Ear piercing - who's right?

[Fiirefly]

Posting in AIBU for traffic. My daughter is 7 and has been asking for a long time now to get her ears pierced. I have no issue with this, I was younger than her when I had mine done. If she was going to get them done it would be at the start of the six weeks holidays (whether it's this year or any other year) to give them chance to heal so for PE at school she'd be able to take them out. I understand (rightly or wrongly) you shouldn't take them out in the first six weeks as it's not properly healed yet.

Her dad, my ex husband, hates the idea and doesn't want her to get them pierced.

Would it be fair of me to take her to get them done if he's so against it?

Happy to hear I'm unreasonable if that's the case. I just don't know what the right course of action is.

Tongue, nipple are not comparable because they’re not just piecing bits of skin. There’s cartilage, veins to consider etc. They’re higher risk piercings. Plus the aftercare for tongue can be tricky!

Ok so you'd be fine with piercing a young childs eyebrow then? Or lip? Because they don't present those problems.

Ok so you'd be fine with piercing a young childs eyebrow then? Or lip? Because they don't present those problems

Actually again a much different piercing experience than lobe. With further associated risks.

I'm not saying that people need to agree with ear piercing, but I do think people should realise that for a large proportion of the population it's seen in a different light to other piercings

I know that. What I'm saying is that its an arbitrary and silly distinction that makes little sense when you break it down. When you take away the cultural acceptance of it and talk about what you are actually doing: ie taking sharp metal and purposefully forcing it through a childs flesh to make holes to hang bits of metal in, for purely aesthetic purposes..then you start to see it for what it really is.

Also, would you pierce a ten year old boys ears? If not, ask yourself why and why you feel the need to bodily modify your girls.

Also, would you pierce a ten year old boys ears

I only have a daughter but would have no issue in applying the same rules to either a boy or girl.

My DD has hers done at 10. I had mine done at 5 and was onto second holes at 11.

If I had a son and he wanted an ear piercing I'd be in the same predicament and asking for the same advice as I am now. Plenty of boys have theirs done. My brother has his ear lobe pierced at about 10 years old.

I think 7 is old enough to decide. Also think it'd such a socially conventional piercing that it's not going to be regretted (for example in the same way people may regret a tattoo)

However none of that is really relevant. If he has equal say in parenting I think you need to speak to him and find out his issue (and maybe overcome it) and what age ideally he'd like her to wait til then meet in the middle.

I had mine done when I was a baby so for me I wouldn't have a problem at all. If we have a daughter hers will be done as soon as she's old enough, like mine were.

I don't think 7 is too young, I was 6 when I got mine done and I loved being able to get fun little earrings.

Two votes against one, tough shit EXH!