[Kate!]

I was at my local shops yesterday and a woman in front of me in the queue started chatting to me, as you do. Her baby, aged about 18 months, was in her pram and this woman told me that she'd just had her ears pierced (the child) as "a treat". I just smiled and said she looked cute but to be honest I was horrified. "A treat!" The little girl was just a baby. I don't agree with this, but would never have said anything as it's not my place. I feel however that parents shouldn't be able to get their children pierced anywhere until the child is of a reasonable age to make that decision themselves. Obviously children grow up quickly these days so I'm not advocating anything like 16 or 18, but maybe 10 or 12? And there's the question of whether the salon or wherever they have it done should have a moral and ethical duty to set an age limit on such treatments. I believe they should, I don't know whether or not there's an actual law for this, but if not then there should be.

Thoughts?