Father Furious after Wife Gets Their Baby's Ears Pierced behind His Back

A father was left furious after his wife went behind his back to pierce their baby girl's ears two months after her birth. He shared the story with Redditors, asking to know if he overreacted.

Certain milestones in a child's life need to be crossed with the consent of both parents. However, the parents may sometimes have varying preferences that contradict each other.

In such cases, a compromise has to be reached, and in most cases, the decision is put off until the child is older and able to decide for themself. But what happens when one parent scales a milestone in the child's life behind the other's back, knowing they'd disapprove?

Such was the case of Reddit user @carefulosophy6. The dad took to the platform to recount an experience that has left him furious with his wife, involving their two-month-old daughter, Alicia.

He explained that he and his wife had been debating over whether or not to pierce their daughter's ears even before she was born.

While the new mom considered piercing as a normal thing given her culture, the dad felt differently and was uncomfortable putting his baby through the painful ordeal.

In his opinion, it would be best for their daughter to decide to go through the process when she becomes older. The couple was yet to reach a conclusion when the dad returned home one day to find Alicia's ears pierced.

He explained that his wife had taken the baby out earlier to spend a day with her family. His wife's family decided to "make a day of it" and get the piercing over with.

In annoyance, the dad removed the earrings and threw them away. His wife immediately reciprocated his anger, calling his actions disrespectful.

She went on to move out of his room and had been giving him the silent treatment ever since. Despite his wife's reservations, the Redditor feels he did the right thing. Defending his actions, he explained:

"She got them pierced without asking me, (or more importantly, asking Alicia). So I took them out because our baby doesn't need bits of metal sticking out of her ears."

Notwithstanding his conviction, the furious dad wasted to know what Redditors thought of his action. Reddit users were keen to give their verdict on the matter, with the majority upvoting him. One user commented:

"I'm of the opinion that a cultural norm that impedes another person's bodily autonomy is not a cultural norm worth following, especially ones that can cause long-term damage."

Other users insisted the man was just as guilty as his wife for forcefully removing the earring without his daughter's consent, knowing the deed had already been done. A comment read:

"Removing a brand new piercing without taking precautions can be painful and potentially leave a baby's ears susceptible to infection if the holes aren't cared for properly. The only innocent here is the baby girl."

Most users debated on what was considered the right time to pierce a baby's ears. While some believed it was convenient to do it while at infancy, others insisted the decision was up to the child when they grew older.

Notably, experts often suggest 2 months old as the appropriate time to do so, as it coincides with the period of infant vaccination, hence, poses a lower risk of infection or localized pain.