Fluther: NSFW Should a parent be allowed to permanently modify their minor ...

NSFW Should a parent be allowed to permanently modify their minor child's body?

Asked by DrBill (16066

) May 29th, 2010
41 responses
“Great Question” (10

)

A woman I know has a daughter who is 13 and started going through puberty just before her 12th birthday. Mom wants to get laser treatment for the daughter to remove her pubic, and underarm hair. I recommended she wait till her daughter was 18+ and let her decide for herself. Mom’s argument is that it is no different than a parent getting their babies ears pierced.

Contributing factors,
1. Mom has had laser herself
2. Daughter does shave
3. Mom tried to get her daughter tattooed, but state law prevented it.
4. Mom want’s to put daughter on birth control (as a 15th. birthday present)

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Topics: parenting, child welfare, laser, NSFW, child rights

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Answers

Absolutely crazy. Her daughter has certain rights. Good god.

MissA (7396

)“Great Answer” (3

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Mom is way over involved in her daughter’s sexuality.

That makes her attempt to have her daughter’s pubic hair removed not only wrong but totally creepy.

I personally don’t think parents should pierce their baby’s ears either. There is plenty of time for a child to make that decision.

Mom sounds like she is less a parent and more a friend than is healthy for either of them.

Merriment (5940

)“Great Answer” (14

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Isn’t there some type of intervention for this type of thing?

MissA (7396

)“Great Answer” (3

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And, what if the guy she wishes to marry likes the idea of pubic hair?

MissA (7396

)“Great Answer” (4

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Mom needs to keep in mind that the girls pubes might one day be missed. When the girl gets old I doubt seriously she wants to look down a see bald wrinkled beaver. I know I prefer to see the little grey hat mine wears.

Silhouette (8850

)“Great Answer” (4

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Some women just ought to be sterile, IMHO.

eden2eve (3703

)“Great Answer” (3

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@Silhouette
I love it! Great thought.

MissA (7396

)“Great Answer” (1

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Sounds to me like “mommie” needs her headspace and timing checked!

CaptainHarley (22447

)“Great Answer” (3

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@MissA Thanks.

Silhouette (8850

)“Great Answer” (1

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No! That is so wrong. It’s not at all like getting her child’s ears pierced, though that is a form of body modification. But, jeez why doesn’t she just go ahead and decide what kind of tattoo her daughter might want later in life.

lillycoyote (24865

)“Great Answer” (2

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She has.

DrBill (16066

)“Great Answer” (1

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No one seems to mind if it’s circumcision…

Anyway, this person doesn’t seem to understand that her daughter is a human being and not a toy. Someone needs to hammer that into her head.

DominicX (28808

)“Great Answer” (3

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@DominicX – Actually I do mind if it’s circumcision…

Merriment (5940

)“Great Answer” (3

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I was trying to think of a similar act that is seen as customary, and you nailed it.

Clearly this is stupid, but similar acts are seen as acceptable by society.

Ivan (13479

)“Great Answer” (1

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@DrBill She has what? Already had her daughter tattooed? Oh my God!

lillycoyote (24865

)“Great Answer” (1

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From the question’s details…

“3. Mom tried to get her daughter tattooed, but state law prevented it.”

Ivan (13479

)“Great Answer” (1

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Follow-up question: should the state be allowed to sterilize men and women that it deems unfit for parenting?

holden (8450

)“Great Answer” (3

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No, because who’s going to make that decision? Hell, we can’t even trust the frakkin’ politicians to properly manage the budget, much less make decisions like that!

CaptainHarley (22447

)“Great Answer” (1

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@DominicX, @Merriment There are at least health benefits to circumcision.

Nullo (22009

)“Great Answer” (2

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@Nullo So “they” say. Personally I don’t buy into that reasoning behind circumcision.

Why perform surgery to do what simply retracting the foreskin and washing thoroughly will accomplish?

Merriment (5940

)“Great Answer” (2

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The Mom has already decided what tattoo she wants her daughter to have

A dragon, breathing fire and holding a cross in it’s talons.

Circumcision = unnecessary surgery sought by religious fanatics who think they can improve on God’s design.

DrBill (16066

)“Great Answer” (1

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@Ivan Oops. Missed that. I have a bad habit of just glossing over the details of questions and usually miss something important. and @DrBill That’s just wrong. Thank god the law regarding minors getting tattoos prevented her from having her child tattooed.

lillycoyote (24865

)“Great Answer” (1

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I think it depends on what the girl wants. When I was 13, I would have loved to have the laser therapy so I didn’t have to shave (not on my pubes, but definitely on my underarms and legs). Heck, I’d still love it, but now I don’t want to pay the money for it. I don’t know if the treatment is even available to minors though, so that may be a mute point.

I don’t think mom should do it just because she wants to, but at 13, the girl is old enough to start having some say about what happens to her body. Then, her mom is responsible for weighing the pros and cons and deciding if it is a good idea. Obviously this mom has some problems with what is a pro and what is a con though. I am glad she wasn’t able to get her daughter tattooed.

Seaofclouds (23108

)“Great Answer” (1

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In Illinois it is illegal for minors to get body modification except ear piercing. There is a place in Kentucky that will do the laser on anyone over 12.

DrBill (16066

)“Great Answer” (1

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I am vehemently against child piercing, circumcision, or any other mutilation that the child has not specifically requested with full knowledge of the intent and ramifications.

Having your 12 year old girl for laser treatment on her pubic hair is beyond the beyonds of wrong. Nothing like driving the idea that she’s a sexual object in early, eh?

Seek (34805

)“Great Answer” (3

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OMG! It actually seems as though we AGREE on something! [ faints! ] ; ))

CaptainHarley (22447

)“Great Answer” (1

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Stranger things have happened, @CaptainHarley ^_^ Like Abba, and the Village People.

Seek (34805

)“Great Answer” (1

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@Seek_Kolinahr @CaptainHarley
Pairings of the Universe…it’s a beautiful thang.

MissA (7396

)“Great Answer” (1

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LMAO @Seek_Kolinahr

Ever heard of Des Gengus Khan? Or was that before your time? : D

CaptainHarley (22447

)“Great Answer” (1

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Oh, yeah I’ve heard of Dschinghis Khan. And that certainly qualifies as well.

By the way, thanks. Now that ridiculous song is going to be stuck in my head. All. Damned. Day.

Seek (34805

)“Great Answer” (1

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@Seek_Kolinahr OMG! Well, I had never heard of Dschinghis Khan and now, thanks to you, that song and those images have permanently scarred me. ;-)

lillycoyote (24865

)“Great Answer” (1

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Ahahahahahahahahaha! Sorry about that! ROFLMAO!

CaptainHarley (22447

)“Great Answer” (1

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@Merriment, @DrBill Two words: zipper accidents.

Nullo (22009

)“Great Answer” (2

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Just for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQAKRw6mToA

ROFL!

CaptainHarley (22447

)“Great Answer” (1

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I’m totally going to learn that dance routine.

“hah hah hah hah hah!”

Seek (34805

)“Great Answer” (1

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ROFLMFAO!!!!

Hell, I’d PAY to see that! : D

CaptainHarley (22447

)“Great Answer” (1

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Head flattening, anyone?

meagan (4670

)“Great Answer” (1

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Hahahahahaha! : D

CaptainHarley (22447

)“Great Answer” (1

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DOESN’T ANYONE HERE KNOW LASER HAIR REMOVAL ISN’T PERMANENT?
Even electrolysis wouldn’t do it.

anartist (14808

)“Great Answer” (0

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@anartist Laser hair removal is considered a permanent tx by healthcare standards. Sometimes hair may grow back, just as a face lift may sag again.

Mom wants to be a friend, not a parent… And I think it’s a big problem with today’s society.

Taciturnu (6045

)“Great Answer” (1

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That lady is nuts. No, she shouldn’t be allowed to do that. I don’t even approve of parents piercing their little girls ears. Only if the girls ask to have them pierced.

JenniferP (2126

)“Great Answer” (1

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