In my family, we weren't allowed to have pierced ears until 4th grade. So my sister was allowed to get them before me, I had to wait. Now for the younger crowd I think it's more about wanting to be like everyone else.

Would finding some clip on ear rings maybe tide her over until she's older or has come out of this obsessive phase?

I personally wear my studs (the ones I got them pierced with originally) and only wear special ones on special occassions. I have a daughter, turning 2 today and I plan that she is going to be in grade school as well. I think by waiting until then, they have time to really think it over. Besides, I feel like they should be old enough to be able to care for them as well. In the beginning, they need to be cleaned and at 3 can she really do that for herself? I don't know of a reason to give her that is going to satisfy her. Good luck, I'm sure I'll be in your shoes soon enough :)

I have a y old son, but these days the topic has become appropos. ;^)

Hmm. I have a knee-jerk response that says "no way till 16." But I wonder why I feel that way? I think part of it is it's permanency (I know, you can take them out, but I did that and have big balls of scar tissue there). There's lots of running around in her future -- why have something in that can be torn out and cause permanent scarring?

Also, three seems pretty young to be making decisions like that; I wanted desperately to go to Hawaii when I was nearly 4, but had no idea what that even really was or meant.

[okay, bad example: I still ache to go..again]

The other part of my resistance has to do with childhood and reaching milestones, etc. There is something to be said for not racing to give them everything so early. It stops being special. As Gretchen Rubin (on her blog, The Happiness Project) writes, it's "the hazard of the 'hedonic treadmill.' We enjoy some new luxury, for a time, but soon we start taking it for granted; it no longer gives us particular enjoyment."

As my mother mirthfully said to me when I insisted I wanted to go to Hawaii for my fourth birthday: "honey, that's great but if we do that when you're four, whatever will we do when you're twelve?"

As with toys, in these cases I think less is more.

But just my humble opinion

Ok my daughter begged to have her ears peirced, I didn't have mine done til 6 because my grandmother took me to do it behind my mothers back. I realize now why my mother wanted to wait. Anyway I let her do it. However within 5 months she didn't want them anymore because she hated me cleaning them every day. She asked me to take them out and believe it or not she actually told me she wasn't ready and wanted to wait til later.

So really I wouldn't say not to do it because so and so didn't do it til they were a certain age. If you think she wouldn't mind the constant cleaning or the fact that not matter what they will get atleast a minor infection. Then why not. My daughter knows now that she doesn't want them and the holes have completely closed.

My husband and I had this discussion this week. I am waiting until she can take care and clean them herself....

My daughter got her ears pierced as a third birthday present. She had always been interested in mine so I figured why not. One day we were in the truck and I asked if she wanted to go do it? She said yes so off we went. I would recommend if possible to have both ears done at once. My daughter needed a few minutes in between to get over the prick. Thankfully, I had no problems with cleaning them and turning them like your supposed to. My daughter has gotten a few pairs of earrings as presents since. She is hesitant to change her earrings because she thinks it will hurt so we are working on that. Good luck with your decision!

I have a son and a possible girl on the way (50/50 chance!), and my hubbie and Ihave discussed getting ears pierced if it's a girl. I had mine done at birth and the same with my sister. We have decided that if we do have a girl, we will get her ears pierced at 3 months. We just think it'll be easier at that young age rather than later on. I know this doesn't solve your personal dilemma though! Sorry!

We pierced my daughter's ears before her first birthday. Just seemed easier that way. She cried for like 30 seconds and that was the end of it. And she's loved 'em ever since. She's 5 now, I guess I forgot to mention that.

I have a 5 yr son. My mom, pierced my ears when I was 4. I don't think it is a big deal to let a 3 yr have her ears pierced but that is what I think.

My daughter will be 3 next month. I have yet to pierce her ears. My ears were pierced at within 6 months of being born. And, my understanding, I played with them so much, that my ears now look like they're split. My daughter is sticking things in her ears, pulling at her pony tails and generally still discovering herself. I don't regret my decision to wait. I think it is up to the parent.

my daughter went through that fase a couple of months ago and she was saying well this girl has earings and i was like so that doesnt mean your getting any and she bugged me and bugged me and just kept saying no and finally she noticed i had a tiny little stud in my nose which ive had since she was 8 months and she is now nearlly 5 but i said nope not till your older i dont think they are responsible enoughat that age they need to keep them clean ect and also kids can get pretty rough there is a good chance that they could get ripped out when i was younger my mum wouldnt let us have them done till we were 12 and i wanted my nose done as well and she said nope not till you move out of home so i got one 12 months after i moved out of home and she actually liked it go figure haha thats what i think anyway ultimately it comes down to you and if you think she is responsible enough to have them good luck

i got my daughters ears pierced at 3 months we were lucky. she doesn't play with them. most of the time she doesn't even notice they are there. she has been wearing a necklace and bracelets since then also.
i suggest checking out clip-on's. i remember when mine were done, i was about 14 and it hurt like (all get out)heck.
you may want to talk to her to see if she understands that when its done she can't change them for atleat 6 weeks and have to keep them clean every day, twist them also. if you feel she doesn't quite understand then make her wait.
good luck!

My 5 year old has asked when she can get her ears pierced and I told her she needed to be old enough to take care of her body and her ears all by herself. I explained it was a big responsibility , blah blah blah. She agreed and said it was probably a good idea to wait until she was 16 ... she said it made sense that she should be able to get her ears pierced when she got her driver's license. I think I will wait until she is 12 and let her get them pierced if she wants. And that age may get as young as 8 depending on 1) how badly she bugs me and 2) how mature she is and if she demonstrates an ability to really take care of herself.

I had both my girls ears pierced at 3-4 months, before their Christenings. I think it's better to do it younger; they grow up thinking it's a part of them so they play with the earrings less and they are done so quickly that it's easier. I had my second's done in the mall and I paid first so as soon as the second ear was done I started walking and rocking her to the store across the hall which happened to be a maternity store went right into the dressing room and nursed her but she had stopped crying before we even got to the store! My first one's ears were done with a needle! That I would NEVER do again, one of the holes is crooked and I have to fiddle with it to change her earrings.

One of my twin girls started begging me to have her ears pierced once she started pre-school, and of course she saw a few of her friends with pretty earrings and she wanted them, I sort of brushed it off saying look your princess clip-ons look pretty but of course I would get the same reply "I'm not allowed to wear them to school", it became a daily issue of wanting earrings. Well finally I relented and we went to a mall were they do the piercings with the piercing gun there was a teenage boy before her and was watching him get his ears pierced, well that kid let out a big OUCHHHH! and she did not want to get hers pierced, well I thought that was the end of that......two months later it started all over again, it was sounding like a daily broken record, finally I took her to a proper piercing salon and she had them done there, she cryed a little but she was so determined to have them done that she actually did better than I thought because I think it hurt me more watching the guy put a needle through her ear, six weeks of turning and cleaning her ears with salt water and she finally got her little bling-bling earings , now she has three pairs which she changes and loves them, her twin sister refuses to have hers done because she cryed more than her sister watching her get her ears pierced. Good luck, I also believe beauty comes from within and children don't need all this fancy stuff to make them beautiful, but I finally gave in after about 6months of listening to that broken record..........

I THINK IF A 3 YEAR OLD WANTS THEIR EARS PIERCED LET THEM DO IT. WHAT IS REALLY STUPID ARE THOSE PEOPLE THAT GET THEIR LITTLE BABIES EARS PIERCED. FIRST OF ALL THE BABY DONT GIVE A CRAP IF THEIR EARS ARE PIERCED. SECOND WHY PUT AN INFANT THROUGH THAT PAIN? AND THIRD THE PARENTS ARE ONLY DOING IT SO THEY CAN PARADE THE BABY AROUND SAYING HOW CUTE SHE IS. TELL ME DO YOU THINK AN INFANT REALLY WANTS THEIR EARS PIERCED?