6yo asking to have her ears pierced...

[Whatsername17]

Wibu to let her? I'm thinking at the beginning of the holiday so they have time to heal ready for school. I didn't anticipate her asking this of me so young.

[Nelly5678]

As she's asked I'd let her but by a professional with a needle, no gun.

[Morphene]

Ha yes, good one OP. Little girls wanting ears pierced is definitely a sign of maturity and personal choice, and not at all to do with peer pressure, or a societal over emphasis on appearance.

It isn't a free choice, or an expression of personal control over your body when everything around you is telling you to do it you know....

[Loulalollipop]

Both my girls were 6, eldest is now nearly 11 and youngest 7, we had no issues at all. When they first asked (both at around 5) I said to wait until the summer between year 1 and year 2 and that it does hurt etc (not trying to put them off but I did want to make sure they were sure and knew it wasn't painfree) both changed their minds because they were worried about pain and then both were offered as we walked past (the dreaded) Claire's and both said yes!!! (I wasn't expecting them to!) Eldest dd is a wimp with pain but she didn't make a fuss and youngests eyes watered but was soon happy when handed a lolly! After the 6 weeks I showed them how to put micropore over them for p.e and put a roll in their book bags. They now take them out and sort them themselves. As pp has said it all depends on your child and how you think they'll cope.

[HulkJuice]

I had my ears pierced when I was a few months old, every little girl I know has theirs pierced too, if I was Mum to a girl I would have probably got hers pierced before she was one.

[amusedbush]

I was 6 when I had mine done. To echo others though, please don't go to anyone who pierces with a gun. They can't be sterilised properly and cause horrible blunt tissue damage.

A needle used by a qualified, licenced piercer is the only way to go.

[SuperBeagle]

I got mine at 7.

I can remember getting them done, so I think that's a perfectly acceptable age. I wanted them done and have never regretted it.

[iogo]

I let my dd get hers done last summer when she was 8. She's a mature 8 but tbh, I wish I'd made her wait. We went to a proper piercer, I supervised her cleaning them and she still ended up with an infection on one side.

I echo those saying avoid piercing guns, take your time choosing and go to a proper piercing studio.

[Clandestino]

I had my done when I was a baby, it was the norm then. My nieces had all their ears pierced at you g age too. The advantage is, it's over and done with and no trouble with the cleaning.
I see no problem with ear piercing.

[KC225]

I dislike it on very young children. My daughter has been pestering me for years but I have said 'no'. I had mine done at 13 and told her Granny wad also 13 (not true) but she has accepted this as a family rule.

It's interesting what the piercer said, I had never considered that the holes position could change due to the ears growing.

[highlander74]

My DD got her ears pierced when she was 6.5 - she'd been asking for a year and she watched a ton of you tube vids so she knew it would be painful etc. she wears studs and has taken them out a few times but no issues at all. Loads of the girls at her school have them done - we are not in the UK tho. I don't think it's that big a deal in the scheme of things - completely up to you and your daughter OP.

[LottieandMia]

6 is fine. And also, Claire's is fine contrary to the snobbery that surrounds it on here.

[LottieandMia]

It is a fairly typical request. Another thing to bear in mind is that senior schools don't allow earrings of any kind but primary schools are ok if taken out for PE. So if she has it done now by the time she gets to senior school she'll be able to take them out without them closing up.

[Whatsername17]

Morphene I can safely say dd wanting her ears pierced has nothing to do with peer pressure. FYI, she wants her ears pierced because her daddy has multiple ear piercings and she wants to be like him. I have my ears pierced but do not wear earrings. You are making a heck of a lot of assumptions about 'society's' influence on my daughter when you don't actually know her or me. As a teacher I am more than aware of how young people can be negatively influenced and I'm raising two little girls to think for themselves. My dd was encouraged to choose a hobby and she chose rock climbing, rugby and swimming. She was involved in the decoration of her bedroom and chose yo have it painted purple with a fake lawn on top of the bed that dh built because she wanted an indoor garden. We painted the nursery blue for dd2 because we liked the colour - dd1 chose the colour. Dd will watch her dad take 3 months paternity leave whilst I further my career. She'd sooner dress up as a pirate than a princess and she's obsessed with Monkey's. These are interests she has discovered for herself because her dad and I do not hold the mentality that little girls should conform to any prescribed role. We are letting her discover herself and support the choices she makes. The thing is, sometimes little girls like pink and sparkly, because they do. Sometimes little boys do too. A true progressive thinker wouldn't deny either of them.

[Paninotogo]

Obsessed with Monkey's what?
I also don't get the British snobbery surrounding ear piercing.

[Paninotogo]

Claire's use a gun LottieandMia, being opposed to that really has nothing to do with snobbery.

[MaisyPops]

I had mine done at 10 on the understanding it was my job to clean them, the old salty water routine etc.

End of primary is probably more reasonable.

[BitchQueen90]

I don't think 6 is too young. Most girls at my school all had ours done by then. I don't see any problem with it. But yeah I wouldn't go to Claire's, only a proper qualified piercing place.

[SavoyCabbage]

I struggled to find somewhere that would pierce my dd with a needle,and she is twelve.

[Westray]

Claire's is good. Personally I would wait until at least 12.

Guns are fast, and relatively painless.

Needles are only really required for cartlidge piercing.

[kashleesi]

I think it's fine-they can always be taken out. I had mine done as a baby and I'm glad as I can't remember it at all.

Had the piercing debate with a group of people before a christening once, they thought it was near on child abuse to pierce a babies ears when the baby didn't know what was going on. Then they went into a church and forced the baby into a religion he knew nothing about either (not starting a debate about religion here sorry-I just thought it was ironic at the time)

[KingPrawnOkay]

Had mine done at 6/7 and I was the first in my class. Had them done at Claire's so they got infected mind and I get to get them done again. I don't think it's too young at all if she understands all the faff she may have to do for school. Definitely go to a proper piercer though, needles hurt less than the gun and their far more sterile. Plus Claire's workers only practice piercing on teddy bears (or used to) right before moving onto piercing your little kids.

[RainbowsAndUnicorn]

Our rule is teenage years only, not before. They don't heal and they need to be old enough to understand the permanent mark/hole that they are making to their body.

Earnings on babies and small children just look common, they don't need accessories of that nature as a chid.

Not to mention they are a pain for schools re PE etc.

[SoupDragon]

Another thing to bear in mind is that senior schools don't allow earrings of any kind

That's simply not true.

[Whatsername17]

She collects Monkeys - she's got over 30 in some form or another. I was just describing an aspect of her lovely personality.

[LottieandMia]

It's true where I live Soupdragon with the exception of independent schools. It probably does depend on the LA you're in.