I went to a party today and met a new baby girl.
She is less than a couple of months old, and really beautiful.
But as I was hovering over her pram I noticed her ears. They were pierced with little gold studs.
When I asked someone (not the mother of course) if this was normal they told me it is often done in the hospitals here. Am I strange to be shocked? I try to imagine the arrival of a new baby and someone saying ‘ooooh it’s a girl, quick lets get out the ear piercing machine’
Perhaps with boys it’s the same but that’s to snip off their foreskins.
Is there some idea that newborns don’t feel pain. Like puppies who have their tails docked?
Shouldn’t new little people have some choice in the matter?
Is it just me? I also found it odd to see a tiny baby with earrings. As if there wasn’t plenty of time for her to discover jewellery and adornment and femininity.
Now I have been looking for more information and I see that it is a common practice in Latin countries. Something so ‘normal’ that it doesn’t really get questioned. I also found a Facebook page called ‘Stop piercing your babys ears. She’s a baby not a baby doll’
There is quite a lot of debate about it when you look.
I tried to remember the ears of all the little girls who came to summer school and I can’t remember them having earrings but perhaps I didn’t notice. Tomorrow I will go out and do some research on the streets.
What do you think? Am I odd to feel disturbed?
I, too, am disturbed by this. They are little babies, not dolls although what I find strange is perfectly normal in other cultures. Doesn’t make it any less disturbing, however . . .
Yes I know. After writing this I wondered about my judgements of another culture but I still thought I would trust my reaction. Oh and I was out this morning and forgot to check the little girls ears!
Kate x
Did a little research today as a school was coming out when I passed by. The girls were about 6 or 7 years old and they ALL had little studs in their ears. I only saw one little girl on my travels without them – she was the 5 or 6 year old daughter of a Moroccan woman.
Hi,
It’s v. common, we pierced our baby girl’s ears too! My wife (Catalan) insisted that it is much more painful to have it done later in life, and as all girls would want it doing (later in life), it is much better to do it as a baby – when it doesn’t hurt so much (they think). My wife, and family, don’t really seem to do it for “show” like a doll, more as a lesser evil – in fact we only use simple studs to keep the holes open, no flashy earrings.
Anyway, I couldn’t face going with them to the chemist’s to have it done, but we followed the tradition!
Brian
Hi Brian thanks for writing in. I hope I didn’t sound judgemental about it – it’s more that I was surprised and I am still not sure about it. If all women here have their ears done as babies how do they know it is more painful as adults? I had mine done twice (once I let them close up again) and it wasn’t painful – just a very quick nippy feeling. And who knows what babies feel – we don’t remember to tell later. The other thing is that because I am an acupuncturist I am aware of all the points in the ears which ear piercing will affect. Well, it’s an interesting question for me….