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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

206 replies

Icantremembermyusername · 31/07/2023 22:22

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!

OP posts:
Divebar2021 · 01/08/2023 00:56

My DD11 has asked but it’s a “hell no” from me. I have let her wear the glue on ones which are equally as stupid in my mind but are at least cheap. When she wears them she can’t pull up her leggings / tights etc so they are stupidly restrictive. I’m not going to enable anything that causes damage including highlights / bleaching of hair and she’ll just have to cope. ( little girls emulating adult fashions is indeed not wholesome )

BrunoMarzipan · 01/08/2023 01:58

Yes, beauticlans won't do acrylics on anyone under 15 here. My goddaughter is 10 and gets the £1 Primark ones with the sticky pads for the holidays, can you get a few pairs of those? She also wants acrylics. Or get her stepmum to give her a manicure?
just the glue on stick on nails ruins my nails for a few weeks. I had acrylics once, they looked amazing but the woman couldn't soak them off as she filed them down too much, went to get them off in my lunchbreak and ended up coming back with kitchen roll and glue stuck to my fingers 🙈🙈

Ericaequites · 01/08/2023 05:00

Long fingernails of any type carry germs. They don’t look nice. Painted nails are forbidden in secondary schools for good reason. That’s what I mean by unwholesome.

DGay · 01/08/2023 05:26

Forgottenmypasswordagain · 31/07/2023 23:15

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

I totally agree.

Morestrangerthings1 · 01/08/2023 06:30

Sealover123 · 31/07/2023 22:28

Yes to painted nails but heck no to fake acrylic nails.

I agree with this.

acrylic nails harbour more bacteria than our natural nails, and can also lead to fungal infections.

Motnight · 01/08/2023 06:44

The place where I get my acrylic nails done wouldn't do this for a 12 year old. I love my nails but agree inappropriate for someone so young.

TheCornflakeHotline · 01/08/2023 06:54

I don't understand why you need to show your DD this thread. You're her mother, just tell her no.

tuvamoodyson · 01/08/2023 06:59

No.

Soontobe60 · 01/08/2023 07:00

TwinsPlusAnotherOne · 31/07/2023 23:04

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

Show quote history

BIAB ruined my nails!

Would you allow your 12 year old to have acrylic nails?
MooFroo · 01/08/2023 07:00

Soontobe60 · 31/07/2023 22:26

Absolutely not. Nor would I allow false eyelashes, flesh coloured leggings that go up your ares crack, bra tops as outerwear and sliders with fur 😂
My mantra was always - when you’re earning your own money, you can spend it on what you want.
Surprisingly, both my adult DDs haven’t grown up hating me, nor are they traumatised by having a mother who was happy to say no.

@Soontobe60 spot on! As parents we need to actually parent and set boundaries not given in to everything kids want!

meridian37 · 01/08/2023 07:01

Too young imo

Next she'll want her lip pumped up

infectedwithapoison · 01/08/2023 07:02

My DD just had them done as a summer holiday treat. She was so excited and a week later still shows me them and looks at them happily. She is 11 (12 in sept) and I had no second thoughts about allowing this. I'm not allowing her to do crack, it's just nails.

Jazzybean · 01/08/2023 07:03

Acrylics completely ruin your nails. They also need a lot of maintenance. plus they probably aren’t allowed at school and are highly impractical for outdoor activities, sport, playing instruments etc. It’s a no from me!

TruffleShuffles · 01/08/2023 07:06

My nail tech will not touch anyone under 16 as she says their nails aren’t strong enough for the products and even if they were she wouldn’t be covered by her insurance. Are all the parents who let their under 16s have acrylics, and even gel polish checking that the techs carrying this out are even insured to do this?

Curtains70 · 01/08/2023 07:11

A few weeks ago I fell and hurt my foot pretty badly so I went to the walk in centre.

There was a girl about 11 in there who had acrylic nails. She had been playing and bent one of her nails back and ripped the whole nail off the bed. It looked so painful.

I don't think they're appropriate for kids.

Lemieux7 · 01/08/2023 07:18

The stick on ones are a good idea because they won't damage her nails.

ZenNudist · 01/08/2023 07:19

No they wreck your nails

EugeneEufy · 01/08/2023 07:21

My DD, also 12, is allowed gel nails but acrylic? No way, Pedro.

gogomoto · 01/08/2023 07:24

@Facefortheradio

The place I go to had a woman with 2 kids (10&12 ish) demand them when I was in there, when they said policy was over 14 due to insurance she accused them of racism (threatening to call police, poor local pcso happens to walk past and this woman runs out and grabs her, anyway the proper police end up taking this mad woman away! But the police did advise there's no minimum age legally so they recommend a sign in the window

VinEtFromage · 01/08/2023 07:24

tt9 · 31/07/2023 23:55

maybe I will sound old fashioned... but I just don't get it. 12 year olds should be outside running around, getting mud on their clothes and too obsessed with horses/sports/whatever else to care about what they wear let alone fake plastic nails. they are children.. their whole adulthood will be filled with society telling them how to look... breaks my heart it starts so young now..
I don't think I even knew what clothes I had at the age of 12...

@tt9

just being nosy, but how old are you? If you have any, how old are your children?

It's alarming how early girls in the U.K. are into fashion/make up/nails etc. I was born here but lived overseas at that age and the difference was huge even then (I'm mid 50's now)

Beachbreak2411 · 01/08/2023 07:27

I understand you’ve already arranged / spent money on things…. But I can also see why she’s upset! She’s requested something and she’s a kid! They don’t process things like we do. I’d let my dd 13 have gel nails and will let her get them done before our holiday. Maybe get her to do some chores to “earn” them?

VinEtFromage · 01/08/2023 07:27

Icantremembermyusername · 31/07/2023 23:01

I don’t remember commenting on her attitude @VinEtFromage

@Icantremembermyusername

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.

@Testina my issue is both! I don’t think the nails are great and I think she’s taking the piss

what would you call it then?

gogomoto · 01/08/2023 07:34

@PurelyOrnamental

This thread has attracted the anti nail brigade that's all. I wouldn't let my kids have them regularly until they could afford them themselves, I think it was for dd2's leavers ball we all went together so they were both over 18. But they are not unhygienic if you clean under your nails, no different to natural nails on that front. My natural nails are just fine when I haven't got them on (Jan-march this year) mine aren't long and look very natural (gel extensions not acrylic)

VinEtFromage · 01/08/2023 07:35

Seddon · 31/07/2023 22:59

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!'.

@Seddon

but, for me, that's not the point. At 12 I wouldn't be allowing all the chemicals on them or for them to cause damage to their nails or risk having their actual nail pulled off etc. it's about a lot more than the £££

gogomoto · 01/08/2023 07:36

Oh and I can do everything in mine eg use keyboard, pull up tights etc etc ... the people saying you can't obviously haven't had them...