At what age would you let your child get a tattoo?

[MichelleVW]

House Rule: no piercings, no tattoos while I am providing tuition, housing, health insurance, etc.

I gave birth to blemish free/perfect bodies and until I am no longer financially responsible for those bodies, they will remain blemish free!

My kids know I mean it..it is the same rule that my sister in law has and my neice decided to challenge it with a tattoo. She was suddenly scrambling for college loans 3 wks before her junior year in college when her parents discovered her tattoo.

June

I can't imagine cutting my child off like that over a silly tattoo. There are so many big issues to worry about and if a young adult has done well for 2 years in college I can't see getting that bent out of shape over a tattoo.

In my opinion that is just silly. Do you (people that oppose spending money on tattoos) let your college age children spend money on other things? cd's, fast food, movies? Because they could be spending that money on other things too. My college age DD spends way more on clothes a year than her one small tattoo cost.

 

[MarilIncredible]

I got mine when I was 21 or 22. I was in college. My dad had one for as long as I can remember, and my sister got one when she was about 21 also.

I can't imagine taking a teenager to get a tattoo, unless you are hoping s/he will be scared off my the needle, or you want to be certain they don't get something silly like the Red Hot devil taking a pee or Tweety Bird smoking a blunt - something they will definitely regret when they are a little bit older [you HOPE].

I had some cool temporaty tats when I was in HS and used them on my ankles during the spring - fall. They lasted about a week and came off with rubbing alcohol. I wouldn't have a problem with my kid using temp ones at that age. I am not really sure they understand the commitment aspect of a tat when they are that young. I like to think I had a pretty good idea when I got mine, and I was smart enough to get it in a discrete place that is not seen in business clothes at all.

 

[jen0610]

I was actually thinking of a specific case when I wrote that - I have a friend who has a Celtic knot tattoo along the scar he got donating a kidney to his brother. He donated the kidney at 16 and his mom let him get the tattoo at 17 (his brother, 20 at the time, also got one). I'd allow something like that - meaningful and not somewhere visible or that would be a concern/embarrassment in professional or formal occasions. As I said, "exceptional circumstances"; most kids are never in that sort of position so it most likely isn't something that will ever come into play.

I know there is a teen poster on the Dis that got her tattoo young and it is a symbol of her battle against cancer or lukemia, I can't remember which. I believe that it is a small ribbon on her foot.

If either of my kids had battled against a disease that could have killed them, I am not real sure I would be telling them no to getting something they want as a their way of saying to that disease "bugger off, I beat you!!".

With the good lord willing, this option will not be available for my kids, so that leaves them with their having to be 18 and out of high school to get one. And this is from two parents that each have a tattoo. I didn't get mine until I was 41 and I had talked for years about do it. So they know, it's not something you have to rush to do.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Never. And I don't even have kids. I just don't care for them, no offense to people who have them. To each their own.

I do think some of the artwork is incredible and there are many talented artists around, but I wouldn't want one on my child.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

uhm, when they're 18! most places won't even tattoo underage kids now, anyway.

i have nothing against tattoos, i have 3 myself(and want more) but my kids would definatly be waiting until 18 at the youngest, to get a tattoo.

 

[mamacatnv]

No tattoos here until you're old enough to not need permission and can pay for it yourself. Even then I won't be thrilled.

My DS wants one, something along the lines of symbolic of me and his sister on his shoulder blade, I'd be okay with a cute coffee mug myself...........

Funny, DS sends me a text the other day and asks me what I think Dad would think of him getting a tattoo. Sr. is pretty conservative. I told DS to ask, I could not speak for Dad (I'm hoping Sr will discourage it, but I am staying out of it) DS is 20 years old, while we do provide his primary support, I would never withhold it over a tat.
I don't like them myself, but personally and I know this is sexists, I would much rather see a tat on a mans back than on a womans breast or worse on a womans low back. JMHO
I'm hoping DS spends his spare money elsewhere, but that is his choice.

I would never ever give my permission for a general just because I think its cool tattoo.

 

[LisaNJ25]

18 but would prefer older. I was 22 when I got my first but had already been married 4 year.

I can just hope they place it somewhere that can be covered.

 

[Sparx]

I know there is a teen poster on the Dis that got her tattoo young and it is a symbol of her battle against cancer or lukemia, I can't remember which. I believe that it is a small ribbon on her foot.

If either of my kids had battled against a disease that could have killed them, I am not real sure I would be telling them no to getting something they want as a their way of saying to that disease "bugger off, I beat you!!".

With the good lord willing, this option will not be available for my kids, so that leaves them with their having to be 18 and out of high school to get one. And this is from two parents that each have a tattoo. I didn't get mine until I was 41 and I had talked for years about do it. So they know, it's not something you have to rush to do.

Thats Sonya (imabrat), she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and had to have her knee replaced. She's now cancer free.

 

[rockydek]

Never....Unless your a hot body ..It looks dirty.
Give me a scrub brush and get that nasty thing off.

That 13 year old with the tattoo...Is she also the same 13 year old hanging out at the VFW?
My goodness!

 

[MushyMushy]

I can go with the "exceptional circumstances" mentioned here, and like I said in my first post, I actually considered letting her get one. A local girl has cystic fibrosis and apparently a nickname for it is "65 roses." Before her transplant, she wanted 65 people to get purple rose tattoos (and a local parlor was donating the money for her). She had her transplants and is doing well! My daughter didn't know her, which is why I said no to the tattoo, but if she was close to the girl I might have said yes to a tiny one in a hidden place. Maybe.

Other than something like that or hiding a scar, my answer is still no. And no to anything other than ear piercings too.

 

[X and G's mom]

I'm in the never group. (I do know I can't do anything about it once they are 18 though)

A Dr. that I work with has a wonderful quote, "A butterfly on the back turns into a Terradactyl on the crack".

 

[MushyMushy]

Never....Unless your a hot body ..It looks dirty.
Give me a scrub brush and get that nasty thing off.

That 13 year old with the tattoo...Is she also the same 13 year old hanging out at the VFW?
My goodness!

YES! The VFW has a swingset outside that they wanted to hang out on... but you know, this is a block away from an actual playground so I can't imagine in a million years why they would want to hang out there. Just asking for major trouble.

 

[CapeMayMommy]

YES! The VFW has a swingset outside that they wanted to hang out on... but you know, this is a block away from an actual playground so I can't imagine in a million years why they would want to hang out there. Just asking for major trouble.

The answer to the tattoo question is "Never"

And I work with veterans. The average age of war veterans is about 63.

There is nothing for a 13 yo to do at a VFW.

 

[suzanna1066@comcast.]

NEVER!

I hope this tattoo craze has died out when my daughter comes of age. I just don't like them (no offense to anyone).

I just have to wonder about the parenting skills of anyone who would allow a 13 year old to have a tattoo.

 

[Colleen27]

I can't imagine cutting my child off like that over a silly tattoo. There are so many big issues to worry about and if a young adult has done well for 2 years in college I can't see getting that bent out of shape over a tattoo.

In my opinion that is just silly. Do you (people that oppose spending money on tattoos) let your college age children spend money on other things? cd's, fast food, movies? Because they could be spending that money on other things too. My college age DD spends way more on clothes a year than her one small tattoo cost.

I agree. I don't see spending on tattoos or piercings any different than spending on "in" branded clothes, nails/hair, tanning salons, or any of a million other things young adults spend their discretionary income on for no reason other than vanity, or the other frivolous things that they spend on in general. And I'm a "pick your battles" kind of parent - tattoos aren't a big enough issue that I'd risk interrupting my kids' education over.

 

[2cats1kid]

It's illegal over here to tattoo under 18s (although I'm sure a few less legit establishments don't ask for ID). I'd be gutted if DD got a tat as I really don't like them, but I'm sure I'd get over it - eventually!

 

[Pigeon]

. Do you (people that oppose spending money on tattoos) let your college age children spend money on other things? cd's, fast food, movies? Because they could be spending that money on other things too. My college age DD spends way more on clothes a year than her one small tattoo cost.

CDs, fast food and movies are fleeting. Permanent disfigurement is not.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Middle school? Now I've heard everything.

.

No, you haven't. My DD14 showed me a pic of a girl in her class that is on My Space. She has piercings on each hip. I have never even HEARD of that.

http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs13/f/2007/044/e/8/Hip_Piercings_by_arttishardd.jpg

This isn't the girl, I found it on Google Images, but it's just like what that girl in class has.
Oh, and beware if you do a Google Image Search for body piercings...I got lightheaded. OMG.

I haven't read the whole thread, so I apologize if someone has mentioned hip piercings.

 

[MushyMushy]

No, you haven't. My DD14 showed me a pic of a girl in her class that is on My Space. She has piercings on each hip. I have never even HEARD of that.

http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs13/f/2007/044/e/8/Hip_Piercings_by_arttishardd.jpg

This isn't the girl, I found it on Google Images, but it's just like what that girl in class has.
Oh, and beware if you do a Google Image Search for body piercings...I got lightheaded. OMG.

I haven't read the whole thread, so I apologize if someone has mentioned hip piercings.

Why on earth would someone want piercings there???

And why on earth would someone take a picture in such a messy room and put it for the world to see?

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

I can't imagine cutting my child off like that over a silly tattoo. There are so many big issues to worry about and if a young adult has done well for 2 years in college I can't see getting that bent out of shape over a tattoo.

In my opinion that is just silly. Do you (people that oppose spending money on tattoos) let your college age children spend money on other things? cd's, fast food, movies? Because they could be spending that money on other things too. My college age DD spends way more on clothes a year than her one small tattoo cost.

i completely agree. cutting them off financially over a tattoo is a bit much. it's THEIR body, anyway. i'm glad my parents never cared about that type of thing. i have tattoos, piercings, and i even had crazy bright hair colors when i was in high school. as long as i did well in school they didn't care, and i'm too old now for them to even try to care, tbh.