Inside: How to determine the best earrings for toddlers, with cute and safe earring ideas.
I love the idea of piercing my child’s ears at a toddler— I know this may be a tad controversial, but which little girl (and some little boys I’m sure too!) doesn’t want her ears pierced by eight anyway? I know I did, and all of my sisters!
So if you’re on the train I am, down to add a little sparkle to the little one’s ears, I’ve got some of the answers to your most pondered questions.
Wanting to make sure that their sensitive little ears stay safe is a major concern, as it should be, and you don’t want to cut corners here, even if you do so with your own piercings.
So let’s discuss what the best earring options are and how you can determine what choices you should make for your family.
The best thing to note is that you do have several options— and once you’ve done your own research, you should consult with your pediatrician.
When To Pierce A Toddler’s Ears
You’re going to find a variety of answers for this question!
Ultimately, you should consult your pediatrician for answers on this one! Since they know your baby and his or her health status. Pediatricians may even pierce them for you! If that’s the case, then you know that you can trust their process, advice, and jewelry options.
Generally speaking, your baby should be at least two months old before taking her to get her ears pierced. Some say much older, and I’m sure some of these people say so based on the ethical discussions on piercing a toddler’s ears.
How To Heal Piercings On A Toddler
Getting your toddler’s ears pierced can probably be a little nerve wracking! You can’t really make sure they follow all the rules all the time, and I’m sure they go above and beyond to let you know they’re uncomfortable and don’t let you forget it.
Your biggest challenge may be keeping them from touching the piercing too much, especially when it hurts. They don’t quite understand that touching it will only make it hurt more!
Do your best to instill in them the importance of not touching it at all, or making sure they wash their hands before they do.
When you’re cleaning it, make sure to wash your hands before you start the process! It is an open wound after all.
Use rubbing alcohol or a saline solution you get from the piercer. You can also create your own saline solution with salt and water if you need!
Typically you want to clean the area twice a day, but if your little one gets caught touching the piercing often, you may want to throw in a mid-day cleaning in there as well. Or if they are in a daycare or preschool where you may not see their unwashed hands touching it, it may not be a bad idea, just to be safe.
Leave the earrings in for the full healing time advised by your piercer, and use high quality jewelry! If you’re not too sure what that high quality is, let’s get into it.
Most Recommended Earrings For Toddlers
When looking for earring options for your little one, you’re likely going to find that the most common recommendations for her are going to be precious and pure metals such as pure gold and sterling silver.
Finding metals that are nickel free are great for anybody with piercings, especially if they are new to piercings and are not quite sure what sensitivities they have. Titanium is a great option for these as well, and you can check out my full titanium guide here. Especially for your little one you will likely want to avoid any materials that could be potentially problematic making the process more uncomfortable for them.
Nickel is a common irritant, so if you just keep an eye out for anything nickel free, you’re on the right track!
1. Gold Ducks
2. Gold Strawberries
3. Silver Puppies
4. Silver Hearts
Medical Plastic: Best Earrings For Toddlers?
This recommendation may come straight from your pediatrician as it isn’t a super common one.
If you haven’t heard of medical plastic earrings, it’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Earrings made from the same materials from which they make medical supplies.
One of the biggest benefits for these earrings is that they’re hypoallergenic, and not likely to irritate your baby’s ears. Lessening the irritation in the piercing lessens the chances of infection as well.
Generally, they also are capped on the ends so the pointy and slightly sharp end of the earring post is covered and won’t be poking the toddler’s head.
These are a great option for your little one’s new piercing! And here are some options below for you to check them out!
5. Rhinestone
6. Flowers
Best Styles And Backs For Toddlers
It’s so easy to get caught up in the cutest earrings you can find to dress your child up!
I remember growing up being so excited to dress my daughter however I want to while she’s a baby. I just know I’m going to want to put cute earrings on her to embellish the outfits even more!
But what are some practical features to look for with earrings to keep your baby safe?
When it comes to studs versus hoops, while mini hoops would be adorable, they’re entirely too tempting to pull on or get their little finger stuck in. To be on the safe side, let’s avoid the hoops trends on our baby girls!
Backs can be a little tricky. I touched on the fact that some of the medical plastic earrings come with backs that cap the end of the post so it doesn’t poke the back of the ear/head.
Security is another factor to keep in mind. If you can screw an earring back onto the post and feel how secure it is, that can eliminate the back falling off and becoming a choking hazard.
We obviously always want the most secure earrings, but this is a little more pertinent with toddlers.
So as you shop for your baby’s earrings, keep these things in mind!
Cute Earring Ideas For Toddlers
Alright, now you’re all excited to get this toddler some earrings! Here are some cute options to begin the shopping process.
7. Hearts
8. Butterflies
9. Studs
I hope this guide has helped you find the best earrings for toddlers to make this experience a good one! Piercing your toddler’s ears and going through this process is a journey but it will be so worth it! She will love them as she grows up and it will be so fun to buy her earrings in cute little styles for her tiny ears.
Making the right decisions for these kinds of situations for your children can be tough, but if you stay conscious of the kinds of metals or materials you get for her, you’ll be fine. Hypoallergenic is the key word to keep an eye out for while shopping for her earrings. Again: nickel free!
Always consult your pediatrician, and once you get the clear to go, go for it!
I think you’ll love these heart daith piercing ideas if you’re looking for some new piercing ideas for yourself! My favorite thing about wearing heart shaped hoops is that they’re fun and quirky and still super classic.