What is the appropriate age for your kid to get their ears pierced?

[mesa]

My little girl, who just turned five, asked if she could have her ears pierced. The answer was 'not for awhile', but that got me thinking, what is the appropriate age for her to get her ears pierced?

 

[Chronos]

I would not even consider that a reasonable request before she is 8. I think it important to instill a sense of self importance before they enter school. It's hard enough to shield them from self indulgence after they enter school.

 

[mesa]

I would not even consider that a reasonable request before she is 8. I think it important to instill a sense of self importance before they enter school. It's hard enough to shield them from self indulgence after they enter school.

I would say even eight seems a bit 'young', perhaps in her teens? I worry about being overbearing :P

 

[Monique]

Piercing ears is not such a big deal right? I agree letting the child wait to consider the decision would be a good thing to install patience and deliberation, but the teen years sounds a bit on the late side. I guess a good time would be when the child is responsible enough to take care of the pierced ears (of course under supervision), if the child is responsible enough to rotate the studs regularly and apply the disinfectant solution then I'd say it's ready.

 

[DiracPool]

I think the more important question is what is the appropriate age for the youngins to get their tongues pierced? Is it 13? Or what?

 

[Monique]

At least 21!

 

[lisab]

When my daughter was 9, she wanted to shave her legs. I was hesitant, since I associate body shaving with dating . But she simply saw it as a "girly" thing. So I bought her some razors, and gave her some safety tips. She was thrilled!

A month later she was tired of it. It took so much time, and when she would skip a day there would be uncomfortable stubble. I agreed with her that it was kind of a pain in the neck.

So she let her leg hair grow back. She didn't shave again until she started dating.

My point is, kids don't grow up in a neat, linear way. It's often two steps forward, one back. I think it's OK for them to try "grown up" things when they're young. Once they satisfy their curiosity, the novelty wears off and they usually go back to being kids.

I don't see ear piercing as a big deal, as long as she is mature enough to keep the holes clean as they heal. If she looses interest and the holes close, a small nub of scar tissue on her ear lobe is pretty minor in the big picture.

 

[Astronuc]

My little girl, who just turned five, asked if she could have her ears pierced. The answer was 'not for awhile', but that got me thinking, what is the appropriate age for her to get her ears pierced?

Talk to the daughter and discuss why.

It's perhaps a cultural/familial/personal decision. Some parents have their babies ears pierced, which I don't understand. Others allow children at about one's daughter's age.

I think it's important to discuss the why to assure that the daughter doesn't have issues with appearance. Otherwise, I agree with lisab and Monique.

I got my left ear pierced when I was 20. I had been contemplating it for a couple of years, and finally went and did it. My mom was distressed.

 

[leroyjenkens]

I've seen babies with earrings. That's just creepy. The rationalization I've heard is that "they won't remember the pain." So you can just cause your child unnecessary pain just because they won't remember it? That's absurd. I'd say when she's old enough to start dressing up and becoming feminine, and she understands the pain and the responsibility of it. So about 13 or so, I'd say.

I think the more important question is what is the appropriate age for the youngins to get their tongues pierced? Is it 13? Or what?

When they're on their own and they're free to make their own decisions. I wouldn't entertain teenage shenanigans, which is what tongue piercing is.

 

[George Jones]

My wife and I went through this a few years ago. My wife won. In south-asian culture, it is common for girls to get their ears pierced at a very young, so my daughter had hers done at age four or five (a little late with respect to my daughter's cousins). My daughter turns eight in a few weeks, and we haven't had any problems.

 

[WannabeNewton]

My wife and I went through this a few years ago. My wife won. In south-asian culture, it is common for girls to get their ears pierced at a very young...

This is very true. I myself got both my ears pierced when I was two years of age and so far there hasn't been any issue whatsoever, not that I wear earrings anymore haha. This may just be a cultural thing but in my parents' culture an ear piercing is just an ear piercing and nothing more. It's just aesthetics.

 

[Evo]

I think I was 7 when I had my ears pierced. My mother was old fashioned and in her culture girls got their ears pierced around the time of their first communion. I still have my first earrings. I'm glad it was done at that age. It was done by our doctor, not some teenager at a mall costume jewelry store.

 

[nsaspook]

I think I was 7 when I had my ears pierced. My mother was old fashioned and in her culture girls got their ears pierced around the time of their first communion. .

It was the same with my youngest girl. Ears pierced at 8 so she could be a communion princess.

 

[StatGuy2000]

I think I was 7 when I had my ears pierced. My mother was old fashioned and in her culture girls got their ears pierced around the time of their first communion. I still have my first earrings. I'm glad it was done at that age. It was done by our doctor, not some teenager at a mall costume jewelry store.

This made me think. My mother is Japanese and she did not get her ears pierced until our family had moved to North America (at the age of 30), and she was shocked at how young girls in the US (and by extension Canada) get their ears pierced (my aunt on my father's side had my cousin's ears pierced as a baby, which just seemed so weird to me). My sister did not get her ears pierced until she was 16.

 

[DiracPool]

I got my left ear pierced when I was 20. I had been contemplating it for a couple of years, and finally went and did it. My mom was distressed.

Yeah, I remember back in the 80's, when I was 20, that getting your left ear pierced was kind of the new thing. Woah! A guy getting his ear pierced? What a brave new world. I was like Astronuc, should I do this? Remember, I was 20. Basically, at that age I would have done just about anything, including sticking an arrow through my head, if I thought it would get me laid (pardon the vulgarity).

In any case, I remember one night me and a friend of mine on a booze cruise (which we ran), basically did a "scientific" survey asking about 20-30 different girls whether or not they thought a guy having a pierced ear was sexy or not. The unequivocal response was that it didn't matter one way or another (sounds familiar, huh?). The only qualification was that "right is wrong!" as I'm sure Astronuc remembers, which is why he got his left ear pierced.

EDIT: Sorry, I forgot the punchline, which is that me and my buddy were relieved that it wasn't necessary to get our left ear pierced... So to this day, I have virgin earlobes.

 

[dlgoff]

When my daughter was talking about piercings, I would always bring up other body parts ... as I never found piercings attractive.

She complied with not getting any but got this instead.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img856/9641/pilsungtattoo.jpg

 

[wukunlin]

I just don't understand the whole thing with punching holes and leaving marks on the body

 

[DiracPool]

When my daughter was talking about piercings, I would always bring up other body parts ... as I never found piercings attractive.

She complied with not getting any but got this instead.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img856/9641/pilsungtattoo.jpg

I tried to scan that image with my new smartphone and it's google translater, but it didn't work, dlgoff. What does that cypher say in the Queen's English?

 

[lisab]

When my daughter was talking about piercings, I would always bring up other body parts ... as I never found piercings attractive.

She complied with not getting any but got this instead.

A very high percentage of young folks have tattoos now.

I work in a very conservative place. We've had a number of new hires in the last year - all young people. Nearly every one of them has a tattoo. Several have piercing holes on their faces, but none have worn their facial hardware to work. Yet. One has purple hair, so I'm sure we'll be seeing face metal soon enough.

I think we've reached a critical mass wrt tattoos and piercings!

 

[lisab]

Talk to the daughter and discuss why.

It's perhaps a cultural/familial/personal decision. Some parents have their babies ears pierced, which I don't understand. Others allow children at about one's daughter's age.

I think it's important to discuss the why to assure that the daughter doesn't have issues with appearance. Otherwise, I agree with lisab and Monique.

I got my left ear pierced when I was 20. I had been contemplating it for a couple of years, and finally went and did it. My mom was distressed.

Amazing how many artists leave it out, but Shakespeare supposedly had a pierced ear, too:

 

[DiracPool]

Amazing how many artists leave it out, but Shakespeare supposedly had a pierced ear, too:

Nice photoshop job, Lisa, who are you kidding...

 

[DiracPool]

Personally, I would not be caught dead with a tattoo. Ostensibly, a tattoo is supposed to mark upon your "self" some inexuastible logic or sentiment.

Sorry, but in my eye it brands you as an idiot.

What life is about is about is change, it's about moving on, humility.

In my mind, tattooing some permanent statement on your body is really a shortsighted vision of what humanity can strive to be.

 

[dlgoff]

I tried to scan that image with my new smartphone and it's google translater, but it didn't work, dlgoff. What does that cypher say in the Queen's English?

It's Korean for Certain Victory (Pil Sung). https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=4332560&postcount=10

 

[Monique]

Tattoos can be beautiful, but I think most are not. A few weeks ago I stupidly said "I don't get why people get a star tattoo, everyone has them" and the girl next to me said "...I have one". Whoops, she wasn't happy with the tattoo either.

 

[ChiralWaltz]

Sorry, but in my eye it brands you as an idiot

My father was the same way for a while. I can go for something subtle, such as the one dgloff daughter has behind her ear. Möbius strips and trefoil knots make good tattoos in my opinion because they can be easy to conceal. Once the body becomes a full canvas, I start questioning the reasoning behind it.

Considering people mature at different rate, I think pierced ears should be based on the responsibility of the individual, not the age. If the culture dictates that the child should have their ears pierced before they can be responsible for it themselves, then the parent who championed the cause should be responsible for it.

I know, from being a kid, that the quickest way to get me to do something is to forbid it without using a logical explanation.

 

[DiracPool]

Once the body becomes a full canvas, I start questioning the reasoning behind it.

Perhaps I was a bit unfair. It is what it is. If it makes someone feel good or special in some sense to get a tattoo or a piercing, then who am I to say something about that.

Although, being a male I find that the girls who do kind of go over the top and tattoo and pierce their whole body, making whatever kind of statement they're making, are pretty damn sexy.

It's the girls that have maybe one or two tattoo's on their ankle, shoulder, or breast that I personally feel doesn't accentuate their beauty, but cheapens it.

I can go for something subtle, such as the one dgloff daughter has behind her ear.

I agree, a cypher behind the ear with a positive message is definitely cool.

 

[Astronuc]

The motivation to get my ear pierced came from Richard Boone's character Bors in The War Lord (starring Charlton Heston). I thought an earing was pretty cool. I had been considering getting an earring probably since high school, or even junior high.

At the time, I had long hair and a beard.


I remember being told about 'right vs left', but I didn't quite understand that at the time.

I was just doing my thing without regard to what others thought.


I made my decision as an adult, but the discussion is about children and what a parent should do. I think it is important that parents discuss the matter with a child. I believe children need guidance and assurance from parents, especially when it comes to matters of self-image and resisting peer pressure, among other issues.

 

[dlgoff]

At the time, I had long hair and a beard.

And not now?

 

[Astronuc]

And not now?

I did have short hair when I got my first job, and I did have management request that I keep my hair shorter at times, and the beard trimmed.

My beard and hair are longer now.

 

[fluidistic]

Here in Argentina it's common to pierce the ears of female newborns.

 

[DiracPool]

I had been considering getting an earring probably since high school, or even junior high.

At the time, I had long hair and a beard.

You had long hair and a beard in Junior high?! Lol.

 

[Astronuc]

You had long hair and a beard in Junior high?! Lol.

From the context, when I got my ear pierced during university.

I had stubble/whiskers on my chin around 10th grade, and I started shaving, which I disliked. I usually shaved once every other week.

In 1977, I got tired of shaving, so stopped. I shaved once or twice in May, 1981, and that was the last time.


However, that's way OT.

Please let's stay on the topic of the age at which it is appropriate for children to have pierced ears. I favor an informed, thoughtful decision precipitated by a deliberative conversation with the parents.

 

[StatGuy2000]

Here in Argentina it's common to pierce the ears of female newborns.

Is this a common custom across Latin America, or is it unique to Argentina?

Perhaps this reflects my upbringing and thus my own cultural bias (see my post earlier in this thread about my mother's shock about young girls getting their ears pierced), but I've always found the idea of piercing the ears of female newborns to be bizarre.

 

[mesa]

Personally, I would not be caught dead with a tattoo. Ostensibly, a tattoo is supposed to mark upon your "self" some inexuastible logic or sentiment.

Sorry, but in my eye it brands you as an idiot.

What life is about is about is change, it's about moving on, humility.

In my mind, tattooing some permanent statement on your body is really a shortsighted vision of what humanity can strive to be.

I would say there are a few notable exceptions,

:)