What do you do when your kid says they want earrings?
I suppose it is entirely dependent on you as the parent. Do you(the parents) have a particular view/ position on this issue. Some parents want to avoid consent for practical reasons for young kids. Cleaning and managing a piercing requires a bit of vigilance and care for a few weeks and younger children are just not up to the task – so if you don’t have a problem with the post pierce care then what’s the issue.
For younger kids who play sports (particularly boys) the risk of tearing is real especially in the contact sports, so you may want to consider this before making a decision.
If the school your child goes to has a policy around the wearing of jewelry you may want to have a look at that before deciding either way.
It is useful to notice that I have deliberately not referenced gender here for specific reasons.
I think by now we are all aware that wearing jewelry of any kind is no longer restricted or preferenced by one gender only.
Piercings are also no longer reserved for or preferenced by only one gender – despite the fact that there are still some communities who discourage this practice for one gender.
Some families also discourage all forms of piercings for one or both genders on various grounds from tradition to religion and pretty much everything in between.
So ultimately the decision rests with you – the parent(s). What is your position on whether your child should or shouldn’t wear earrings. What are your concerns regarding your child’s image, personal family brand/name, will it affect your child’s reputation. Why does your child want earrings – is it merely to follow a current fashion trend, peer pressure, or any other reason.
Whether you consent or not is up to you, your house, your child, your rules. However think about whether your child is pushing your buttons just because they can to see what your reaction is going to be. Are they reinforcing a belief they have that says “I am not allowed to make any decisions for myself OR my folks don’t trust me OR I will simply be bullied into submission with a flat out No without any discussion.
Remember this may not actually be about the earings. It may well be the beginning of a trend in behaviour that is being used to establish whether or not you are willing to negotiate on issues or bully into submissive compliance.
This is certainly one of those decisions you may want to choose carefully on. A tradeoff here may serve you well down the line. A hard line here may well set a tone for future similar discussions.
On the other hand this may just be your little girl growing up and want to look like a little princess.