In article .com,
"shinypenny" wrote:

Am I being too melodramatic here? Am I missing something? And, most
importantly, am I doomed to have my girls get tongue studs because it's
the one thing that would accomplish shock value for me? :-)

Yes, you're being too melodramatic.

It's a fashion statement.

While it MAY (and I emphasize MAY) have had it's beginnings in issues
dealing with sexuality. it is, at this point in time, merely a fashion
statement.

Remember when a man with one ear pierced was supposed to be advertising
that he was gay (only specifically WHICH ear seemed to vary from one
area to another . . .)

Body art is just body art.

I'd be concerned if a minor came home with ANY piercings or tatoos,
since, at least here in CA (and I think in most other states) they need
parental permission for that sort of thing -- and, since they are more
or less permanent, I would NOT sign permission for anything but ears.

However, once the kids are old enough to sign for themselves,
attributing the body art to sexual proclivities is over the top.

(And, if I'm any indication -- yes, the fact that you are grossed out by
that ONE THING, means your daughters will get them done as soon as they
can . . . it's about the only (visible) piercing that grosses me out,
though I'm not crazy about the lips, either. As far as the ones not
normally visible, well, I don't need to know if they've done any of
that! They've not bothered with tatoos (they don't bother me) or any
other facial piercings -- just the one that they knew grossed me out.)
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care