Dear Straight Talk: Like many girls our age, my sister and I wanted our nipples and navel pierced. We’re under 18 and knew our prudish mom wouldn’t consent, so we did it on the black market. Our mom normally knocks before entering our room, so we thought we could hide the evidence. However, she walked in without warning and came unglued. She’s grounded us for a month and forbidden us to wear body jewelry. She says she’s going to make us remove our tops randomly to make sure we are obeying. We think this is a gross invasion of privacy but she disagrees. We would like the panel’s opinion.

— LeeAnne, Sacramento.