What age do you let your daughter have her ears pierced?

[Scrunchy95]

My daughter is 9, turning 10 in May. Quite a few girls in her year are getting their ears pierced, I assume as a 10th birthday present. She has asked when she will be allowed to have her ears pierced. I’m completely supportive, she should be allowed pierced ears, but it’s my baby girl. She still seems so tiny and it’s weirdly brutal to imagine happening. Then it’s a very noticeable part of her appearance. My gut as a Mum tells me to wait until she is 12 as this is more the cusp of becoming a teenager and a woman. But I remember being her age and desperately wanting to join the crowd with pierced ears. I don’t judge others with younger children with pierced ears this is completely personal. What age do you think it is acceptable to let your daughter pierce her ears? I’m open to influence.

In my day the summer holiday after turning 10 was pretty typical for ear piercing.

When she is old enough to look after them properly

Yes that summer holiday near 10 was what I got and did the same for Dds.

As @SnuggyBunny said, summer holidays after turning 10 was our chosen age/time.

Probably the same age as my son (which will be next year when he’s 10)

My eldest was 10. Old enough to understand that it was going to hurt, but not for long, and old enough to keep them clean with minimal prompting. Lots of children in her school seem to get them done for their Holy Communion (Catholic School), around 8. My youngest can’t bear any sort of physical discomfort so I can’t see her wanting to get hers done at all.

It's always 12 in my family.

We did the summer between primary and secondary, so 11. She was old enough to handle the aftercare herself by then. Several classmates did the same, only a couple were the year before.

In the summer holiday before starting at secondary school.

Punching holes in their bodies to stick decorations through?

Dd1 was 10 but she needed a dental procedure so I used it as a bribe

Dd2 was about 7 but she wears hearing aids and was having a confidence crisis so I allowed her to help her feel better about how she looked which it did.

I said no still even when my daughter was in year 7. That was partly because she had never been bothered about getting it done, and it was her dad asking if she could get it done with her step sister (with a gun), and he doesn't pay maintenance so I didn't want him spending money on getting it done somewhere crappy just because his step daughter was. My daughter has asked me a few times ever, and I always say she can with birthday or Christmas money if she wants to, or instead of another item she's been asking for more, but I won't pay for it out my own money. She never wants them done more than she wants say, Pokémon cards or something else. She has ADHD and ASD and I know that she wouldn't take care of cleaning them and would lose them. I think only if you pay for it yourself is a good way of gauging how much they really want it done. I'm not a fan of piercings on children. I don't see ears as any different to any other body piercing and don't understand why it is more accepted in children than anywhere else. But I'd probably be swayed if I had a child who was consistently desperate for it and was the only one out of their peers without.

My DD will have to wait until 16. My exP is against her having them and I’m fine with that. Most little girls in her class (age 9) already have pierced ears but some don’t.
At a push if she really wheedled at around age 12 I’d be ok with it, so we’ll just see. She’s not fussed at the mo and likes her sports too so more of a faff to take out etc.

9 I am pretty strict with it though and hers are fine (titanium apart from occasional going out). She had to go to a tattoo parlour and have it done properly and sign a form that she consented

Mine were 7 and 4 when they had them done last summer. As with most things with their body, as long as they understand the consequences, it's their body their choice. They knew it would hurt, they knew they had to let me help look after them and there was no issue.

15

10 or when old enough to take responsibility for the self care

I told my Dd she could have them done the summer she left Primary
She’s in Y10 now and still hasn’t bothered

Thank you all so much for your feedback. My husband hates earrings and I stopped bothering to wear them around 23. I think my daughter would be happy to wait a little longer. I’ve told her 12 initially but have now said possibly for her 11th birthday if I can persuade Daddy. This gives him a year to come to terms with the inevitable. She seems happy with this. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences.

My DD had hers done during the school holidays between junior school and comp. was very good about looking after them too.

Why does he have such an issue?! Is he one of my own school friends mothers in the 80s who thought pierced ears were “tarty” and the first step on the road to hell 😁

Mine had it done for their 11th birthdays. Earrings often have to be taken out for sport stuff at school especially competitions outside of their actual school iyswim.
Teachers are not meant to help taking out or putting in earrings which can be tricky for younger children.
If you have them done before senior school do it 6 weeks before they start as they usually can’t wear any earrings for pe

I had mine done for my 13th birthday back in the day.. I think with my daughter, I’d say not until you’ve finished primary school but OK for high school. They are old enough to understand they need to look after them & how. I always wear earrings, I’ve got two lots of piercings on each lobe and my upper ear pierced, so I imagine my daughter will see them as the norm! Or maybe she’ll think it’s uncool cos mum has them 😂

Sixteen

Summer hols after primary seems to be the standard here. Don't tie it to a birthday (unless her bday is late July) as the pain of covering up or taking out for school sports.