Would this be a good idea?

[Jean in Newcastle]

(Birthday gift idea for dd who is turning 12 - she reads my titles so I have to put the real title here!).

 

I'm thinking of letting her get her ears pierced (a long time wish of hers).  So I'm thinking of taking her down to Claire's to have it done and to pick out a pair of earrings after her birthday dinner.  Is that a good idea?  I never had my ears done professionally (mine was done with a sharp safety pin in the dorm!) so this is all new to me.  

[bolt.]

That's how I had my girls done, though we didn't make a big deal out of it.

 

Do call ahead as some staff are qualified to pierce, and some are not, so you'd want to make sure someone was available in your timeframe.

[JustEm]

That sounds like a great idea!  I was 12 when my mom finally let me get my ears pierced.  I remember going to Claires to get it done with her.  All other piercings were done by myself just sticking a piercing ear ring in my ear.

[shukriyya]

Lovely idea!

[GreenKitty]

I think its a great idea!

[*Lulu*]

I think it is a great idea.

[Heatherwith4]

Yes, it sounds great to me!

[bobbeym]

I think it's a great idea, but do call first to make sure a piercer is there.  They always have earrings on sale, so you might let her pick out a few pair to have on hand once she can take the piercing studs out.

 

I was 12 when I got my ears pierced. I remember my mom taking me and it was a big deal to me.  My first pair of earrings had the fake rubies in them b/c that's my birthstone.

[Alicia64]

I still remember having that done in 4th grade and how excited I was.

 

Great gift!

 

Alley

[unsinkable]

No. I think she's too young.

[AlmiraGulch]

I think if she wants it done that 12 is a perfect age.  She's old enough to care for them herself, old enough to understand it will pinch when it gets done, and old enough to appreciate that in your family it's sort of a sign of her maturity.

 

How sweet!

[Lady Florida.]

I think it's a great idea. My mother let me get mine pierced when I was 13. 12-13 is a perfect age for it. I agree with letting her pick out a few pairs of earrings too.

 

What a sweet birthday gift and a wonderful surprise.

[Freckles]

Wonderful idea! She will be so excited.

[Starr]

I think she would be really delighted. Be sure she cleans as directed and doesn't take them out too soon.

[Mabeline]

How fun! I'm sure she'll love it.

[Chris in VA]

Just did this with dd 13, although it wasn't her birthday.

 

I made her wait; according to her, most of her friends have pierced ears.

 

I think it's nice. 

 

We got hers done at a place similar to Claire's. Some say to go to a place that does it with a needle instead of a gun, but it worked fine for us. 

[nd293]

Dd13 just had her ears pierced for her birthday. She paid for it herself, but she got earrings from her brother and grandmother and from friends. She has been able to wear them in the past few weeks and is thrilled with the results.

[poppy]

I think it sounds lovely.

Although, when I was 12, my mom said no, and I don't  mind that. I'm approaching 40 and never did get my ears pierced.

[TammyinTN]

Awesome idea and I'm sure she will love it. 

[plansrme]

12 was the magic age here as well. Be sure to spring for the slightly more expensive starter earrings. Our Claire's piercer strongly advised against the lower quality version they sell, which made me ask why they sell one that is unsuitable, but whatever!

 

Have a great time!

[MrsMommy]

It sounds great to me!

[Little Nyssa]

Great idea! except do you have an alternative to Claire's? DD had hers done recently there and three pairs of the earrings we got for her fell apart. Cheaply made.

[Dandelion]

Great idea! :-)

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

It was DD's 12th and it was at Claire's.  Do it.

[klmama]

If she's responsible and takes care of personal hygiene well with few reminders, it should be fine.  If she still needs lots of reminders, I'd wait until 13 or older. 

[texasmama]

Lovely idea!

[zoobie]

DD got her ears pierced at a piercing studio. It was a very cool experience! I think you're in Seattle? There are probably lots of piercing studios. Only a couple here deal with kids under 18 (none that also do tattoos), and the owner asked that we come on a weekday when it's less busy so she could take lots of time with DD if necessary. We don't have any tattoos or funky piercings, but it was an incredibly professional, sterile, gentle environment. Painted all in black with heavy metal music. ;) Just in case you wanted something different from Claire's. :)

[I talk to the trees]

I think that sounds wonderful! Happy 12th to your dd!

 

A friend (with multiple piercings) told us to use saline instead of hydrogen peroxide to clean dd's ears when she had them pierced. It worked like a charm. She said the peroxide was fine for a couple of days, but that saline helped dry and heal the ears faster.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm so glad that (almost) everyone thinks it's a good idea!  Thank you for the tips.  I have a couple of weeks to figure out the details. 

[MAIMOM]

I think it is a great right of passage idea. I have tried to have something like that for each age from 12- 16. One year they could wear chunk heels, one year any heels,mascara and lip gloss another year, then full makeup. It gave them something to look forward to and helped them grow up a little at a time

[Annie]

I think it's a great idea to get her ears done, but I would try to find a piercing place that will use a needle instead of the gun they use at Claire's. The hollow needle removes the tissue without much trama when it makes the hole, but the gun makes the hole by pushing a solid post through. I think the needle piercings often heal muh more easily. Plus, you can pick whatever earring you want when you use a needle instead of having to live with those sharp (ouch!), cheaply made, and overpriced piercing earrings from Claire's.