7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

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Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

I am not sure I would do it at 7 yo but yes I might consider it for my child if they did.

I know a few girls who did it in HS. They felt so self conscious. Would never wear a pony tail. I even worked with a guy in his early 30's who did it.

It's hard to judge people who do plastic surgery. We are not in their shoes.

I think the mom did it a bit too early but I know she is trying to prevent bullying

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

This just.. ugh!!!!!!!

She was a beautiful and perfect little girl.

I'm sorry I don't think I would EVER have my 7 year old undergo voluntary surgery to avoid teasing that she wasn't even AWARE of. Honestly.. it seemed like the mother had more of an issue than the child. And now? She's just taught her kid that it's NOT okay to be who you are and that you should bow to outside pressure to change and be 'normal' and fit in.

I'm sad. I'm sad for that little girl who has been given the message that she's not good enough and I'm sad for all the little girls she's sure to pass that message on to.

My nephew had ears that stuck out. He got teased when he was younger. My sister made sure he knew that he wasn't defined by his ears, his hands, his eyes, his hair or any other physical characteristic. Ultimately he DID get his ears pinned. When he was an adult and because he liked the way it looked on him - not because he was worried about what other people thought.

Message edited 4/15/2011 8:04:16 AM.

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

In this case I don't even bat an eyelash. No reason not to do it if the child wants it. There may have been her ears, but they actually were malformed since birth. A person would have to be very tough to deal with comments and stares. I am happy for the little girl. I agree with the dr, it's not a vanity issue. If your ears are malformed, I imagine you might want them repaired.

Message edited 4/15/2011 8:10:16 AM.

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

Im torn.

I don't really think her ears looked bad at all, especially with her hair down. I get that it is how it makes HER feel but I think the parents could have helped build up her self esteem a bit more. Maybe some therapy. The kid is only 7 years old.

However, it is probably best to take care of this at a younger age instead of her going through life miserable and having to take care of it later in life.

In the end Im glad that it seemed like it was MORE of the little girls choice and that she feels better about herself. However, kids will find something else to make fun of her for, because sadly, this is what so many kids do.


In most cases I think PS is ridiculous. My cousin paid for her 17 yr old daughter to get a boob job. She wanted them bigger. The girl has a great figure (skinny) and is beautiful. I think its sad that they paid for this. Now at 21 she had a nose job. When does it end?

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

I find this incredibly sad, and so reflective of our "immediate fix-it" mentality in this Country. The little girl even said herself she wasn't being teased - why in the world would you put your child through SURGERY, including anesthesia, which is a risk for a 7 year old, merely for preventive and vanity purposes?

Ok, yeah, I get it, she could be the subject of teasing. I was too, as a kid, because I had a learning disability, which was NOT something I could physically change. And you know what my parents did? At a very young age, they coached me through it and gave me the tools to deal with it, so that I could handle similar adversities in my life down the road with grace.

Adversity is a GOOD thing in my opinion - it builds character, as long as you have strong, engaged parents who are walking that path along with you the whole way. I would never, ever consider doing something like that for my child - if I ever heard that she was being teased, and trust me, Alex has had her fair share, I engage directly with her to teach her the skills to deal with it directly.

Yes, I understand if there is a serious deformity, like a cleft lip, the benefits of surgery may outweigh everything else. But, I just don't see the issue - she was an adorable little girl, with no glaring deformities, in my opinion.

So sad

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

Watching this brought tears to my eyes.

I was born with a malformed ear (much worse than hers). I had SIX surgeries as a child to try and fix it, starting when I was only 3 years old.

I was teased as a kid because of my ear. But the worst memories of my childhood that haunt me to this day? Those f#$% operations.

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

Posted by Annie91606

Watching this brought tears to my eyes.

I was born with a malformed ear (much worse than hers). I had SIX surgeries as a child to try and fix it, starting when I was only 3 years old.

I was teased as a kid because of my ear. But the worst memories of my childhood that haunt me to this day? Those f#$% operations.

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

I dont think this is right altough I wont really get into debate about it. I will say she looked much cuter with the old ears.

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

My youngest brother had a similar surgery at about the same age.

At the time - I was against it...I remember thinking it was being done for my step-mom's vanity....

But I saw what it did for my brother... how he was much less self conscious, he came out of his shell, the teasing stopped and then so did his outbursts at school. I saw the positive outcome that came of it.

Would I agree to random plastic surgery for every child? No. But I do think that some things may warrant looking in to, if it will help the child mentally as well as physically.

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

Ugh - this makes me so sad...it really does seem to be the mother's problem. I do agree with her that adults can be bad, though. Several people have made comments to me about my son's "cup ears" (as I just learned they're called) and it's bothered me, but I just told them to shut up because I think he looks perfect. I was so surprised that people had the balls to say something...Even so, it never occurred to me that he might get bullied for it later on. He still looks perfect to me & I would never change a thing about him

Truth is, I was picked on a lot as a kid for my height (I was 5'6" by 5th grade)...are my childhood memories ruined? No. They're admittedly not all great, but it's a part of growing up & it's what made me who I am. I think that we all go through it to a degree & it's what makes us who we are...so I don't think that altering your child to avoid *maybe* being picked on is the way to go

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

I had a very large birthmark on my neck- it was ugly and very conspicuous. I hated it. I wore turtlenecks whenver possible, as long as I could stand it into the warm weather. When I was 9, I had surgery to remove it.

I rember the first time I got a look in the mirror of myself afterwards, to not see it. I was so happy. Up till then I had dealt with adults and kids making comments and asking questions, along the lines of "Ew, what is that?" So I relate to the mom's feelings. I guess for me, a lot would depend on how much was the kid's decision.

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

omg !!! i thought she looked fine.

i mean really lets be honest the kid has a really big forehead. kids could make fun and bully her for that too. is she going to want that fixed too one day?

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

I know kids are cruel, but her ears weren't THAT bad. And she's so young, she might've grown into them! I mean, every kid/teen goes through an awkward phase.

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

My ears stuck out A LOT as kid...

I used to BEG ... BEGGGGGG for my parents to do this for me.

'You'll grow into them.'

'They're cute.'


People used to make fun of me all the time. I got called all of the names.

So did I grow into them?

Sort of. They aren't so prominent but I'd still look way cuter with 'regular' ears.




If my kids end up with ears like mine and they want to get this done -- I'll do what I can to help them make that happen.

I'd still love to get this done for myself.

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

I have a friend who has ears that stick out and she was teased..."HEY DUMBO...FLAP YOUR EARS AND FLY AWAY DUMBO...." She used to cry. Kids are so cruel She is an adult now and looked into surgery a few years ago but decided against it.

I cant hear the sound on the video but my opinion if there is something that my child is so self conscious about and makes her feel bad about herself, I'd have it done. i dont know at what age though

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

I watched the video and kept waiting for them to show the little girl saying how she was bullied, but they never did. It was all the mom's POV and how she wanted to 'prevent' her daughter from potentially being bullied in the future.

IMO its not something i'd do to a 7 year old - i don't know why she couldn't have helped her daughter love herself for who she is, instead of teaching her that she was somehow imperfect and needed to be fixed.

She had a really cute face, and her ears weren't that bad, especially when her hair covered them. It just seemed to be a rather extreme fix for something that didn't seem to be a big issue in the first place.

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I was made fun as a child (teeth related, which I had fixed) and I'm 36 and I still think about the names I was called.

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

I get how hard it is being a kid. I get that kids can be real JERKS. When Robbie first got his glasses he was teased. But you know my proudest moment? He didn't care. He has centered enough and sure enough of himself that he didn't put more stock in the words of his peers than in how he felt about himself. Noah gets teased A LOT because he is small. They call him Tiny, they call him Squirt. He gets annoyed.. but he doesn't take it to heart. He gets that he's worth more than the height from the tip of his head to his toes. And you know what? I take some of that credit because I have told these kids over and over and over that what you see is NOT the whole story. That they are loved, they are valued, they are smart, they are beautiful.

I just feel like that little girl - whose ears were NOT that bad - doesn't think that what she looks like defines her self worth becuase of this. Because what happens when they tease her about her freckles? Do they bleach her skin? What if she needs glasses? Do they give her Lasik? What if her boobs are smaller than her friends when she's older - do they buy her a new pair? Where do you draw the line with this lesson? When is it enough to say "You know what - it doesn't matter what ANYONE thinks.. I know I'm beautiful"

And again - in that video she did not seem to be the one who initiated the conversation about getting the surgery. She didn't seem remotely bothered by her ears. She said she wasn't really teased. Her mother did it to PREVENT teasing in the future. It's just.. to me.. the wrong message. BUT - not my kid. I just hope that the girl doesn't wind up with an obsession with physical perfection that leads to her teasing someone else for bad teeth, big ears or whatnot.

Message edited 4/15/2011 10:17:49 AM.

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

I remember 2 friends getting their ears pinned back in the 1980's.

I started the orthodontist when I was 8. Oral surgery and braces by 9-10. Was my mom being vain? Why do parents pay for braces? They dont want their kids to have a snaggletooth smile. And they dont want their kids to have ears that look like open car doors.

This is not a big deal at all.

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

My gorgeous sister was TORTURED because of her ears. It was seriously awful.

She went to school with a huge group of nasty girls. They taunted her (aside from her small group of friends), called her dumbo and elf...real nice. She was athletic, beautiful and a great singer...but she shied away from a lot because of the teasing.

She had surgery at 13 and it was the best thing she could have ever done. They didn't want to do it earlier because she wasn't really done growing, but at 13 it was considered ok.

My whole family has ears that stick out. Just something we all have. Mine are not awful but i was always self conscious.

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies

wow its not even that bad.
i know theres kids who prob would need it more than her esp since she got it for free.
i actually think she looks better with the old ears.

Re: 7 year old Child Gets Plastic Surgery to Avoid Bullies