Okay. I think I just opened up a can of worms here...Originally Posted by Satai
This is a very dangerous message to give any child.
They should be absolutely certain that their parents respect their bodily integrity and that they respect that the child's body is the child's own.
A lot of abuse is tolerated by children and adults because they have a poor sense of their body as their own.
A mother's concern for her child not having a piercing to young is about preserving the health of her child and teaching the child to properly care for her body, not a power struggle over to whom the body belongs.
As a seperate matter, I am also uncertain that you are correct that that is even the legal situation - I would be surprised if the child's body is not legally considered the child's, and the parent is expected to act in the child's best interest until they reach their majority.
I am not suggesting that a child's body is not her own until 18. And I am not suggesting that the child's body is a mother's "property." I am also not implying that a child has no rights in terms of his or her body. I realize that children need to develop a sense of love and respect for their own bodies, and recognizes when someone else is violating their bodies. This was NOT what I'm saying!
What I AM saying, is that her daughter is NOT authorized to pierce herself, or be pierced by ANYONE, until she is 18, unless she brings a parent to a well-established and professional piercing studio to sign the consent forms.
A parent has every right to determine what is in the best interest of his/her child...and many of these decisions relate directly to how our children treat their bodies, safety issues, etc. This is well within our jurisdiction as parents!
I feed my adolescent sons, I clothe them, and pay the bills. This is part of my job as a mother. In terms of body modification, body art, etc., THEIR BUTTS ARE MINE until I give them the green light!!! This is what I am saying. And I am NOT violating their basic rights as human beings by conveying this to them...they will simply know that if I don't approve of a behavior, and it's not in their best interest, it's not going to happen, and if it does, there will be consequences.
A parent HAS to ensure that a child is recognizing what is and what is not good for their bodies, so in that sense, their butts are ours as well. We as parents determine how nutritious the meals are we cook for our children, how appropriate the clothing on their backs will be, whether or not we let them get piercings/tattoos/scarification/stretched ears/whatever, when they are going to bed, the level of hygiene our children need, when to take them to a doctor, etc. In other words, WE as parents are the ones who protect and monitor the safety, and emotional/physical well-being of our kids.