Ear piercing for boys - For or against?

sock-knitter

i think the OP is being sexist, if she has allowed the daughter to have hers done and not the sons
i wouldnt have allowed either to have there's done til they were at least 16

Gloomendoom

sock-knitter wrote: »

i think the OP is being sexist, if she has allowed the daughter to have hers done and not the sons
i wouldnt have allowed either to have there's done til they were at least 16

What if he wanted to wear a dress? Would telling him no still be sexist?

happy35

havent read all the thread, my son has had his ear pierced the first time when he was about 11 or 12 as his friends had theirs done, I let him as thought he would get sick of it and it wasnt worth the hassle to say no. He did get sick of it after about 2 months and it healed over.

At about 13ish he had it done again and this time he has continued to wear earrings although not all the time and never for school.

I think there are so many things you dont want your children to do that giving them a little bit of leeway means that they are less likely to rebel. Most of his friends have theirs done, it doesnt bother me at all although I wont allow any other piercings such as lip or eyebrow or a tattoo which some children I know his age do have.

balletshoes

Gloomendoom wrote: »

What if he wanted to wear a dress? Would telling him no still be sexist?

now theres a way of expressing his individuality .

jonathon

I had mine done when I was 13 am now 47 never had a problem being called chav or anything else, the only time i took mine out was the 10 years in the army. I now work private security with an earing.

Rev

Gloomendoom wrote: »

What if he wanted to wear a dress? Would telling him no still be sexist?

IMO, yes it would. If I had a boy and he wanted to wear a dress and play with dolls, I'd actually be proud of him for feeling he could express himself the way he feels. Nobody bats an eyelid of a girl wears jeans and plays with cars.

What I'd be scared of was the reactions and actions of the judgemental idiots who lash out at things they can't relate to (that isn't directed or intended for anyone in this thread, just a statement on the nasty part of society). That's what would worry me, not that he was wearing a dress.

Now, if he wanted a girlfriend/boyfriend and a pint I'd start to worry lol. :rotfl:

thorsoak

I'm of an age where it was only the "upper crust gels" and factory girls who had their ears pierced - rest of us wore painful clip-ons (ouch!) I had my ears pierced as a Christmas present, paid for by my 14 year old daughter when I was in my 30s She had her ears pierced when we felt that she was old enough to be responsible for keeping them clean, clear and open (and she gave me the lecture about making sure that I did that for mine) !

No 1 son had his ear pierced when he was 15/16 AND had the dodgy Kevin Keegan perm (now that shows just how long ago it was). He's now 45 - and a transport manager - all booted and suited - no earring (not much hair, either!) - you wouldn't even know he'd had his ear pierced. SIL also had his ear pierced - you can see that he's wearing a stud in their wedding photos - but now, also 45 and a financial manager in New York, his earring wearing days are long behind him too.

Just because they have them done early, doesn't mean that they'll always wear them!

FatVonD

I have less of a problem with young boy's having their ears pierced than I do when I see little toddlers (of both sexes) with their ears pierced, now that really IS chavvy (not to mention child abuse.)

I'd say let him have it done but I'd suggest waiting until the summer holidays as he won't be able to take it out for 6 weeks and will have to cover it with a plaster for PE if you get it done at any other time.

Lotus-eater

balletshoes wrote: »

I would say its at best 50/50 that your judgement is going to be correct if you're only judging people on how they look - because what they say, how they dress, their posture, how they speak etc all count towards a first impression too. A tiny accessory in one ear is surely not what anyone is going to be solely judged on?

I am quite surprised by this thread, I honestly didn't think one ear piercing on a 12-year old would mark him apparently as a no-hoper/chav/from a poverty-stricken or troublemaking household in so many areas of the country.

But it does judge him.
He will be judged for the rest of his life, because the piercing will always be obvious.

It will be obvious and I don't care what the others say on here, because you can always see it.

I've had many friends and been through a few different carnations, but always come back to the fact, that the ones who really make the difference are the ones who make the rules and the ones who make the rules are not the ones who have earrings.

I hope my kids are the ones who don't have the earrings, or if they are, then at least they are happy. And I want to give them the chance to start at the top of the tree and not the bottom.

Sorry, if I've annoyed everyone else on here. But that's the way it is.

thorsoak

Lotus-eater wrote: »

But it does judge him.
He will be judged for the rest of his life, because the piercing will always be obvious.

It will be obvious and I don't care what the others say on here, because you can always see it.

I've had many friends and been through a few different carnations, but always come back to the fact, that the ones who really make the difference are the ones who make the rules and the ones who make the rules are not the ones who have earrings.

I hope my kids are the ones who don't have the earrings, or if they are, then at least they are happy. And I want to give them the chance to start at the top of the tree and not the bottom.

Sorry, if I've annoyed everyone else on here. But that's the way it is.

I have to disagree with you there - both No 1 son and SIL are men in authority who do make the rules - especially SIL. They had earrings as teenagers/young men - but outgrew them (just as No1 Son outgrew his Kevin Keegan perm) as they grew into jobs where sich accoutrements were not looked upon with favour!

Better they start at the bottom of the tree and learn to climb, than start at the top and have to cling on so that they don't fall!