AIBU to get 6 year old get ear piercings?

[MRIELA]

Hello all, my 6 year old has been asking for months for ear piercings (her cousin got them at 5) , I have talked to her about the importance of daily cleaning, that there is always risk of infection etc and havent brought it uo myself until she asks if I have made an appointment yet and when could I make one. I talked to local piercing salons, of course needle piercings are the best but they dont deal with customers under 14. Which brings me to Claires (or does anyone know another better place perhaps?)- I had gun piercings myself at 7 and luckily had no problems, must say I am in my 30s and would still let no one near me with a needle :). Was I lucky because I read a lot of negative things about gun piercings, does anyone have any good/bad experiences with a younger child,any regrets or all went well?

My dd was 10. She said it hurt a lot more than she expected (and she’s quite brave). They took a year to heal properly (to be able to leave earrings out and put in easily). I’d be worried a 6 year old may refuse the second ear if the first hurt a lot!

Personally I'd say she could wait until 15 and then take the decision for herself. The thought of allowing a piercing on a small child makes me feel sick.

some people are snobby about gun piercings but it reality it’s all fine and the end result is the same. If your daughter is mature enough then it’s your / her decision.

Personally I would wait till they were older.

I'd wait too.
She's pestering because her cousin has pierced ears, maybe?
Can you still get clip on earrings? I'd get those for now!

I'd wait until she's old enough to make a properly informed decision, so at least 11. I know you've explained stuff to her, but you also know she doesn't really understand the possible consequences.

It's good practise for you saying 'no' and meaning it and good for her to hear 'no' and accept it. You'll both need those skills when the teen years hit!

I think closer to age 10 is when you should consider this, when she can process what is happening and understand the responsibility.
The phrase “if the cousin was jumping off a bridge, would you let your daughter do it?” comes to mind.

If you’re happy for her to have them done, I’d wait until the summer hols at least. Lots of my DD’s friends had them done this summer (between year 3 and 4) and even after 6 weeks a few had problems taking them in and out for PE and swimming. Our school won’t allow taped earrings, they have to come out.

I’ve told my DDs we’ll think about it when they’re 8. My 8 year old isn’t interested in having hers done, but my 4 year old is desperate to. I imagine they’ll end up having them done together at 8 & 12!

It will be a PITA for you to help her look after them, and the reality is many people think it doesn’t look great on little children. Tell her she needs to wait until she is 11.

Tell her to wait for the summer holidays

People aren't being snobby. Piercers who use guns have much less training and the guns are more likely to jam and cause damage.

I would get them done with a needle. Less painful, less risk and quicker healing time.

Ear piercing is one of those MN 'things.' I was desperate to get mine done at 4, loved them, and lived to tell the tale.

She's too young imo.

Summer holidays of year 7 was the first time I would discuss it

I got dds done a couple of weeks ago. She's 3.

My dd who is now 10 had her ears pierced at 8 with a gun and has been fine. I let her because she is quite responsible and I knew she would keep them clean which she did, they look lovely.

In July ( start of the summer holidays) she had her 2nds done ( also with a gun ) and they have been fine too.

Her step sister who is older than her had hers done with a gun and they got infected because she wasnt cleaning them properly and kept playing with them. So tbh it goes by how responsible you think your dd is.

Why would you inflict unnecessary pain on your child?

Mature at 6 ???

Let her have them pierced. I had mine done as a baby and I did my daughters, but that's common in my culture.

@Sarahcoggles she didn't find it painful and she wanted it done.

No difference between her having it done now or when she's 6/7/8/9/10

She dosent want them because of her cousin,her cousin is 10 and has had them for years she was a baby when she got ears pierced, its more so that shes done the clip on and stick on and wants to wear "proper" ones too, the clip on always make her ears swell and hurt. When I wear mine she always touches them and says she wish she could wear earrings like mine. We have watched videos on gun piercings and needle piercings, she was not a fan of needle piercings as expected and said she would want gun ones, but fair point made before she could change her mind mid way lol. Just saying to another poster its not about that I cant say no to my child or her not accepting it, I got mine done at 7 and havent regretted it hence why its been an open discussion, not like she asked for belly button piercing :) that would be a no until 16 lol. I consider her a sensible child for 6 and she understands what she is asking for, she has regular bloodtests due to medical condition so she is not stranger to needles and that type of pain either.

I got mine done with a gun (because I didn’t know better at the time) at 16. It hurt, made it hard to get comfortable at night because my earlobes felt so tender, turned out I have very sensitive earlobes so they got infected despite being very careful with cleaning etc, took well over a year to heal properly and to this day they still get sore if I don’t use the right earrings.

I definitely wouldn’t inflict that on a 6 year old!

I allowed eldest DD to get hers done at the start of the summer holidays after she turned 9, when I trusted she would be responsible enough to keep them clean. Gun piercing at a local salon, two girls did both ears at the same time! We had no problems.

People go on as if it's a form of torture. 🙄

Had mine done when I was 8 and I LOVED them. Was a bit painful and swollen for a week or two but no problems otherwise. No lasting physical or psychological damage.

She sounds like she really wants them done and has put a lot of thought into it, so I say go for it!

My Daughter got hers done when she was 6. She’d wanted it done for ages, and I too was the same age when I had mine done after pestering my parents since the age of 3 or 4. It was all in my quest to look more like Kylie.

We went to a local independent beauty salon, and they were great with her. No regrets from my Daughter or from me.

If in the future she decides she doesn’t want pierced ears, she can stop wearing earrings and the holes will close up.