This new trend is disturbing to one mom.

Meanest Mom Jana Matthews: A few days ago, my six-year-old daughter received an invitation in the mail to a friend's birthday party. The party is being held at a children's hair salon in town. After being educated in the art of prepubescent hairstyling, each of the party guests will be treated to a beauty treatment of her choice: a manicure, a pedicure, a classy "up-do," or a free ear piercing. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a box labeled "tattoo," because I would have checked it.

Question # 1: Who throws an ear-piercing party for six-year-olds?!!

"Mani, pedi, or hairdo?" I asked my daughter, pencil in hand.

"I want my ears pierced!" she cried. The panic rose in her throat as she realized that my omission of her desired choice was not by accident.

I reminded my daughter of our agreement: she could get her ears pierced when she was eight. This proved to be small consolation to a six-year-old with a penchant for glittery hoops.

A few days later, I was telling this story to my friend when she broke me off mid-sentence. "You're not seriously thinking about letting your daughter get her ears pierced anytime soon, are you?" she asked.

That's when I heard about nasty infections, imbedded studs, earrings that rip through ear lobes, and a host of other problems endemic to pint-sized pierced ears. To be honest, I had never thought about the "proper age" to get one's ears pierced, but the more friends I spoke with, the more I realized that a lot of people have very strong opinions about when it's okay -- and when it's not -- to pierce your daughter's ears.

So what's your take?

Question # 2: When did you let or when do you plan to let your daughter pierce her ears and why?

A six-year-old with a fondness for hoops (and her mother) want to know!

Jana Mathews is the mother of "four under five" and the author of The Meanest Mom blog.