Haven't encountered this with my boys. I think I'd be super conservative about permanent changes. But let him go crazy with hair.

Let him do it... I have alot of guy friends that went and had it done... Couple of months later they get bored and take them out .... Earing arent a big deal anymore....but dont let him gauge them until hes older if he chooses to

Just tell him he'll look cute with earrings. He may not want them anymore. (Like Jen said, I doubt he'd want them a few months from now. I'd say no if it was me, but I just finished reading the "How do you know you're old" thread in chit chat and am feeling really old and lame at the moment.)

He's a boy! Earrings are for girls. 'Nuf said!

I bargain with my kids...Just the youngest now. He wanted to color his hair black...I told him as long as his grades were good and he didnt start hiding in his room, i would let him. If his grades went down, I shave his head and we start at square one.

He's 12, not even a teenager. He doesn't make the decisions yet. YOU ARE THE PARENT/ADULT! You should make the decisions for him at this age.

My brother "gave in" to his oldest sons demand when he was a youngen and always thought - what's the big deal? Well, 8 years later, after the kid dropped out of school, been arrested, OD'd twice due to drugs, ran out on the home, stole money and a car from his own father...my brother looked back and told me "I should have just said NO!"

Now, that doesn't even come close to happening to all children...not by a long shot. But the point I was trying to make was that at a young age, you establish a precedent that your child has more control than you.

He'll be an adult a lot longer than he'll be a kid. Let him be a kid and when he gets to be an adult, he can make those decisions for himself.

That's just me. I guess I've seen the ugly side of letting a kid get what he always wants, that's all.

I regret my third holes I got in my ears because of painful scar tissue.

I say just go with your gut. I don't think it's a big deal. Not like it's a tattoo or a septum piercing, but it's up to you. :flowerforyou:

I think 12 is a bit too young to make this decision. You can always say you will revisit it when he is 14 or 16. Most likely this is a phase. I personally think earrings on dudes, unless they are gauged, look feminine.

Sigh. So .. opinions? My 12 year old son wants to get his ears pierced. I was his age when I got mine done .. does it matter any more if it is boys or girls? I just don't know. I keep going back and forth on it. I would love some opinions. Is this something that falls under the personal style part of a kid today .. or is it still the punk kid gets his ears pierced. Thoughts?

I've never, ever, understood why a guy would want his ears pierced.

He's 12, he has no style. You're still the mother.

He's 12, not even a teenager. He doesn't make the decisions yet. YOU ARE THE PARENT/ADULT! You should make the decisions for him at this age.

My brother "gave in" to his oldest sons demand when he was a youngen and always thought - what's the big deal? Well, 8 years later, after the kid dropped out of school, been arrested, OD'd twice due to drugs, ran out on the home, stole money and a car from his own father...my brother looked back and told me "I should have just said NO!"

Now, that doesn't even come close to happening to all children...not by a long shot. But the point I was trying to make was that at a young age, you establish a precedent that your child has more control than you.

He'll be an adult a lot longer than he'll be a kid. Let him be a kid and when he gets to be an adult, he can make those decisions for himself.

That's just me. I guess I've seen the ugly side of letting a kid get what he always wants, that's all.

My mom gave into me getting my belly button pierced at 13.... I went through a bad "youth" time like most do. But I finished school, don't drink, don't smoke, has had a full time job for 3 years, going to school, and own my own place and car... so yah, it doesnt always end up that way...

I say let him. Its a piercing. and now a days, its really not a big deal

I told him that when he can walk in and do it on his own to have at it .. but he is not going down without a fight .. lol. I just don't know if I am being rediculous.

To me, if you would let your 12 year old daughter get hers pierced then yes, you should let him do it. But if it's not a matter of gender, and just age, then you have every right to put your foot down.

Sometimes you have to let kids make their own decisions and learn from their mistakes. I wanted to get my ear pierced for a while when I was little, but the minute my dad said it was ok I suddenly lost interest.

But you're the mom, if you can think of a good reason then just say no. He'll probably grow out of it in a short time anyway. And yeah, I think boys look pretty stupid with their ears pierced.

You're gonna let a 12 year old make his own decisions?

I mean, it's not serious (the earring) really, but that mentality is what's wrong with kids these days. They don't learn from their mistakes, then their parents bail them out and tell them it's ok, don't do it again. Which they do.

:laugh: Children don't learn from their mistakes? Gotcha.

Boys getting their ears pierced is really nothing nowadays. But since it's something he wants pretty bad, make him earn it.