Would you allow your 12 year old to have acrylic nails?

[Icantremembermyusername]

Just that, really?
Am I being mean?
DD - Can I have my nails done?
Me -yes, we’ll have a manicure during the holidays.
DD - No, I meant can I go to X place and have acrylic nails FOR MY BIRTHDAY
Me - No. I’ve already organised your (very expensive) birthday present (and those from both sets of grandparents and your extended relatives) and agreed to pay for a movie night with your mates plus a pre agreed day out with your best mate. We can maybe have a manicure at a salon (no acrylics) later in the hols.
DD - massive sulk and went to bed.
i feel like she’s taking the absolute piss!
Aibu? Yes - she should have the nails. No - she’s being a brat.
Thank you!

@christmastreefarm Lol. Apparently I say ‘no’ a lot too!

I'd allow it, but not too long and they'd have to be removed properly.

I'd probably say yes to gel/varnish in the holidays but a no to acrylic extensions/nails

Nope.

Nail polish in the holidays, fine. Yep multi colours & stick on decorations etc all fine. Not term time & NOT glue/acrylics/etc etc.

too many chemicals, ruining of nails etc. & just 'too grown up'.

@Icantremembermyusername as for the 'attitude' what's she normally like?

Another vote here for acrylics being horribly naff and tacky and generally awful. BUT you'd better not say that if her step mother is a nail artist who does lots of acrylics!

I got acrylics for the first time recently and I will have to wait months to grow out the damage. They filed the whole nail and made it much thinner. Now I have a ridge where the new nail is growing much thicker I really can feel how much most of my nails are damaged. I really hate it and won't get them done again. I wouldn't let my daughter do it.

No. Absolutely not. It’s a bit dispiriting she even knows what they are. Get the child into horses. Much more rewarding and no time nails :)

No to acrylic nails.
I wouldn't pay for a manicure either. Waste of money. You can do it at home and do an equally good job.

I don't really have an opinion on her getting nails but she's probably getting to the age where she could get some cash for birthdays and/or earn pocket money so she has some discretionary spending for things like this if she's that keen. By her 13th I'd definitely be looking to not lock all your (and everyone else's) spending in, give her some choices.

Then you can go from being the mum who always says 'no' to the mum who always says 'if you want it that much you can pay for it yourself!'.

This

I don’t remember commenting on her attitude @VinEtFromage

No time or space for horses @Lesina

No.

What have they got to look forward to when they are older if they are having it all done whilst still children?!

At 12 in the 1970s I was still climbing trees!

At 12 in 2010 my daughter was a mixture of climbing trees and starting to get interested in her hair and clothes.

Now this generation wants acrylic nails and the next will be having tattoos before they start junior school! 😩

Why is that? I do my own gel builder nails, and my natural nails are in great condition.

No, I wouldn’t.

My DD a similar age asked for them as apparently girls at school have them. I looked into it and read about the damage they can do to your nails and said no.

At first DD was a bit upset but she understood, and then she said the girls at school who had acrylic nails couldn’t play PE properly as they were worried about tearing their nails off and I was very glad I had said no! Imagine at such a young age not being able to play or do sports because of having plastic nails….

My 13 year old went out with friend and got these done without my permission she ended up in a walk in centre a few days after as she injured her nail and the nail bed came away, they had to push it back in, cut down the acrylic down and we had to wait for it to grow out. She will never have them again, she's is not remotely interested. She also discourages her friends if they want them with her story. It's way to young, I complained to the salon but its not going to stop them.

No, just say no: too young, so impractical.

As long as they aren't on by school time I would allow it they arent allowed in schools usually she's experimenting

YANBU.
I have acrylics and adore them. Don’t care if people think they are tacky or whatever they make me happy. I always loved long manicured nails when I was a kid so it’s a total carryover of that.
However a full set from a reputable salon will cost £45-50, they need redone with infills after at the absolute most 3 weeks.
If not done then the glue starts to loosen and they will start coming off, usually the thumbs and forefingers first. So you’re left with a hand with some nails on and some off at best and pulling the remaining ones off at worse.
when they are off you are left with thin nails that take weeks if not months to recover. They are not a one time thing that your nails recover from instantly.

Mine are horse obsessed and still want the nails, apparently everyone has them and they can all still do everything with them 🤦🏻‍♀️

Dd- May I please have acrylic nails done for my birthday?
Me- No, you are too young.

A reputable salon won't do acrylics for under 16s so I would be guided by that. I wouldn't get them myself but can imagine I'll be on the receiving end of requests in the future. Same for pierced ears, DH and I disagree (he thinks 16) so we'll see how that goes.

Thank you @Punkkitty - I don’t think she has that disposable income!
Thank you all - I’ll show her this in the morning and hopefully she’ll realise I’m not a total cow :-) x