by HEATHER SMITH
I have pierced ears, the simple variety, one in each ear. I remember wanting to get it done for some time. During my late teens, I made my way to Pacific Fair on the Gold Coast, and the deed was done. I paid for it with my own money. One was fine; one goes in at a bizarre angle.
After a haze of 80’s pastel coloured chunky fashion earrings, I grew bored of the whole thing, and let holes grow back over. Well I thought this would happen, but after years and years, the holes did not seal up.
So now Ms 13 is nagging me to get her beautiful ears pierced, because “all my friends have their ears pierced & I really want them”. My response is no, no, no, no, no, under no circumstances do you have permission to get your ears pierced. No, No No.
Frankly I don’t really have much against her getting her ears pierced. I prefer that she didn’t but I am not super stressed by it.
I will let you into my perhaps silly parenting secret. I don’t support her desire to deface her body, so when she rebels against, and being a female moving into her teenage years, I am preparing for the rebellion, she has a buffer zone available to her.
I define my buffer zone of rebellion, as rebellious acts she can undertake, without really doing too much long term damage.
I have this picture in my head of her standing in an arcade deciding between great big exposed tattoos or getting her ears pierced, and she will choose the piercing, and all will be right in the world.
It even sounds really stupid to me, reading back over this. But I am paranoid about these teenage years.
Heather Smith is a small business expert, accountant, specialising in XERO and MYOB and the author of Learn Small Business Start-Up in 7 Days. You can find her at her blog and her Twitter.
What do you think? When should kids get their ears pierced?
Top Comments
I'd let my kids get their lobes done at 3 and their seconds done at 10 if they wanted them.
Thank-you to everyone who commented!
I took all your comments to heart - especially the stuff about its her body she should make her own decisions - someone highlighted this quote from Will Smith -
“We let Willow cut her hair. When you have a little girl, it’s like how can you teach her that you’re in control of her body? If I teach her that I’m in charge of whether or not she can touch her hair, she’s going to replace me with some other man when she goes out in the world. She can’t cut my hair but that’s her hair. She has got to have command of her body. So when she goes out into the world, she’s going out with a command that it is hers. She is used to making those decisions herself. We try to keep giving them those decisions until they can hold the full weight of their lives.”
So I spoke to Ms 13 with my long prepared speech "Ms 13 You can have your ears pierced ...." and before I could say anything else ... she said Yuk mum - ears piercing is soooo horrible and ugly - I don't want my ears pierced - so maybe I was wrong and maybe I was right?!!?
btw I have always let her do what she wants with her hair in terms of colouring/ cutting - non permanent changes don't stress me out!!