Tattoo? wait at least until 18

Emma's fan:

Yes, well it's actually not at all unusual for older ppl to be getting their first tattoo. (Maybe you were surprised when she said this?) but anyway it's become very widespread for the second pair of ear piercings to be complemented by a bit of tasteful ink (like their granddaughters may already have, in some cases).

At least it can be said that at this stage of life they have had plenty of time to think about it, rather than a teen, who has possibly given it considerably less thought.

 

I am not surprised in the least. Especially coming from my mom! :lol: She enjoys bright, vibrant colors. When she comes over, she shares earrings with the grandchildren. The lady has had two strokes, walks with a can, but is still her old, loud self. Believe me, this is a compliment to her! She likes being noticed a mile away. My dad jokes that he had to cool her cookies when they got married and she had to heat his up.:lol:

 

Actressdancer:

Yes well ppl do need to know their pain tolerance before they embark on something like a fairly major tattoo project.

And of course teens aren't necessarily mature enough to know what their reaction will be (or whether they will get tired of the design anyway).

This is why I on the whole think the 18 thing is important.

Emma's fan:

Yes, well being multipierced and tattooed like grandkids may be, can on the one hand seem quite 'bold' but also it can take away the rebel aspect from say granddaughters who do those things also and can even maybe have a restraining and moderating effect, possibly.

 

See, that's why I figure the whole parental permission thing works okay (in those states where it exists). Because parents know their kids' maturity levels better than anyone.

Besides, there are plenty of very immature 19yos wandering around, with total legal permission to get any kind of tattoo they like.

At least a 17yo with parent in tow isn't likely to be drunk when they get their first tattoo.

(FWIW, I'm not against an 18yo limit... I mean, you do have to set it somewhere. I just don't think it's a huge deal to allow parents the authority to let their older teens get a tattoo. In general I'm in favour of allowing parents to make their own decisions for their family.)

 

Ava Rose:

Yes well these days it may well be the mom rather than the daughter that has the initial motivation to go get a tattoo; it's hardly a youth rebellion thing now.

The mother-daughter bonding thing sounds good, but I guess she didn't have any design she really liked a lot, when she graduated.

Meg Canada:

You know I do know what you mean and to some extent agree with you about the parent being best placed to know whether the young person is mature enough, or not.

I guess, too, from the perspective of the sanitary department, they want to cover themselves re. situations where the tattooist may conceivably have done a tattoo on an under-18 in what might be claimed as ambiguous circumstances, from at least someone's point of view. So I can also see for various reasons why they have often settled on the 18 rule.

 

As long our children live in our house, they will not get a tattoo. It's a condition of continuing to live here! Thankfully, it's not been an issue for any of them. Even our older children, now in their 20s and living elsewhere, do not have tattoos.

It's not just my strong dislike for them (although that is a factor). It's that they can't really be undone. If a fad is based on clothes or types of haircut, that's one thing; it can be changed over time. Once the current fad for tattoos is over, however, it's not easy to undo what's been done.

 

I have a very large tat on my back, I got it when I was 22 after sitting on the design for a good long while. I now regret it.. not the tat, not the design, but the "artist" that I selected (his portfolio definately made him look more talented than he was). I also had a problem with my body rejecting the ink and for weeks after it was done big huge balls of color came out.. so it was faded looking from day 1. Someday I plan to have that one covered.

Hubby has no tats, but he has one he drew up last year, and now after waiting a year has decided it's the one he wants, so income tax time he will go get it done.

As for our kids, if they have sat on a design for a year and still want it, then I'm game, as long as it isn't something that could be damaging to their future.

Piercings, ears are fine, no gauges, I can almost tolerate a nose ring or a monet, I can't handle right in the lip, the bridge of the nose, tounge or eyebrow though. Belly button is fine with me, and well genital piercing is all up to them and I don't wanna know..lol

 

crazymama:

Yes, the really large tattoos are becoming more popular, the argument being that if the person starts with a tiny one, then s/he may eventually want to adapt its design into a bigger one, anyway. Sorry you had a bad experience, though, and I guess you'll use your experience as the basis for advice on parlors/tattooists to avoid.

Some of the piercings you mention are most definitely over-18 only stuff, I think. (But I don't have a problem with ear multiples for teens.)

 

well here comes the tomatoes but I am ready.. have my racket ready.


I say if I was meet to have tattoos on my body they would of been there when I was born.

Really I don't know what to think about tattoos some are neat looking others well you don't know what I'm thinking.

 

You know, there is a school of thought that tatoos are a rebellion, or a fad, or what have you. And I know that for some, that is the case. But for me, a tattoo is no different than any other art medium. There are some who collect canvasses, sculpture, vintage dresses,etc. This is how *I* collect art. . Mine so far are all butterflies, most people know me as the lady who is all about butterflies. Tattoos are just another facet of my butterfly collection which includes jewelry, household decor, clothing,etc. So if one of my children had a passion for something, and wanted to express that with skin art, I feel like as a parent, I should be able to make the call on how old they should be to do it. After the 6 mo waiting period, of course!

 

leissa:

I see; interesting. For tattoos, butterflies are certainly a very versatile design basis with a lot of color variety potential.

I know what you mean about being better able to make the call as a parent.

Do you think you might conceivably be willing to give the go-ahead for a tattoo for an under-18 (hypothetically, at least) if s/he was, in regard to going under the ink needle for the first time, ready in your view?

Faith related tattoo designs can also be conversation-starters and talking points, of course.

KrisRV:

I know what you mean about your dilemma: on the one hand you question it; on the other, some of them seem to you to be quite neat ... .

(Who knows what you might think, years hence?)

Cornish Steve: What about a son/daughter who has been away at college for some years, is looking for a job and comes home for a while? often by then the young person will have acquired their first tattoo/piercings.

 

katiemiller:

Anyway I guess what you say kind of reinforces the thing that it's best to err on the side of caution when it comes to tattoos for under-18s, even if they are quite mature-minded in some ways. (I guess you'll want to check out a few parlors and designs before you finally decide, in any case.)

 

It would depend on the situation, of course, but none of my six children have expressed an interest in tattoos, for which I am very glad. (There were even discussions in the past about the girls having ears pierced: They had to wait until we agreed, as parents, they were old enough.) Maybe one will go ahead at some point: I'll face that if it happens. Personally, I think it's unlikely.

This will probably come across wrongly, but here goes: What, ultimately, does a tattoo reveal? It's that "self" is more important than anything else. What about the hundreds of millions of people in this world who die for lack of food that would cost a quarter a day, or a mosquito net that would cost just $5? What about the millions of brilliant young minds that go to waste because parents can't afford the maybe $10/year that many children in the Third World must pay to attend school? In contrast to such huge issues, why waste money on tattoos? What is rebellion in light of duty? Tattoos, more than perhaps any other purchase, proclaim the importance of "self."

Yes, the same argument can be made against jewelry and excessive clothing and attending sports events and taking grand vacations and buying expensive cars. I'm not saying we should all be extreme in our frugality, although some are, but the way we spend our money reveals our priorities in life.

Now, having upset too many people, I'm sure, I await the rotten tomatoes!

 

Aw, Steve... isn't that really just what a tattoo would represent to you?

I know a man with elaborate Chinese dragon and lion tattoos - one on each forearm. For him, those tattoos represent years of study as a martial artist. He's been running his own martial arts school for several decades now. His tattoos are not about placing "self" above everything else. They're about recognizing sacrifice and honoring the culture of his art.

I also know a woman who has a small tattoo on the back of her shoulder. She got it right after she completed her Master's degree. It's a permanent reminder of her achievement, marked right into her skin. For her, it means more than the piece of paper sitting in her desk drawer, because it's part of her, in the same way her degree is part of her.

Cancer survivors get tattoos. Military men get tattoos. Policemen and firefighters get tattoos. Rarely in any of those cases is it about the "self" being more important than everything else.

 

OK - you've convinced me that there can be positive reasons for having a tattoo. Still, I'd suggest it's a small minority of cases.

 

I don't have any tattoos, but I do love how they look! A thoughtful, well placed tattoo is incredibly attractive. If my children want one, they will need to be 18 and willing to pay for it. If they are under age, then they would need me to accompany them. I won't - so if they come home with a tattoo I'll be upset that they went behind my back, and lied. I won't be upset about the actual tattoo.

 

Talk about synchronicity!

Just this very moment I opened my newspaper to read the letters to the editor. The feature letter is from a mother who lost her son to suicide, pleading for better education around youth mental health issues in the high schools. She wrote, "Several of Jame's friends went out and got tattoos - the suicide awareness ribbon with his name and dates of his life - so when people ask, they can tell James's story."

I don't know from "minority" or "majority". I don't personally know anyone with a frivolous tattoo... but I guess if it was frivolous, they wouldn't show me.

 

That is a very good point! For years, I have regretted the tattoo I got when I was 19. I was freshly out of boot camp, and while it is not an embarrassing tattoo, I wish I had never gotten it inked on my body permanently. Plus, it is on my ankle, and I don't like to wear skirts to church because I don't want to show it off in that setting. :roll:

I'm not sure exactly how much it costs to get it removed, but I am sure of two things: First, it isn't in the budget right now, and second, as soon as it is, it will be gone!

 

Meg Canada:

Yes, well as well as the 18th b-day, seems like other events when ppl get them are, like you say, after graduating. (Some get them before, as well, once they go away to college.)

I guess my point was that (while there are some mature young ppl under 18, certainly), it is ideally associated with those who have some experience of life. (I suppose.)

 

Okay, I was going to keep silent on this issue but Steve I do disagree. Their are instances tatoos can be good. Several years ago my dh almost lost his life working due to having a wedding band on. After that he replaced his ring with a tattoo of my initials. I don't feel this was wasteful, rebelious or a show of self. This tattoo is a rememberance of the committment we made to each other and the love we share. However, their was thought put into this tattoo and he definately was over eighteen. My point being that all tattoos are not bad. We are told to look on the inside of a person, don't judge on what you see. Now if my child under 18 were to want a tattoo I would probably encourage them to wait until they were older just to be sure it is something they want to live with the rest of their life and not just a fad.