baby jewelry....does your little one wear any?

[SeekerMage]

When is it ok to have your little one wear a necklace? Or bracelet, rings, earrings etc. I see little hispanic babies with necklaces all the time....religious metals and such, but is it safe? We also want to get Lil'bits ears pierced but they wont do it till three months. Has anyone else peirced their little ones ears? I know it will hurt, but no more then a shot and such...and I want to do it when she is less aware then when she is older and would be more upset.
I know there is a lot of debate on the issue, but its our personal preference. What are your views?

[suribear]

Until dd was 3, we only put on jewelry for pictures. After that, real jewelry for pictures/special occasions only, but she can wear her dress-up jewelry any time.

I WISH we had pierced her ears when she was an infant. Dh was/is against it, so I held off until now. Maybe when she's around 5.

Kris

[AngelaS]

We pierced Adrienne's ears when she was about 3.5. She wanted them done and it was really no big deal. She watched an older friend get them done and that friend was BRAVE and didn't bat an eye! LOL

[jd11365]

We just had Kayla's ears pierced in December @ 7 months. I was going to do it earlier, but her little ears were so tiny and I wanted to make sure they were in the right spot on her lobes. (Mine were always too high placed...as if they were where a second hole should be. I ended up having to get them repierced last year when I got a new pair of diamond studs because they looked funny where my original holes were.) She was great! Grandma bought her little diamonds for the holidays...it's never too early for diamonds! :) They have cool little backs that are closed so the point of the earring doesn't poke against the side of her head. I wouldn't do a necklace though for strangulation fears or pendants for choking fears...

Jamie
Mommy to Kayla
5-1-03

[wilelm]

Miriam has a bracelet from her Muslim grandmother that I put on her for pictures or when Grandma comes. It's a cultural thing, like it is with Hispanics. At 10 months, if I put it on her and left it on, she'd rip it off within seconds. It has a "pendant" (not really a pendant) that is attached to the bracelet, so it doesn't hang down. My in-laws have repeatedly asked me why I haven't pierced her ears yet, and I'm willing, but surprisingly enough, my husband decided he wanted to wait until she was old enough to decide for herself. My nieces all had their ears pierced when they were 3 weeks old.

Sheila
Mother of Miriam, 03/10/03

[gamommy2noahnavery]

I pierced Avery's ear the day she turned 3 months. She has done really well with them, rarely touches them, unless she is teething. . .the she loves to rub her hand over them. She also has a couple of bracelets. . . She wears one of them everytime we go out. The other is more fancy and used for special occassions. She also has a pearl/diamond necklace and she wears that ONLY for special occassions as well. .. but she usually Always has on some form of jewlery!

[kransden]

My necklace experience. My dd loves to wear mardi gras beads, but I only let her do so in my sight. Once she wrapped them around her neck like a boa and made a noose with them. She was screaming because the more she pulled the more she choked herself. It was horrible yet funny at the same time. She is very willful and was more upset about the beads not doing what she wanted vs being choked.

If you decide to get your daughter's ears pierced at such an early age, have the girls do both ears at the same time, not one after the other. While my preference would be to wait until my dd was much older like 6-12 yrs old, if I was doing a baby, I would want to do it the earliest I could. They would heal faster and the baby wouldn't have the arm coordination to grab them all the time.


Karin and Katie 10/24/02

[MelissaTC]

Coming from someone who is Hispanic, had her ears pierced at 5 days old and has a baby jewelry collection, I say go for it. LOL. My friend (who is also Hispanic)had her daughter's ears pierced at 3 months. She wears a bracelet that was her Dad's and she has a little girl bracelet (some beads) that she wears all the time. If Matthew had been a girl, I would have pierced his ears at 3 months as well.

[starrynight]

I haven't read any of the other replys, just sharing my views as you asked.This is my reasons and my opinions, hope I don't offend anyone.

I thought for about 5 seconds I wanted to pierce my girls ears but changed my mind for alot of reasons. 1) I was afraid of one of the pulling out an earring and choking 2)what if it got pulled on or infected? 3) I know a few people that got them done as infants and now they don't match up because their ears grew(obviously LOL). 4) I was afraid of serious germs or infection from a mall piercing place (they cannot sterilize those guns properly) and I couldn't find a piercing studio that did small children and my ped doesn't do it.

So dh and I decided we will do the girls ears when and if they ask for it, I want it to be their choice. My mom made me wait until I was 11 and I really wanted them and could clean them myself. I had no problems with mine. It hurt for a second but I was old enough to understand and expect it would hurt a baby doesn't. I know a few people that did their sons as infants, that I totally disagree with, how do they know there son would want it? I can somewhat understand a girl but not a boy JMO. My brother asked for it done at around age 10, my parents agreed, he "grew out" of it a few years later. But it was his choice and he was glad they let him when he decided he wanted it and then later decided he didn't :).

As far as actually jewelry goes, I won't put it on my girls but I understand in some cultures they do and I respect that. I just personally feel little girls grow up way to fast as it is so I'm not rushing it.

[Marisa6826]

Also just my opinions here, so no flames please.

I thought about getting Sophie a little bangle bracelet engraved with her name, but then after seeing how she pulls on my jewelry I realised it would be a bad idea.

Also thought about getting her an "add a pearl" necklace when she was born, but since I have the pearls that Jonathan's father brought his mother back from Japan after the war, she will eventually have a good set already.

As far as her ears go, I wasn't allowed to have my ears pierced until I was 13. I think I'm going to hold out until then for Sophie unless she chooses not to have it done.

My best friend (and Sophie's guardian if something happens to us) is Lebanese and just pierced her 6m old daughter's ears. It is a HUGE family tradition for her. My fear is of Yasmine choking on the earrings.

I personally think it's kind of like gilding the lily.

JMO

-m

[esianoyam3]

I won't get my DDs ears pierced until she's older -- My parents pierced mine at 3 weeks, and now they're completely uneven. I'll wait and let her get them pierced when she asks to have it done.

She did wear a little white bead bracelet for her blessing, and she got one from her great grandma for Christmas that I'll put on her as soon as it fits.

[papal]

Even in my culture (i am from India) little girls get their ears pierced very early (under a year old). As such Leela has already got a little jewelry collection but I decided with her that I would not do it until she asks for it and understands its going to hurt and understands she has to take care of them! Till then I will amuse myself by dressing her up in cute clothes.! :)
In my opinion (and i don't mean to offend anyone here!), babies are cute as is, they don't need jewelry to make them cuter.. it is something that pleases the parents more than the kids... they cant express it but i am sure it is pretty annoying to have earrings and bracelets and stuff on. My mom had my ears pierced when i was a baby and to this day they bleed if i put on earrings and i can NEVER sleep with them on because it hurts.

baby waking.. got to go!

[kristine_elen]

I was at a Gymboree class a while back and there was a cute baby wearing unisex clothes so I wasn't sure if it was a boy or girl. Then I saw the gold bracelet on the wrist and said, "What a cute little girl!" The mother gave me a stone-cold look and said, "He's a boy." (It wasn't a medical bracelet.) OOPS.

[flagger]

Flame suit firmly on.

We will not have Cocoa's ears pierced until she can make the decision on her own and can care for the holes. I cannot imagine any reason why anyone would want to mar their infant child who has no choice in the matter with something as unnecessary as a pierced ear. I liken the practice to child abuse no matter the cultural views on the practice or not.

You asked for views and these happen to be both of ours.

[lisams]

The only time DD has worn jewelry was in a picture wearing a heirloom bracelet given to her at her baptism.

On the ear piercing - we are waiting until she asks for it. My mom did the same thing with me, and I remember being 8, going to the mall and getting it done with her. It was such a memorable experience that I want to share that moment with DD when she is old enough to enjoy it. I remember feeling like such a "big girl" and coming home to show my dad and how he thought it was so pretty. It was a big deal to me at that age.

Lisa

edited because I kan't spell today ;)

[deborah_r]

I wish people wouldn't get so upset about that...people call my DS a girl often and it doesn't bother me at all. It's not like he has a beard for goodness sake...it's hard to tell when they are this little!

And I think if she was truly worried about that she should dress him in blue whenever he wears his bracelet!

[bluej]

When we lived in Germany Alex went to a German Kindergarten. Not only did most of the boys have both ears pierced, but they wore little hoops as well! There were two who had longer naturally curly hair and if it hadn't been for their clothes I would have sworn they were girls (they were 4 and 5). Some boys are just 'pretty'.

Anyway, I took Alex to get her ears pierced when she was seven. She asked to have it done. Caden was w/ us and he wanted his done and was crying b/c I said no. There we are in the mall, at the front of the store w/ one kid crying b/c she thinks it's going to hurt and another kid crying b/c he wanted his pierced too. Everybody was staring and I felt like an awful parent b/c I'm sure it looked like I was forcing my kids to get their ears pierced. Anyway, we fall into the camp of it will get done when they ask for it, unless they are a boy, then they have to wait until they are fifteen.

[MelissaTC]

There is certainly a big difference between piercing a child's ear and abusing a child. I understand you have your views (we ALL know you have your views) and I have mine. I say this is one in which we all need to disagree.

[parkersmama]

Well, I'm with Jackie & Marisa on this one. I don't think it's a good idea to pierce baby ears for the reasons already stated.

But, as far as other jewelry goes, Amy Grace has a few items. She has a beautfiul tiny gold cross necklace with blue sweet peas enameled on it that my daddy bought her when she was born. She wore it at her baptism. She also has a small pearl necklace that my parents gave her for Christmas. And then she has inherited my mother's baby bangle bracelet and gold ring but they are currently too big. She has only worn jewelry for that one special occasion but I will allow her to wear the items occasionally. I think it can be very pretty if it's tastefully done.

[Melanie]

I would put a bracelet on a little baby, as long as it wasn't too sharp. Ds wears some sometimes...manly ones of course! I would not put a necklace on a baby until they are old enough to understand what happens if they pull on it. I would think at a young age they could accidentally catch their hands/fingers in it and pull hard, and then when they are a bit older, do it on purpose. This past Christmas Ds was 2 and he wore one of those jingle bells around his neck without problem. I would also not put rings on any baby who is young enough to suck their fingers. It is a strange thing in my mom's family, that we all have these tiny rings in boxes called 'baby rings,' but no one can ever remember why or actually using them. My mom wore hers when she was older, like 5 years old.

I would not (and will not if we ever have a girl) pierce a baby's ears. I feel that in a few short years it is something they will beg to have done (as I remember doing) and now it's just needless pain & torture for the baby. I liken it to circumcision. Needless pain for cosmetic reasons, our children can decide for themselves.

Edited to add: Of course for photos, anything goes as long as it's comfortable since they're so closely-watched. ;-)

[JulieL]

I AGREE WITH MELISSA, HERE HERE!!!

If you had an inclining what child abuse was you would never make it sound like these wonderful mom's on this board are abusing their children. That is EXTREMELY offensive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How would you like it if someone said you abused Cocoa for something you did with much thought and love for your daughter??? Just cause you don't agree doesn't mean you have to call these moms abusive!!!

[flagger]

I call it how I see it. I don't care who might be offended. I have quite an idea of what child abuse is.

I liken marring an infant who cannot object by hurting a child by placing a needle through their ear that is merely cosmetic and has no medical purpose to child abuse.

The poster asked for opinions and I gave mine. You can agree to disagree or not. I happen to disagree with the practice and gave my opinion as to why. And I have had people email me with their claims of child abuse to Cocoa thank you very much.

[22tango]

I agree completely with waiting until she's old enough to want and care for them!! I had to wait until 13 and it was a really big deal. I'm hoping that I'll be able to make it a special Mother-Daughter event when she's a pre-teen. I may surprise her by taking her to lunch and then to pick out special earrings along with getting them pierced.

Until then, she's just beautiful as is! :D

[luvbeinmama]

Personally, I would never pierce a baby's ears. That just breaks my heart. And I agree with the reasoning the other "opposed to it" posters presented. My mom never would let me do it, and I ended up getting them pierced in college. They never really healed (always stuff coming out) and now they have closed up and I don't wear pierced earrings anymore.

As for other jewelry, I figure, why? They will get into it soon enough, and at that age, who is it for? YOU! Our little ones (IMHO) need no decoration. They are really beautiful as is. Adding jewelry is unnecessary, and takes away something (again IMO). I would rather people look at my daughter's beautiful face than some jewelry I picked out and put on her for decoration.