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So finleybgoode is 8 and it is all the rage at school for the lads to be getting their ears pierced. Part of me really isn't keen on the idea but I also know what it's like to be the odd kid out whose parents would never let them follow the in-trends. Add in a tough year all round that he's handled largely brilliantly and part of me thinks what the heck - why not. They will heal over if he gets bored of the idea
WWSTW do? Go for it or over one's dead body? Worst parent EVER or worse things happen at sea?
They will heal over if he gets bored of the idea
I'm 48, 26 years after I stopped you can still see the holes and people know I used to have earrings in my youth.
IMO Kryton Junior 1 and 2 can pierce their ears when they are old enough/adult enough to make a considered choice themselves, which in my current view is age 18. I say current because I'm under no illusion we will be asked before that age as teenage years arrive.
My girls ears took a year to heal from having their done (via Claires). I would suggest going somewhere else. IMO 8yr old is too young, we waited until both were at least 10 as we felt that they at that age were able to look after them a bit more (not get into situations to rip them out and deal with the healing process.
Take him to get a Prince Albert then he can swagger around school mocking the other kids and their mere ear adornments
Take him to get a Prince Albert then he can swagger around school mocking the other kids and their mere ear adornments
I will certainly bear the suggestion in mind. My idea was to let him get his tongue pierced. Not something I have ever fancied but a couple of my friends did and I am pretty sure the experience would put him off having anything else pierced ever. I had also considered suggesting branding or scarification just to put him off.
@Kryton57 - That is my view also however Mrs D is much more lenient and isn't so bothered and I don't know if I am just being a grumpy old git. I had my left done when I was 19 or 20 and at the ripe old age of 44 you, if you look really hard, can see the mark but unless you were looking you wouldn't.
@yetidave - excellent point about healing etc. I did have Claire's in mind. I am pretty sure that's where I had mine done but would perhaps find a decent local piercer.
One other thing Danny - my sons secondary doesn't allow it, so it might be worth waiting until you know the Secondary's rules otherwise they'll be coming out again - might be a good thing to suggest to MrsbGoode
You can do what you like when you've left home.
That was my response to my lad when he was 21. He opted to remove it. When he left home at 22 he had matured enough not to want one.
8 year old boy ear hygiene?
What could possibly go wrong?
My girls ears took a year to heal from having their done (via Claires). I would suggest going somewhere else. IMO 8yr old is too young, we waited until both were at least 10 as we felt that they at that age were able to look after them a bit more (not get into situations to rip them out and deal with the healing process.
I think we were about the same - even at 10 she wasn't really disciplined enough at keeping them clean and infection free and ended up letting them heal over and going back to get them redone a year later. I think the successful time was done not long before summer hols so there was 7 weeks when she wasn't at school catching it on things, or swimming, or PE where neither of us were around to help clean it properly.
I guess the test would be - if they brush their teeth properly twice a day without needing prompted, and generally keep themselves and their room clean and tidy, wash their hands frequently etc you can probably hope they will do the same with the ears. If you are chasing them to flush the toilet, not wear the same pants/socks day after day, clean out the hamster cage, and whatever else 8 yr old boys do to wind up their parents then I think you are on a route to failure and quite possibly a course of antibiotics so probably don't go there...
@Kryton57 - excellent point. Will certainly look into this...
Oh, and everytime "everybody at school" is getting this - it means about 25% of them are!
Still got both pierced at 50 so I’m well immature. I’d say 8 is too young but hey there not my kids. Did mine myself when I was 15 much to my dads delight.
One other thing Danny – my sons secondary doesn’t allow it, so it might be worth waiting until you know the Secondary’s rules otherwise they’ll be coming out again – might be a good thing to suggest to MrsbGoode
Interesting - not allowed for boys and girls? That could actually be an argument for doing it earlier (if you accept its going to happen anyway) so that its well healed by the time they go there and they can remove them during the day.
8 would be a bit young in my eyes. Don't get me started on toddlers/babies with pierced ears 🤯
Whist FBG is pretty hygienic me and Mrs D would be on top of that anyway but it's another good point. He's been on at us for at least two years now so he's grinding us down slowly! Thanks all for the considered responses. Seems my thinking is not out of step with the collective 🙂
Oh, and everytime “everybody at school” is getting this – it means about 25% of them are!
Ha! I was going to say the same - we had something similar about "everyone" being on TikTok. So far we've identified one child in the class.
One other thing Danny – my sons secondary doesn’t allow it
I can see that they could ban the wearing of earrings but having the piercing isn't anything to do with them, no?
I did have Claire’s in mind. I am pretty sure that’s where I had mine done but would perhaps find a decent local piercer.
Oh hell no! Go for a proper piercer every time unless you think poorly trained glorified cattle taggers are competent to pierce your kids ears.
That aside I'd be telling them to forget it at that age, hygiene, general rowdyness and above all a lack of proper decision making abilities would all be red lines.
You can do what you like when you’ve left home.
That was my response to my lad when he was 21. He opted to remove it. When he left home at 22 he had matured enough not to want one.
Oh, you're that guy. Colour me shocked.
Can't offer an opinion but IF you do, go to a piercer who will use a needle NOT a gun.
A reputable piercer will have a minimum age, require parental consent, use a needle, jewellery will be medical grade and they'll provide proper aftercare advice and products.
It's what they do as a profession, not a sideline in a retail shop
IMO eight is too young for either a boy or girl to have their ear/s pierced. We let our girls have theirs done at 10 so I guess the same rule would be applied for a boy if we had one. However I am surprised that boys are getting theirs done still – I haven't seen a single boy of that sort of age with theirs pierced around where we live.
I got mine done at 13 - the first boy in our school year to have it done so that, along with my long METAL hair meant I came in for plenty of stick with the teachers in the very early 80s. The other kids thought I was very cool briefly (until all the other kids started getting theirs done too).
Do not go to Claire’s. My daughter had an issue with hers from Claire’s. Ended up at A&E as the ear swelled up despite cleaning. The nurse said they see a lot of this from Claire’s- they use too small a stud. Might just be our local Claire’s (hence they all go to the same A&E.
Still think 8is too young. Daughter got hers re-done between primary & secondary.
My first was done at 17. Haven’t worn one for ages (when I had it done it was unusual for blokes- stopped when it looked tame compared to what people were now sporting). Can still see the hole and fit an earring so after a while it won’t heal completely.
My girls' secondary school has this rule:
Apart from pierced ears (no more than two piercings in either ear and only studs), no other piercing is allowed.
Not sure what happens if you had e.g. a pierced nose before joining the school?
I would second the idea to use a proper piercer (if/when it happens) rather than someone who probably learned to use a gun in 5 mins/found 3 mates to practice on. Still got all my piercings in at 47 yr old, only come out for operations these days
Let him get on with it.
8 would be a bit young in my eyes. Don’t get me started on toddlers/babies with pierced ears
lol most Spanish baby girls have their ears pierced. My girls didn't which led to strangers thinking they were boys when they weren't wearing obviously girlie clothes 😀
I did my daughters (as a teenager, cant remember exact age, may be 16) myself rather than her getting a crappy gun thing. Just bought some sterilised piercing needles and the jewellery she wanted online and job was a good'un, practically painless.
I have had a fair few piercings myself over the years and done some of my own and stretching.
My mum said when you are 16 and can pay for it yourself then no problem.
This was in the 80s and I'm sure things have changed but looking back it was the right time for me
My boy had his done at 8 as the kids at his school had it done,I didn't want him to have his done, I wasn't allowed pieced ears as my Dad was against it, I did them myself with a mate in the school toilets in morning earring break with a blunt stud.
40 years later the holes still haven't healed over, I wish I'd never done it but thats hindsight for you.
On the plus side son only wore his for six month got bored eith it, if you do decide to let him have it done use a specialist with a needle.
You can do what you like when you’ve left home.
That was my response to my lad when he was 21. He opted to remove it. When he left home at 22 he had matured enough not to want one.
*Welcomes Enid Blyton to the forum*
Not sure what happens if you had e.g. a pierced nose before joining the school?
You wouldn't be allowed to wear the jewellery that's all - they can't stop you having a hole in your nose but they can ban wearing a ring/stud whist in school.
See what LAP13 said? That.
I had one of mine done with a gun years ago (but a damn sight older than 8!) because I didn't know any better. It took forever to heal properly.
Dunno how I'd feel about it at that age if it were my kid. I think I'd less of an issue with it if he actually really wanted it of his own volition as opposed to "everyone else is" (spoiler, they aren't, rather everyone else is telling their parents the same thing). That's a godawful reason to eat a sandwich let alone to start having holes poked in yourself.
I suppose in the grand scheme of things there's worse things to want and if he changes his mind they'll heal up so long as he doesn't get it ripped out in a playground fight and / or "everyone" isn't doing flesh tunnels next week.
@Cougar - he's been pretty insistent since the age of 6 and he is always buying and wearing magnetic ones. I wish he would just stick with those but hey. Mrs D thinks I am an old dinosaur and should get with the times.
I will, if I succumb, find a decent place to get it done...
I got mine done (just the one through the cartlidge) with a needle at 19, as I was aware that it could take longer than a 6 week summer holiday to heal properly.
Still have it with the same earring(!) in now, almost 2 decades later.
Just let him get it done. It's his choice really and is no big deal if you think about it.
I had mine done at 11 and am now 53 and still wear 2 earings. Always have, every day of my life. I never died and it has never had an adverse affect on any aspect of my life at all.
All this "my house my rules" crap is pretty petty in my opinion. Just because someone as an adult doesn't like earings doesn't mean that a kid shouldn't be allowed their own opinion.
Very few kids keep them in for any length of time and if they stop wearing them they have caused no damage.
If they keep them in, then they made the correct choice.
It’s his choice really
Well it's not really is it?
I got mine done by one of my mates when I was 17 and we were both off out tits on acid.
Maybe try that? It'll be great for parental bonding and it'll be educational for him
@binners. Thank you, more solid advice. So an off your tits on acid trip to the piercer for our prince alberts it is then 🙂
Just the advice that makes this forum tick 😀
If acid still done by young people?
Both my girls were done at around 8 y/o. No problems to report.
I got my ear pierced against my will, my Mum insisted I do it to show my sister it wouldn't hurt!
Do it properly. Or wait - it's a fad for boys and a rite for girls.
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he’s been pretty insistent since the age of 6 and he is always buying and wearing magnetic ones.
In which case I'd probably OK it.
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Not a bad call - from someone with the same number of holes I was born with!
I got mine done by one of my mates when I was 17 and we were both off out tits on acid.
Maybe try that? It’ll be great for parental bonding and it’ll be educational for him
Binners is our Yoda, guide us o great one
Well it’s not really is it?
What age do you allow your kids a say in their own life then ?
It is really isn't it?. It's a minor cosmetic thing, not a face tattoo.
I've daughters, both have ears pierced now, we made them both wait, 10th birthday was the time for my eldest and my youngest for her 9th (I forget but there was a god reason why we did it a year early). My youngest had hers done at Claire's rather than where we'd normally go, but the piercer that did hers was actually very good, and the studs chosen were decent quality.
Personally speaking I think that jewellery quality, aftercare and patience (ie not wanting to swap out the piercing studs quickly so not letting the holes heal fully - something Claire's don't help with as claim their aftercare lotion means the holes heal quicker), rather than gun vs needle is more important.
I've 3 holes in my ear, 2 in the lobe (one of which I still use when not at work) and one in the cartilage, I think I got them between the ages of 15 and 18 when it wasn't the done thing for a middle class lad from Berkshire. My parents where not amused, but by that time I did what I wanted anyway. I don't regret it, and at leat you can remove them without too much scarring. Had my nipple done at Uni, but that's long gone now, incompatible with playing sport.
I don't agree with the practice of piercing a child's ears as an infant (and especially boys) before they have a personal opinion and it tends to promote stereotypes.
and it is all the rage at school for the lads to be getting their ears pierced
Where is his school, the 1980's? You need to move schools. Nothing else for it.
Well the deed is done. He’s had a tough year with his epilepsy diagnosis as well as the C word. Done well at school etc as well so figured he deserved a break.
Went to a decent place and went for the needle option. Only a very small stud and whilst it pains me to admit it, it quite suits him.
IMO 8 is too young. I'm surprised school will allow any of the kids to wear ear rings at that age. Secondary school will not allow it either, or I'd again I'd be surprised.
As others have said the piercer with a gun is the wrong way to do it, but a body piercer of any repute wouldn't do a needle piercing on an 8 year old, however insistant the parent was.
I had 5 piercing in my ears and one in my nose when I was late teens / early twenties. I haven't worn them for 25+ years and the holes are still there. Occassionally one of my ear piercings builds an encapsulated blob of gunk, which The Wife has to squeeze out, which then gets infected. So it's not always "they will just heal over".
Hahaha not seen an Enid Blyton reference before
Honestly? Should i take my 8 year old child to get a peice of dirty metal fired through their ear by a child in a mainsterean £2 per hour sh!t hole....with all the trauma involved with a blunt injury....probably not. If your ethics are ok with it at least take them to an independant specialist and get it done quickliy and cleanly with a needle, whatever next...Mcdonalds heart transplants?
Read up like three posts before yours.
Also, the first year apprentice wage is the lowest minimum wage band in the country and it's over double that.
How about those nice clip on ones?
Don't do it.
I shudder at the thought of my fashion and appearance choices at a young age staying with me.
You're in charge. He can do it himself when he's old enough.
Unwanted piercing holes in ears, belly buttons, eyebrows, noses are not great.
This also extends to girls not plucking all their eyebrows out at a young age. Leads to a lifetime of emulating the chosen look of 14 year olds.