Parents Daughter wears belly ring while teaching

[Julie]

Our 15-year-old has been working as a youth tumbling instructor this spring. Her only attire requirement is to wear a top with the gym's logo on it which, so far, has been a crop top. And she chooses not to take out her belly-button ring. That terrifies me. One of DD's teammates ripped out her belly ring on bars this season. Like, the skin was completely torn; blood was everywhere. (To her credit, DD always removes removes her belly ring when practicing or competing on an apparatus.)

As an instructor, however, she does not perform the skills herself. She believes the piercing is not at risk. I reminded her that you never now when a kid's uncontrolled leg or arm could whack her in the tummy. That elicited an eye-roll, lol.

I told her she cannot wear belly-button rings with dangly charms, but I don't want to stifle her self-expression by saying no belly-button ring at all. What say you all?

 

[MILgymFAM]

I think that if it were a hazard, the gym would have a rule about it. My teen daughter has practiced in the past with her nose ring in. Both of my daughters have practiced with small hoop earrings. Some gyms have forbid both of those things, but some have not… We follow whatever rule is in place. Neither has been an issue for us. If you feel strongly that it’s a safety issue, I think you should pull the mom card and just tell her that- and trust me, I’m huge on self expression.

 

[tucktwisttumble]

speaking as someone who ripped her belly ring out... (I was leaning on a fence at a pool, and it caught on the fence). It SOUNDS way worse than it feels. Trust me. I felt it, yes, it bled, yes. but after the bleeding stopped it just turned to an unsightly scar.
I wouldn't worry too much. If it rips it rips. She will learn her lesson. But it is not a huge danger worth causing a fuss over, at least in my opinion.

 

[Kristie]

I'd tell her it's a lead by example situation. She doesn't need it out but her girls can't have any jewlery so...as her coach she can show solidatiry by taking it out.

 

[gymcat]

Would she be willing to compromise and put a band-aid over it?

 

[rjb123]

I have just sat here for 30 minutes with images of a belly ring being ripped out! Ack! I will say, as a child I had an earring ripped out accidentally at a sports practice, so I am very cautious with my kids about this sort of thing. I vote no belly ring.

 

[mariposa]

I think it is odd they let her coach with a crop top on, our coaches have a dress code and crop tops aren't allowed, and being that they do, odd they don't do see it as a safety issue. It wouldn't be a discussion for my kid as much as, you will cover it or cover your stomast or you won't coach because it is a safety issue.