‘So when they ask for a tattoo at 15 will you say yes?’I’ve been really surprised at the reaction to letting my youngest get her ears pierced for her sixth birthday. It hadn’t even crossed my mind that she was too young. Is there a right age to get your ears pierced?
My little baby turned 6 recently. She didn’t ask for any presents. She is not the sort of child who requests the latest plastic tat and she is more than happy with all the hand-me-downs from her older sister.
When I asked her what she would like for her birthday she asked for her ears pierced.
I hadn’t even considered saying no to her request, but after talking with lots of friends many parents thought six was a too young.
Although her big sister and I both told her it was really going to hurt, she was very brave. I did feel like a terrible parent when she actually had it done. And for a moment, thought perhaps I’d done something stupid, inflicting unnecessary pain on someone so young in the name of vanity. Not by style at all.Perhaps I had made a mistake?
Both my girls like pretty things. I was not like that as a child and rarely spent time in front of the mirror like they do.
Am I encouraging vanity where it is not necessary?
Should I have made her wait?
The reactions of some of my parent friends really surprised me. Many of them were shocked that I had just said yes to my daughters request at this young age and one asked if I would let them get a tattoo at 15 if they asked. I’m not sure this is the same thing at all and I guess I’d deal with that at the time.
Each of us is an individual and in charge of our own body. I didn’t see the need to say no to her only birthday request and was happy that she had chosen an experience rather than plastic tat for her birthday.
She recovered from the experience pretty quickly and is really delighted with her earrings. A birthday spot of cream tea helped her forget about it pretty quickly.
Happy birthday Hunny. Love you to the moon and back.
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a field somewhere 
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