Children's Jewelry Safety & Information Guide - From First Earrings to What's in Style!
Everything You Need to Know About Finding the Right Jewelry for Your Daughter
If you’re like most moms, you have a lot of questions when it comes to children’s jewelry. You’re not alone! We tried to come up with a complete guide to help you navigate these questions we all face.
Baby Ear Piercing and Jewelry
Jewelry for baby girls has become extremely popular and for a good reason. Jewelry items make for excellent gifts, keepsakes, and of course, complement the cuteness of your little ones. No wonder then that ear piercing is high on the agenda of many young parents so that they can gift their baby girl her rst set of earrings. However, there are a few critical things to know before you plan such a thing.
Babies have extremely delicate skin that is prone to allergies and infections. So it is vital that you make the right choices for her; right choice of time to get the ears pierced, right metal that the jewelry is made of, right size, and of course whether the jewelry item is safe for the baby girl or not (kids have been known to accidentally swallow them). Let’s answer some of those questions in more detail.
What is the right time or age to pierce your daughter's ears?
In many European and Latin American countries, the tradition to pierce the ears right on the day a girl is born has existed for decades. The hospitals do the piercing before the babies go home. Medical experts recommend waiting for at least 3 months before you plan a piercing for your baby girl.
How soon can I change my daughter's rst or starter earrings?
The piercer will guide you about the exact time to wait before you change the rst earrings for your daughter. In general, experts recommend retaining them for at least 6 weeks. This is the time it takes for the piercing to heal completely. This duration also varies from person to person and the piercings for some babies make take a shorter or longer time to heal.
When the earrings are changed prematurely, there is the possibility that the ear piercing may close or an infection may take place. Hence, it is best to give the initial set of earrings sufficient time to heal.
Once healed, you will be able to consider ton of different options for babies earrings. Make sure you opt for baby earrings with a safety screw back design to ensure it remains in place.
Which is the right metal for my daughter's first pair of earrings?
The choice of right kind of metal for your baby’s rst earrings is important to ensure that her experience with them is trouble free. The main concern here is to ensure you use a metal that is free of nickel, lead, and cadmium, all hard metals that can cause an allergic reaction. The safest metals aregold (minimum 14k), andsterling silver. As important as the metal choice is the company who you are buying it from. We trust our factory partners immensely, but safety comes rst. At In Season Jewelry, we do rigorous internal testing of our jewelry to test for harmful components as well as the purity of the gold and silver in our metals. When you are selecting an earring for your baby, don’t forget to ask which metal it is made of as well as the testing regiment to ensure the metals are safe for use by children.
How do I care for my daughter's new ear piercing?
You know your daughter best mom! If you are concerned about her new ear piercing, consult your pediatrician immediately.
Caring for a new baby's ear piercings isn't as daunting as it may feel. Follow these simple steps to ensure that your daughter's new ear piercing heals safely:
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Wash your hands - Before you do anything, ensure you wash your hands thoroughly using anti-bacterial soap. This is extremely important as any germs you have on your hands, you can easily transfer to the new piercing and potentially cause a reaction or infection.
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After a relaxing bath, you want to clean the newly pierced earlobes as well as the earrings themselves. You will need a cleaning solution which you can purchase or make yourself.
The ideal cleaning solution is a saline wash. It will prevent the piercing from drying out and help maintain a good pH balance. This is readily available at your local pharmacy or larger retailers such as Walmart and Target. A good alternative to saline wash is a to use a mind soap and warm water. This is the traditional method used for centuries.
Using a cotton swab and a cleaning solution, clean the new piercings and the jewelry thoroughly. It is important to clean the new holes in the front and back parts of the ear lobe. For about 6 weeks, make sure to spin the earrings a couple of times per day to make sure that any build up is loosened. Keep all lotions away from new piercings as they can cause irritation.
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Check the earring backs often. They have a tendency to come off if your daughter's new earrings don't have safety screw backs. Especially after bath time and before bed, check to ensure that both backs are one securely. Consider buying replacement earring backs to have handy in case you lose one.
Safety First When it comes to Jewelry for Babies and Kids
When dealing with jewelry for young kids, the importance of safety can hardly be exaggerated. Consider the age of the child who will wear the piece. If you are gifting earrings, ensure that they come with a safety screwback mechanism so that they don’t yank off while the kid is playing. Similarly, children wearing rings, necklaces, and bracelets should be supervised by an adult at all times..
Finally, acknowledge that even young kids may have likes and preferences. If you observe that your child has a fascination for certain colors, cartoon characters, or shapes, try to gift them jewelry that matches these preferences in one way or the other. A gift of jewelry for your kids is a great way to make them feel loved and special. We just need to make sure that their experience with it is always safe!
What Size Jewelry Do I Buy for My Child?
Kids are constantly growing, so they will likely outgrow their jewelry items pretty fast! That said, it makes sense to take a moment and discuss the right size for your boy or girl. Earrings are more of a judgment call that mom or dad can make, but certain things like kids bracelets and necklaces do have standard sizing depending on your child’s age. For babies, ensuring the correct size is especially important because they may not be able to express if something is too tight or irritating.
These sizes are based on averages. Please keep in mind that your child may require something larger or smaller than is recommended in this guide. It is meant to give you a general idea on sizing, but the ultimate judge of that is you.
Necklace sizes for kids
The standard size forchildren's necklacesis 16 inches. Some smaller children and babies may have to grow into them, but we know how quickly that can happen.
Manually determining correct necklace size
Tape measure approach: Wrap a measuring tape around the base of the neck and then drape it to the desired spot where you would like the necklace to hang. The measurement you get is the correct necklace length. You can place the tape measure at different positions to get the correct size for different styles.
Size using ribbon or yarn: Wrap a piece of yarn or ribbon around the base of the neck and drape it to the desired spot. Measure that length against a ruler or tape measure and you have the correct necklace size.
Best Jewelry Options for Children
Now that we’ve covered the essentials of jewelry shopping for kids, let’s discuss the various options available in the market and which ones make sense for different age groups.
Necklaces: Necklaces make a great choice for children of all ages. They are easy to wear and can me mixed and matched with various outfits. Necklaces can be personalized and there are even monogram necklaces that a child can relate to as their personal item and feel loved and special. Necklaces with engraved names or initials are a very popular trend. Special care should be taken when a baby or toddler is wearing a necklace. Ensure they are supervised at all times. Necklaces can present a chocking hazard.
Earrings: Earrings are timeless pieces of jewelry that are perfect gift items for kids of all age groups. Right from infancy to teenage, the kids can enjoy various shapes, designs, and styles of earrings. They come with pretty gemstones, birthstones, and even fun cartoon characters.
Rings: Rings are recommended for slightly grown-up kids. Similar to necklaces, there are several personalization options, come in countless styles and forms, and you can have your kid’s birthstone engraved in them.
In addition, the following make for great inspiration for a jewelry gift:
- Jewelry inspired by elements of nature such as flowers, animals, butterflies etc.
- Heart and similar popular shapes
- Personalized charm bracelets and birthstone items
- Studs and smaller hoop styles
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