DD Aged 5 wants her ears pierced!

[PFB1]

DD is asking me to have her ears pierced. I initially said she can once she's older but she's really keen to have it done.

Is 5 way too young? My mum was extremely strict so I don't feel like I have any guide as to what is reasonable and what's not.

Would appreciate some advice.

Thanks.

So does mine. I said no. Not a chance!

Very varying views on this one.

Some say it's abusive and some say each to their own.

I say each to their own.

If she wants them done, and is insisting on it, tell her you'll allow her to get them done the beginning of the summer holidays. If she still wants them done, then let her have it done.

She's 5 say no.

Better check school rules - our primary is no earrings full stop. This term they gave a little leeway for about 2 weeks after summer holidays but that was it. The thought of having to put them in every evening and take out every morning is too much work!

My oldest dd has done at end of y6 and many of her friends were the same.

Mine asks me this every so often. She is also 5. I tell her no, she will have to wait until she is 14, which is what my mum told me! I wasn't bothered when I got to 14, had it done at 16.

I think it's too young, they'll have to be taped for PE, could get infected, and then you have to twizzle them and bathe them every so often.

This is one of those subjects that invariably ends up as a mahoosive bunfight on Mumsnet, so you'll have many many many different opinions to give you food for thought op!

I would offer DD have them done at end of primary but DH flatly refused to let her,and as I wasn't massively bothered I'm happy to back him up. DD was gutted but weirdly now she's at high school she's not bothered.

My 6 year old asked for them done as well . I told her it would hurt and explained what would happen .
She changed her mind 😁

Too young to take care of them during the healing process by herself and too young to properly make a decision that will permanently change her body. A minor change but all the same. Not old enough.

Plus let's be honest it does look grim when a very young child is wearing earrings. People will hoik and say that's snobbery but you know it's true.

Yeah, it’s worth checking school rules. Where I live, there’s a blanket rule across the county that they do not permit earlobes to be taped for PE. Cue mums standing outside the classroom in the morning removing studs, and trying to get them back in as soon as the child comes out at 3pm. That’s a long time for newly pierced ears not to have jewellery in. Not worth the pain, IMO.

Too young. DD got hers done at 12.

My DD5 just spent 5 minutes screaming in pain because I took the plaster off her knee. Could your DD tolerate the discomfort of the piercing and when they were healing because mine definitely couldn’t!

I told mine they could have them done early in the July when they were 10 as they are not allowed to wear earrings for games at school and they are not allowed to take them out for 6 weeks after they are done so it has to be the summer holidays.

It will buy you time and if she keeps asking you can make a judgement then.

I had mine done at 11 and let Dd get hers done at 9 after a LOT of discussions about pain, keeping them clean ect.

My dd had her ears pierced aged 5. I hadn't planned on letting her until she was about 10 but she kept on and on about it. For about 6 months. I explained it would hurt a bit and she'd have to let me clean them. We asked her dad who I thought would say no, but he didn't mind so we did it after the Christmas. She let me clean them, has never taken them out without me doing it and has only ever worn gold studs and not cheap metals that can cause infections. They healed up well and never got infected. She's now 10. She had a couple of friends who had it done and who took them out too soon or swapped for rubbish earrings who got them infected so I suppose it depends how responsible your dad would be about it. My dd is glad she got it over and done with them and doesn't regret it.

• dd not dad.

Yep 10yrs is about right. Even then my (then 10yr old), managed to get them infected and she couldn't wear them for a long time after that. The other thing is ears grow and some folks find that the hole ends up in the wrong place by adulthood (mainly too low on the lobe). I'd say wait. Rights of passage are nice and preparing for secondary transition with the choice to get ears pierced is about right.

I said I would prefer my DD not to at the same age but also told her it is her body and her choice and showed her some youtube videos to try and put her off/show her it is painful. she was still keen so I agreed we would in the summer holidays, DH intervened and said absolutely not totally undermining my body autonomy chat in the process and she has sort of forgotten about it since. I would allow it though

Dd was so keen aged 5. I said she could have then done at 10 and but when she git to 10 she didnt want to. She is 12 and sayd will never pierce them so lets see, not worried about pain just no longer likes the look.

I had mine done at 10 in summer before secondary. Loved having pierced ears all my teen years but massively regret decision now.

Nope. Too young.

My dd wanted hers done at 5 too, was 5 in the February and got them done in October half term that year.
I also had mine done at 5 so felt it would be mean to say no.

Little did I realise that school did not allow earings at all. When I was at the same school many years ago we were allowed to and honestly didn't know.

My ds was already in secondary school then and he had been to the same school but obviously earings weren't an issue with him.
They closed over by Christmas. £50 down the drain.
She is now nearly 8 and hasn't asked again!
There are 3 primary schools in our village and the other 2 allow them.

The best time would be during the 6 week summer holidays to give them time to heal.

Dd won't be getting hers done again until secondary school if she wants to.

My 6 year old had them done in summer. She was really keen. It's her body. I wasn't bothered either way. Her dad talked to her a lot about why she wanted them done and he was happy for her to do it. They have healed fine. She let me clean them no worries. Ultimately do what feels right. Like you OP my mum was super strict and I was 15 and the last of my mates. Probably why I was so laid back about it.

My sister and I had ours done at the beginning of the summer holidays at the end of year 6. Gave 6 weeks to heal and we were old enough to take care of them ourselves. I will be doing the same with my DD.

Dd was 10 and they took much longer than the much quoted 6 weeks before they were ok. She had to have them taped in school and removed for pe, which she could do but wouldn’t have been able to do at 5.

I had Dd's done as a baby (shoot me now)