When is a good age for pierced ears?

[imnotreally]

My daughter is nearly 6. Her best friend st school had her ears pierced in the holidays. Some of the other girls have theirs done too.

I've never had a specific age in mind and I'm not anti young children having their ears pierced but I do have a few worries as she's now asking for hers to be done.

She's a complete wuss. Tiniest thing and she cries. I'm also worried about how well she will keep them clean. And scared they might get pulled in school.

Also I have another DD who is nearly 10 and has never shown any interest in having her ears done. But she has asd and ADHD and I don't want her having hers done because she isn't capable of looking after them. But I'm also worried that if her sister has her ears done she will want hers done.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated!!!!

[WatchingFromTheWings]

When they're able to keep the new piercings clean themselves then I'd say they're old enough to get them done. My daughter was 12. DN was 7 having hers done. You'd swear her mother was trying to cut her ears off the way she played up when it came to cleaning them!

[user1474551282]

When they are 12 and still want it done and can look after them. Do you not think little girls with pierced ears look cheap and tacky? Im from a working class background and piercing kids ears is the norm, however I can fully appreciate the fact it looks horrendous, and why people look down on it. So I would wait.

[kilmuir]

10/11

[RiverTam]

I'm thinking no younger than 10 for DD, shoukd she wish it. Very few girls at school have had them done (she's yr 2), plus she's very active and they are banned at her gymnastics club do I really don't see the point.

[ProfYaffle]

My dd1 had hers done in the summer holidays after Year 6. tbh I'm really glad we didn't have it done earlier due to the fuss and stress of keeping them clean. Dd2 was 8 at the time and it horrified her so much she swears she not having hers done!

[LadySilvia]

I get that piercing early can be frowned upon, but just to add another perspective: I had my ears pierced very young - probably 2 or 3yo and not an age I'd consider 'right' these days. I had plain gold studs in for years without really bothering with them. I then went on to have a second set of lobe piercings at 12; took care of them myself etc.

These days I rarely wear earrings (nights out etc) and only the initial piercings have remained. For this reason I'd probably allow piercing as soon as DD is mature enough to request it. That way (if my piercings/healing are anything to go by!) she has the option, as I do.

[pepperpot99]

Mine had hers done in between year 3 and 4.