What age for belly button ring?

[haley's mom]

Help. As some may know I have a step-daughter who is 15 years old. She lives with her mom and they make some choices I do not always agree with. I tend to have more rules for my daughter.

Anyhow, I took my step-daughter shopping yesterday to get some shorts. We went into Aeropostale (one ofher favs) and she picked some shorts, tops, etc. I noticed the swim suits and suggested she look for one. With a quick glance she told me they were all ugly.

Ok, no big deal. She gets shorts. We leave.

While walking to the next store I suggest they may have some swim suits to look at. She then asks if she showed me this, pulls up her top, revealing the belly button ring.

Her mom took her while they were on spring break from school in Mid-march. I know now why she did not want to try on a bikini and have me find out that way.

My first reaction was shock and disgust. But my DD is only 5. So I do not know the age where kids do this kind of stuff.

Is 15 a normal age? What will be next? I am trying to prepare myself for the next shocking moment.

I think I may have failed this one with my comment "When the hell did that happen?????"

Please offer advice.

 

[Stephanie218]

I got mine for my 16th birthday. My mom (an RN) was NOT happy about taking me, but she was resigned to it after I'd been asking for almost a year. I really don't think there's anything wrong with it. No one ever sees it besides in a bathing suit. It's not even as bad as a tattoo because you can always take it out (granted there might be a little scar, but at least it's not permanently inked on your body. I have commitment issues, so I could never get a tattoo haha).

But honestly, there's a lot worse things a 15 year old could do. At least her mom took her, so she didn't have a friend do it and infect herself. I still have mine in at 22 - don't know when I'll take it out, but it's just like a part of me now. I rarely change it, but I think it would look weird if I took it out.

 

[thptrek]

90

 

[HoneyBee06]

I think 18. No younger.

 

[Par8hed]

On - Anytime

But off by 50 please.

 

[Pooh's Pixie]

Sorry, never.
I know I may live to regret that comment when my DD turns 15, but yuk.

 

[aprilvaca04]

On - Anytime

But off by 50 please.

SO TRUE!!!!!

 

[luvmyboys]

I vote for never! After seeing/hearing stories of infection, pain, and scarring from friends who had it done when I was a teen, there is no way I'd ever let a daughter of mine get it done. Thank goodness I have boys!

Plus, I don't care how innocent and sweet a girl may be, IMHO, a belly ring automatically makes her look less classy. Who wants that for their child?

 

[mtemm]

my d is only 4, but I think they are cute and 15 sounds right to me. more important that a belly is flat, lol, which is why I don't quite have one myself.

 

[nataliela]

18- When one can sign off on it themselves

That's when I got mine b/c my parents wouldn't take me...and I wish I wouldn't have gotten it. Its been out for 3 years and I have two hole in my belly. It was a bad choice on my part.

 

[Praying Colonel]

DW, to her eternal credit, took a hard line on this stuff with DD and spared me from having to be the bad guy. She said pierced ears (one in each earlobe) no sooner than 14, that's it. No extra piercings anywhere.

 

[HoneyBee06]

I vote for never! After seeing/hearing stories of infection, pain, and scarring from friends who had it done when I was a teen, there is no way I'd ever let a daughter of mine get it done. Thank goodness I have boys!

Plus, I don't care how innocent and sweet a girl may be, IMHO, a belly ring automatically makes her look less classy. Who wants that for their child?

Yeah. I am SO lacking class because of this tiny silver ring in my belly button. Just ask everyone that knows me. I am just classless.

 

[lilyv]

This is your 15yo stepdaughter? I'd so just ignore the issue completely. Find common ground, love her just as she is...and be very thoughtful about which battles you choose.

 

[The Paint Nazi]

Yeah. I am SO lacking class because of this tiny silver ring in my belly button. Just ask everyone that knows me. I am just classless.

No less so than the guy with the earring who you have in your signature...

 

[MichelleVW]

For my DD's it's going to be when they are 18 AND Graduated from High School.

 

[THE HAT]

My neices both got theirs when they were 16, one is now 22, and the other 19 and they still have them in. I would have one, but DO NOT have the cute little tummy they have for it.
Dh's best friends daughter 16 asked and asked for one, and was told no...when asked why got the old "cause we said so" line....FF to a week ago when she became very ill due to the infection she had from piercing her own with a safety pin 3 weeks ago......she has always followed the rules, wears no make up or belly shirts, doesn't have a boyfriend or go out on weekends, she just wanted it for herself, and if they had given a valid reason she might not have done it....in Maine you have to be 16 to get it done at a piercing/tattoo studio with a parent present to sign off on it, showing valid ID's. ( I do not know how the rules go at other places)
I don't have a daughter, but would think that I would have no problem with them doing this if I did, dh and myself have tattoos, and I have some cartilage piercing as well.
I say pick and choose the battles, they have to have a bit of stretch for self expression.
I do not find them tacky or classless at all.
These are all just MHO!

 

[Stephanie218]

Yeah. I am SO lacking class because of this tiny silver ring in my belly button. Just ask everyone that knows me. I am just classless.

Haha, apparently I am too. Although I'm not sure how anyone would know I'm classless, unless they run into me on the beach. Usually for my daily activities, I keep my shirt on

 

[lovetomow]

I say I like to see a belly button ring on a girl vs a tramp stamp any day!

 

[HunnyPots]

I don't think there is good age. I hate piercings of any kind other than earlobes. That being said, my dd went out and did it as soon as she turned 18. Her dad saw it and pulled the old "not while you're living in my house" routine and she got rid of it. For a while. She did it again as soon as she figured he'd forgotten about it .

 

[KikiFan]

It's funny if my daughter wants to pierce her ears three or four times I'm okay with that. But for some reason the belly piercing seems so sexualized to me. I just can't see letting my daughter do it till she's 18.

I've also heard some horror stories of people dealingwith infections. It seems like a hard piercing to keep clean.