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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LisaD
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We got DD's ears pierced right before her FHC, when she was almost 8 years old. That seems to be time when many of our friends who have girls get their ears pierced. At least four of DD's friends got theirs pierced around the same time. So far, she's had no problems at all taking care of her ears and earrings. I have never heard of ear-piercing being contrary to Catholic beliefs...that seems more of a Protestant thing...my mother was raised in a Protestant church that didn't approve of ear-piercing, dancing, etc.,and I know there are still some Protestant sects that teach that.
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LeeAnn
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Thirteen is the magic age for ear-piercing in our family. It's when I had mine done. Unlike Confirmation, which shouldn't be a "rite of passage" (if you kwim?), ear piercing in our family is one. There isn't much else that marks entering adulthood in our corner of society--no sweet sixteens or quinceaneras in our family culture--so this is a pretty harmless one.
My grandmother grew up in a very fundamentalist protestant family--I'll never forget how funny it was when she finally decided to get her ears pierced at age 70! We all teased her for putting it off for so long, but where she came from, it just wasn't done. She thought it was pretty silly too as she'd always wanted pierced ears.
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nissag
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No, I don't think the Church has anything to say about it. Our age is 7 here, though I had briefly considred having the gals done as infants. Some of the hospitals do them, as well as some midwives.
In the end, we're leaving it up to them from age 7 onward. My ears are pierced (as well as my two older daughters'. We wear pretty modest jewelry - pearl studs, tiny birthstone studs, or gold studs. Pretty boring, but classic. They go with everything.
Blessings,
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Paula in MN
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13 is our magic number!
Oh, and only for the females.
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lapazfarm
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Paula in MN wrote:
13 is our magic number!
Oh, and only for the females. |
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Same here.
The only reason I don't do it earlier I that I want to be sure it is totally my daughters' decisions, not mine. That way she can never accuse ME of having "permanently scarred" her!LOL!
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folklaur
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When my girl's ask, I usually will take them for the next "occasion" - birthday or whatnot. (I am fine with double piercing, too....mine are actually 4 on one side and two on the other...however I have developed a metal allergy in teh past few years .) but only ears! no noses, or eyebrows, or anything like that. Sarah has talked about getting her's double, but hasn't done it yet. AC hasn't asked yet, as a matter of fact has said she doesn't want to EVER (but she is dramatic like that...)
We always go to our Family Doctor to have them done. (Now that we have moved I hadn't really thought about that, I wonder if all Dr. do it?) It doesn't really hurt that bad...
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Bookswithtea
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10 is our family age. I want them to be old enough to take care of their ears themselves. Mine got infected when I was 6 and it hurt way more than getting the holes in. We let them close up and redid them when I was 10. Much better. My oldest got hers done a year ago and she hasn't had any problems with taking care of them.
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JennGM
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My mother felt very strongly that ear piercing was "mutilation of the body" which is a Temple of the Holy Spirit and so we weren't allowed to get our ears pierced until we were 18 (out of her jurisdiction, so to say). We all (5 girls) disagreed with her but respected her rules. I think she now doesn't have such an extreme thinking. I do believe that single ear piercing (and some places double) is culturally acceptable and the norm and therefore fine for us to do.
The Church doesn't have any teaching against ear piercing, but I thought this CUF Faith Fact was quite good, not about ear piercings, but other piercings and tattoos. Issue: What is the teaching of the Church on tattoos and body piercing? I find it interesting how it points out that your intention for doing a tattoo or piercing can make it wrong.
IF I had daughters, I would wait until at least the tween years so they could make the choice and take care of the piercing. I did mine at the "Piercing Pagoda" which does piercing all the time, and quite sanitary. But my holes are lopsided and low, which bug me all the time, but I can't do anything about it now. Wish I had closed them up and started again, but I was clueless at the time.
I have a sensitivity to metals outside of gold and platinum -- even silver makes me react if I wear it too long. A trick I've learned when my ears get "itchy" or oozy, dip your stud part of your earring into Neosporin or other antibiotic ointment to treat your ears. Works every time, and less drying than alcohol.
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allegiance_mom
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St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Gianna Molla both had pierced ears. If you google images of them (Therese before she entered Carmel), you can see them.
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In the Philippines (predominantly Catholic until recently) we had our ears pierced at the hospital right after we were born (1 or 2 days old).
DD-17 had hers pierced at 7, but she had problems and the holes closed up (she has waaaay sensitive skin). She had them done again last year.
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juststartn
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My dds don't have their done. I do. I told the dds that when they were old enough to reliably take care of other things--both themselves and other things, then we would talk about it.
Considering I have trouble getting my 8yr old to brush her hair every day, even with a chore chart to remind her!, I think ear piercing is a loooong way off.
I got mine done when I was 7, my sisters were 5 and 3.
Will NOT do my dds as a group, though.
Rachel
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~Rachel~
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Mine were done as a baby at about 10 months I think... the same with all my sisters
DD doesn't have her's done (more at DH's request than anything else), although I have considered it. Her paediatrician's office does them, so I'd get his office to do them
I think the age is just a family preference 
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Rachel May
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Intresting read, Jenn. Fortunately, when the time is ripe, I can be guilt free about getting my nose pierced. 
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10 Bright Stars
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Thanks for all the response! All of my Protestant relatives DO pierce their ears early, so I wondered if the Catholics had a different teaching. It is good to hear that it isn't a big deal. I think I may purchase a pair of earrings for myself and get my ears "going again". I never wear them since it seems to look too fussy to have glasses AND earrings. (Plus, the kids lost ALL of my jewlery getting into my jewlery box over the years!  )
Anyway, she doesn't brush her hair consistantly by herself and things like that, so since so many people mentioned her being able to take care of them herself, I will follow that rule of thumb and wait till she is a little more responsible.
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Kim married to Bob (22y)
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Donna Marie
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In my family we were allowed to have our ears pierced around the age of 13...Confirmation age here. My mom made it into a teaching lesson about responsibility as we grow...she handled things with so much grace my sisters and I decided we would do the same things with our dds... but my twins decided to wait until they were older...something about them maybe getting in the way when they play football...LOL!
God love you,
Donna Marie from NJ
hs momma to 7dc +one more due 10/08!!
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: pierced ears? O.K for Catholics?
