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Original poster

what age would you let your daughter have her ears pierced?

64 replies

turquey · 03/12/2004 04:01

My dd is nearly 7 and apparently "all" the girls in her class have their ears pierced. (I don't believe her). She's desperate to have hers done now. I think she should be about 12 or older.
What do others think?

OP posts:
happymerryberries · 03/12/2004 07:55

I'm telling mine 16, and I will 'give in' when she is 14. Thankfully she, like me, is a wimp about pain, so she has no interest in them atm. Only one girl in her class has them done and she is spanish. Her mum was livid when the gran got them done in the summer holiday.

cranberryjampot · 03/12/2004 08:15

Probably about 14

fruitcake · 03/12/2004 08:35

My dd is only 4 & she's up for it. No way! 10 is the absolute minimum. Actually, I'm a little worried as she's already desperate to wear make-up and jewelry. Not that I let her. Does anyone else have this struggle?

GingerBells · 03/12/2004 08:43

nieces have had theirs done at 8, 9 and 10.

I think that is too young. 13 or 14 is better. I wimped out and waited until I was 16. (1 done, fainted, when I came round hairdresser had done the other one whilst I was out cold!!)

marialuisa · 03/12/2004 09:09

Not before she's 13

MariNativityPlay · 03/12/2004 09:36

Agree, 13-14 is more like it turquey. That's what I'd say to dd (currently one and piercing my ears nightly instead).

tiptopoftheChristmastree · 03/12/2004 09:40

Dd is 9 and would like to have her ears pierced for her next birthday. I'd like her to be several years older and I hope we'll stick to that plan! A girl in her class has had hers done twice and she let them close up both times. I think her Mum said that if she has them done again and lets them close then that's it, but I'm not sure if that's her patience wearing thin or a medical fact. Hth.

mrsjingles · 03/12/2004 09:58

My mum made me wait until I was 13, and that's what I've told my dd - I think it's fair, and they need to be responsable enough to turn them each day, and clean them when they are first done. I really don't like seeing very young children with them done, Is it really what the kids want at 2, I doubt it somehow.

xmascaroltygirl · 03/12/2004 09:59

I wouldn't consider it before secondary school, and after that would probably wait until it was clear that a significant number of the other girls had pierced ears. I had mine done at 13 and still think that's about right.

Mosschops30 · 03/12/2004 10:11

Message withdrawn

Gobbledigoose · 03/12/2004 10:53

I'm afraid I'm a bit snobby about this and hate little girls with pierced ears. My Mum said I could have mine done at 16 and I think I went out with a friend one day and had it done anyway but was still 15 by then.

For me 14 would be the minimum age.

christmaskitty · 03/12/2004 11:29

I had mine done at 5!

loads of babies down the baby clinic have theirs done at 6-8 weeks i think it may be a cultural thing.

TinselTamum · 03/12/2004 11:30

About 32

Cinderellascarrieg · 03/12/2004 11:34

MY mum said not till I was 16 - then relented when I was 12 AND got hers done at the same time...Dad didn't speak to either of us for days!

I'd say not till she's 12ish & has been banging on about it for weeks on end, so you know it's not just a passing whim because her best friend's had HERS done kind of thing?

joashiningstar · 03/12/2004 11:37

Having worked in youth groups and not only witnessed the sorts of accidents that can happen to children with pierced ears, but having to clean some of them up - I would say 16. Both my daughters waited until then and apart from the occasional protest - were reasonable happy with this.

Sozie · 03/12/2004 11:48

Quite a lot of girls in dd's nursery class have them I notice but dd can wait till she's at least 10. I think I was about 10 and could clean them and turn them and take them in and out for PE. In fact my secondary school did not allow us to wear any earrings so it may have been better not to have them now I think of it. What age would you have your son's ear pierced? One of dd's classmates brothers is 7 and has his done - not something I want for ds.

Gobbledigoose · 03/12/2004 11:49

What age would I have my son's ears pierced? Over my dead body!!

KristmasBear · 03/12/2004 11:59

Let her stand and watch someone else getting them done in the window of Claire's Accessories and that will put her right off. Worked for my niece aged 9.

I had to wait until I was 15 and hated it but now as I am the mum I think that's about right! I have turned into my mum.

JoolsTide · 03/12/2004 12:28

16 and only ONE in each ear

ItllBeLonelymumThisChristmas · 03/12/2004 12:59

I decided this one before I even had a daughter. Having seen friends have countless pointless arguments with their parents when we were teenagers, I decided there were more important things to row about so I decided my dd could have her ears pierced when she is old enough to a) want it done and b) prepared to put up with the pain of having it done. I didn't get round to it (for the latter reason) until I was about 20 so I am interested to see how old dd will be.

I wouldn't want to ban it entirely as I would be afraid my dd would go and get it done (or have a piercing somewhere else) behing my back and I would rather make sure she chooses somewhere hygienic and reputable to have it done.

hollybet · 03/12/2004 13:05

my dd was 12 and has pestered me ever since to have her belly button done. I said no way until she was 16. she is 16 on the 14th and has after talking about this for four years changed her mind. But I still think that she may change it back again.

ItllBeLonelymumThisChristmas · 03/12/2004 13:05

Oh gosh! I posted this before I read your comments and now I find I am in a minority of one! I just think there are more important things to row about and I do think the pain factor would put most girls off until they were about 12ish anyway which is when a lot of you say you would allow it. I must add that I also loathe little girls with pierced ears. However, I don't really have any qualms about my dd (now aged 4) wanting to wear jewellery. She has a box full of beads, necklaces, plastic rings, etc and she dresses up in them in the same way that she dresses up in fancy dress costumes. Make up is another thing but then I don't wear it myself, so dd will probably only come to it late.

popsycal · 03/12/2004 13:07

There was never any restriction on when i was allowed to have mine done....i asked a few times around 10 years old, and was told yes and mum took me and i bottled it.

Got them done when i was about 14 in the end (then later had them done a 2nd and 3rd time.....

If paretns had refused, i reckon i would have wanted them done earlier

SantaClausfrau · 03/12/2004 13:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

frogs · 03/12/2004 13:12

We had this discussion a couple of years ago, as quite a few of my dd1's classmates had theirs done for their First Communion (aged 7/8).

I told her she could have it done when she started secondary school. ATM (aged 9) she's in a tomboy phase and doesn't want earrings at all.

I would be reluctant to let a primary or pre-primary child have their ears pierced because (a) I don't like the look of it on little girls (as for little boys, let's not even go there) and (b) they're too little to understand what they're doing and might regret it later. Also the thought of their little grubby fingers constantly fiddling = infections, which gives me the heebiejeebies.