ear piercing.. what age?

[ditsydoll]

Just wondering what age you would deem suitable for your dds to have their ears pierced?

When they are able to look after them themselves. DD1 was fine age 6. Dd2, not a chance.

Bowing out of this thread now, as it will get heated.

I had to wait until i was 16 but i let mine get theirs done when they were 8.

16

13

I got mine done for my 10th birthday. I was old enough to understand the logistics of it, and deal with the cleaning/removing earrings when necessary.

I think as long as the child is able to do that, then it's an acceptable age.

12

I had mine done in the summer holidays before I started high school as did most of my friends. Same for my stepdaughters.

I took my dd for her ninth birthday. She asked me to get them done and I felt she was old enough to take care of them properly.

10/11 ish. Not before 10, unless they were 10 at the end of the summer/early autumn or something and you wanted to get them done at the start of the holidays.

On very little girls I think it looks a bit tacky.

I have never had mine done but I guess once they are old enough to know how it's done and can look after them correctly. I'd probably say about 10/11.

16

At the start of the summer holidays between primary and secondary. Or perhaps a couple of weeks before that so she can show them off just before she leaves.

My dd1 had hers done at 8. A treat for working hard at something.

Dd2 had hers done at 3. Her choice, but I was keen to get it over with as dd1 has always had a lot of trouble with having to take them out for dance/sport etc and then having a paddy because she's lost them/can't get them back in!

Dd2 hasn't ever had any trouble with hers. Dd1s have become infected and sore at times.

I had mine done at 3. Rarely wear earrings now but can if I want.

16

The summer between primary and high school so 11 yes old.

ARF at waiting til 16 by then I had two holes in the bottom of each ear, one in the top of my ear and my nose pierced.

I was 6 and had no problems looking after my piercings.

DD had them done for her 11th birthday, at the start of the school holidays before secodary school.
She had second piercings done in the ear lobes last Christmas IIRC, aged 13.
She now wants a cartilage piercing in one ear for Christmas.

DH thinks she will be a sieve before long!

Mine (and a whole bunch of their friends) formed a (fairly) orderly queue at the only salon in the town that does it on the first morning of the summer holidays when they were 13.

Judgey pants were hoicked at any family who allowed ear piercing at primary school or younger.

Agree no point in doing it until child is old enough to make an informed choice about it and understand how to care for the new piercing him or herself.

I think waiting until 16 is a little over the top even though i had to wait until then My DD were told they could have their ears pierced age 8 as long as they looked after then properly. Then a second set of piercing at 14 if they wanted. Any other piercings/tattoos they had to wait till they could consent to them themselves.

I thought around 11/12 myself. My Dd is only 4 so wasn't asking for myself! My niece is not impressed because she's apparently the only one in the year without her ears pierced (she's 9) and her mum asked my opinion. She's quite sensible but I think waiting maybe until the next school holidays is a good idea.

Dd1 was 10 - start of summer hols, she'd turned 10 in feb.

Dd2 was 9 - it was about 8 weeks ago, she's 10 in a fortnight. My brother was getting married, she wanted pretty earrings so (as it's the "last" family wedding before their generation) we got it done and she's been great with it.

Dd1 is 13 and got a second row in time for the wedding. I'm am now officially The Coolest Mum Ever (TM).

16 for me as well but it's a cultural and social thing. For me, earrings are for adults.

I have promised DD she can have them done at 11 although she is piling on the pressure at 8 years of age . I think that's soon enough. I didn't get mine done until I was 21!

The afternoon you break up from year 6. ie first day of summer hols before starting high school. Is a rite of passage innit? Plus gives the ears long enough to heal before they have to take them out for PE in the first term.

DD wanted hers done at 6 - I said absolutely not, despite having mine done at that age (she doesn't know that and hasn't thought to ask how old I was yet!).

However, a few months later a friend of hers developed an infection where she had had her ear's pierced on one side which was horrible and painful for her. That seems to have put DD off as she's not mentioned it since!