How old for ear piercing?

[Confessionsofashopoholic]

My daughter is 5 and has been asking for her ears to be pierced for about a year now. I said in the summer holidays she could have them pierced but now I’m worried it’s too young. What is the general sort of age that people have taken their children to get their ears pierced, is 5 too young?

It was post Primary school for us
But DD decided not to have them done anyway until she was 14

Dd was holding out for 11, but gave in to Gdd for her 10th birthday.

I said no to dds until they were 13, but that was ages ago now.
Personally I think 5 is way too young, but of course in some cultures it’s normal to pierce even babies’ ears.

Well, yes I am.

Would you allow your child to dye their hair bright orange,via bleaching?
Probably not.

It's about making permanent/big body changes.

Why is one okay,and not the other?

Seriously, if you'd never heard of piercing and someone came up to you and said "hi, shall I put a needle in your child's ear to make a hole, so they can wear a piece of jewellery, that you will have to clean and maintain for the next few weeks, in order for her to look pretty. Oh yes, it will hurt a bit. And yes, she'll have to cover it up for sports and whatnot, but at least she'll look pretty".

Wouldn't you think that madness?

Would it be okay for your 6 year old to get a belly button piercing? Tongue piercing?

If not, why not? What's so different about ears and belly button?

And also, could you remove the holes from your piercing?

For me the question is if a 6/7/8 year old asks to have their ears pierced would you agree? Your scenario misses that point completely.

Earrings seem to appeal to young children in a way that tongue piercing or bleaching hair does not, hence why it is not being discussed as regularly. I know in our case my dd asked because her friends, sister and mum all wore earrings. She had to wait and she had to have a needle. That was my non negotiable.

My dd does like the hair colour sprays and chalks. I would have no issue with dying the tips of her hair either.

No. Unless I had had them done more recently and they could grow over. It’s been 40 years since my first piercings.

My daughter just had hers done at the end of year6. Loads of her friends have done the same. My daughter had no interest until a couple of months ago and then asked when I had mine done. She asked about the process a few times and then asked me if she could get it done. She then took a couple of weeks to ask her dad. She thought he would say no but he wasn’t bothered at all (I knew that but wanted her to manage the process herself). She has been pretty responsible about asking for them to be taped up for sports and reminding us to clean them. I think her approach so far has shown she was mature enough at that age.

I would check what the schools policy is because at ours they have to be removed for PE - there is no option to tape them. So unless you do it at the start or the summer holidays there’s not really time for them to heal.