Pierced ears

[txinvestigator1]

No, not for me............:p

My daughter is 7. Seems all the little girls in her class have pierced ears, so she has decided she wants them too. Mom is OK with it.

I have two thoughts.

Just because everyone else is doing something does not make it smart or acceptable for her to do. She needs to learn this.

And jewelery is to make one more attractive. I know at the age of 7, she is not thinking that way. But if she pierces her ears at 7, what will she want to do at 16 to be attractive.

I propose that she waits until 16, then daddy (me) buys her a very nice pair of diamond earrings when she pierces her ears.

Comments or thoughts?

[EHStaley]

Hmm, since I am a guy and have no children, I really cannot say. However, your reasoning about everyone doing it and teaching her self control sounds good. I remember when I was in school, I "had" to have a certain kind of shoes or I wouldn't fit it. Now I could give less of a crap. My parents taught me that I really didn't "need" them. Waiting until she was 16 is kinda long, especially for a 7 yo. Would you have anything against her getting them pierced when she was 13, officially a teenager? That would teach her some self control seeing how it is around 6 years away.

[ngcsubutterbar]

if you 'make' her wait until she is sixteen, then it will more than likely come around and bite you in the arse, as she'll go behind your back to do it, or even get pierced elsewhere.

[ferriscj24]

I think that you are right in regards to everyone wanting to do it because everyone else is doing it. But i think you may want to save that talk for something a little more important, (Drinking, smoking, sex...) for when she is older, than using that on earrings.
I can understand your wanting to buy her a pair of diamond earrings when she turns sixteen, when you want her to pierce her ears...but you could STILL do that and it would mean alot to her, even if she has already had them done.
I would say, let her give it a shot. You'll never know, after she realizes the effort that it takes, (cleaning the holes when they're first done a few times a day) she may realize she doesnt even like it, and you wont ever have to worry about it again.

My two cents, for what it is worth, but I am not a parent....you have more experience than i do!

[ferriscj24]

By the way...she is closing in on the age where she will NEED to have what is "cool". ie. clothes, shoes, etc...

This is a phase, and will pass by the time she hits college or so, hehe....but my point is that teaching a child that is going to be extremly difficult, especially once they hit their junior high/high-school years. Now that I'm past that i just want clothes...I dont need those 85$ Abercrombie blue jeans, when I can run to Target or K-Mart and get some for 20$

[Jynkxxie]

I got mine pierced at 5, long before I gave a rats...about what my peers thought. I think I turned out just fine. Years later, I did it again, and then again. I rarely wear earings now, (they were all stolen) but the holes do close up. If the fad fades in her, as most fads do in children, I am sure they will close up just fine.


Just my 2. It is not a big deal. She could be asking to wear make-up! Anyway, I feel that if you child is trying to be self expressive without self harming (drugs, sex, etc. etc.) themselves then there is nothing wrong with that. She is expressing that she would like to be a girl. There is nothing wrong with this at least in my book.

[Oldbillplod]

I went to a home the other day and the boy who was 18 months of age had his ear pierced, how wrong is that.

[Orleander]

My daughter wants her ears pierced also. I told her she has to wait until she is out of grade school and off the playground because I was worried they would get torn out of her ear while she was playing. (I have no problem with her getting them pierced, but her Daddy does. :rolleyes: )
Yes, its a bald faced lie, but she's ok with it.
She can get her ears pierced when she hits middle school.
What age was your wife when she got her ears pierced?

Oh, and I think boys could care less about a girls earrings. Its just jewelry, a fashion accessory that girls compare and compliment eachother on.

[Toeknee112]

We made my daughter wait until she was 14 (freshman)...

[Barenaked]

My wife thinks she is peircing the ears of my infant (if its a girl and when it comes).. I told her that will happen over my dead body. So consider yourself lucky that it hasnt come up until 7 years later.

What are your concerns TX, other than the making more attractive thing?

[Dayna36]

I had my daughters ears pierced when she was a baby so she had no say. Dad was against it, but do I listen to him? Not. I have always thought ear rings are attractive. She just wears little ones that aren't likely to get caught in things, not long dangling ear rings. Now if my son came to me and said he wanted his ears pierced, then I'd be worried.

[Dayna36]

Originally posted by Oldbillplod
I went to a home the other day and the boy who was 18 months of age had his ear pierced, how wrong is that.

That is very wrong. In my opinion anyway. I knew a couple who had their three sons ears pierced. On both ears. They also had their hair permed so they had curly hair and earrings in both ears. Poor boys. Parents should have been locked up.

[txinvestigator1]

Originally posted by ngcsubutterbar
if you 'make' her wait until she is sixteen, then it will more than likely come around and bite you in the arse, as she'll go behind your back to do it, or even get pierced elsewhere.

I get that. But I don't think I will make my parenting decisions based on the potential she will disobey me.

[lawdawg]

Pierced my daughters ears at 4. For the longest time she didn't want to do it, then one day she was like "I want my ears pierced", and so it was.

Its not about a mature attractiveness, its about a cute little girl being a cute little girl; no harm in this. ;)

[txinvestigator1]

Originally posted by lawdawg


Its not about a mature attractiveness, its about a cute little girl being a cute little girl; no harm in this. ;)

Agreed. But my concern is what will she want to do at 14 or 16 if her ears are already pierced.