Kids 16 and under with tatoos? Mostly girls. WWYD?

[Principessa1284]

I loathe tattoos. In my state, it is illegal to tattoo someone under 18 even if the parents give consent. If a child of mine came home with a tattoo, I would contact the police and report the place.

The child would be grounded for life, and she would be on her own once she hit 18. We would not fund her college education as we are planning to do. Our rules on this are crystal clear--no tattoos or body modification on our dime.

I could definately understand your going to the police to turn in a crooked tattoo parlor, but really? You'd all but kick them out of the house and not pay for college? Seriously? My apolgies, but that sounds a trite bit extreme to me. And honestly, if your kid (don't know ages, so I'm not assuming anything) was say, 16, and knowing how you felt about tattoos, decided to get one anyway, would they really show you? There are plenty of places one could get a tattoo and have no one see it. In high school, my cousin got one on her shoulder (she was 18 but still in hs) and managed to hide it from my aunt and uncle until she was 20. By then it was way too late to do anything about it - just laugh.

I'm curious - why are many of you so vehemently against tattoos and piercings? I can absolutely understand not wanting them on your teenagers, but what issues are there otherwise? Maybe it's just the crowd this particular thread is attracting. I definitely agree that some are just a poor idea or in bad taste - trust me, I used to work at a waterpark. When I got my tattoo (on my back, when I was 22) my entire family was excited to see it - even my 82 year old gramma seemed interested.

And, for the record, if you take good care of your tattoo, it doesn't have to turn into a faded, blobby mess. You need to keep it out of the sun, or consistantly wear a high SPF on it. The sun is a tattoo's #1 enemy.

Off soapbox. I'm just curious as to why this particular form of self expression is so hated.

 

[penn19]

I could definately understand your going to the police to turn in a crooked tattoo parlor, but really? You'd all but kick them out of the house and not pay for college? Seriously? My apolgies, but that sounds a trite bit extreme to me. And honestly, if your kid (don't know ages, so I'm not assuming anything) was say, 16, and knowing how you felt about tattoos, decided to get one anyway, would they really show you? There are plenty of places one could get a tattoo and have no one see it. In high school, my cousin got one on her shoulder (she was 18 but still in hs) and managed to hide it from my aunt and uncle until she was 20. By then it was way too late to do anything about it - just laugh.

I'm curious - why are many of you so vehemently against tattoos and piercings? I can absolutely understand not wanting them on your teenagers, but what issues are there otherwise? Maybe it's just the crowd this particular thread is attracting. I definitely agree that some are just a poor idea or in bad taste - trust me, I used to work at a waterpark. When I got my tattoo (on my back, when I was 22) my entire family was excited to see it - even my 82 year old gramma seemed interested.

And, for the record, if you take good care of your tattoo, it doesn't have to turn into a faded, blobby mess. You need to keep it out of the sun, or consistantly wear a high SPF on it. The sun is a tattoo's #1 enemy.

Off soapbox. I'm just curious as to why this particular form of self expression is so hated.

I don't think there is anything wrong with a parent (you are the parent after all, not your childs friend/buddy) to have standards for their own children. I think that might be part of the problem. No one wants to tell their kid no about anything. As long as they are "happy" then its all ok. As much as my parents drove me insane with their rules. At 21 I still had a curfew because I lived at home. I could have moved out and not had to worry about it. It was their rules because yes, I did live at home. My mom always used to say, "what would the neighbors think?" and I hated that. What do I care what the neighbors think? But you know what? As a parent now I kinda do care. I don't know that we have accountability anymore. When I was younger you tried to stay out of trouble (most of the time anyway) because you knew that someone knew your parents and was going to rat you out. Not to sound like an old fart, because I don't feel like one, but people used to have personal pride and holding up the family name and all that.

 

[Pigeon]

I could definately understand your going to the police to turn in a crooked tattoo parlor, but really? You'd all but kick them out of the house and not pay for college? Seriously? My apolgies, but that sounds a trite bit extreme to me. And honestly, if your kid (don't know ages, so I'm not assuming anything) was say, 16, and knowing how you felt about tattoos, decided to get one anyway, would they really show you? There are plenty of places one could get a tattoo and have no one see it. In high school, my cousin got one on her shoulder (she was 18 but still in hs) and managed to hide it from my aunt and uncle until she was 20. By then it was way too late to do anything about it - just laugh.

I'm curious - why are many of you so vehemently against tattoos and piercings? I can absolutely understand not wanting them on your teenagers, but what issues are there otherwise?

Yup, they would be out at 18 and I wouldn't pay for college. We don't make idle threats and we never have. The kids know this very well. If we say there are consequences for an act, they know that we will follow though. This has been true since they were very small. It makes life easier all around for everyone to know exactly what to expect.

I suppose that in theory it would be possible to have a tattoo in a place we wouldn't know about, but it's not likely at all. We vacation in a place frequently with communal dressing rooms and not much privacy.

If they want to do these things to themselves when they are self-supporting, that's out of my hands. We will continue to love them. But while they are on our dime, they can refrain from disfiguring themselves. Fortunately, at this point, they both think tattoos are ugly, but we still have a ways to go till they are college-aged, so we will see.

 

[lillygator]

wow, sounds like some kids may go crazy when they get to college, with no rules.

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

Age doesn't determine maturity.

Imabrat,
I feel your cancer matured you far beyond your years. I personally despise tattoos but if you were my child, I would have allowed you to get it. I think many people here feel the same about you. You are not the AVERAGE 16 year old people are talking about on this thread.

I would never get a tattoo. I've never seen one I liked, and besides that, I am too prone to change my mind, so I would never want the same tattoo for the rest of my life. My DH has four tattoos. I think they are really ugly. I can barely stand to look at them. I wish he would have them removed, even if they left scars. He doesn't like them either and regrets his decisions to get them in the first place. He says they are "courtesy of Jack Daniels" when he was young and stupid.

 

[islandmum]

Imabrat,
I feel your cancer matured you far beyond your years. I personally despise tattoos but if you were my child, I would have allowed you to get it. I think many people here feel the same about you. You are not the AVERAGE 16 year old people are talking about on this thread.

I agree completely - I'm VERY anit-tattoo but this is where the tattoo is symbolic of overcoming something so huge and I wouldnt stop it from my child.

I'm curious - why are many of you so vehemently against tattoos and piercings? .

here's ready to get yelled at , but at the exception of the reason I put just above I think tats are trampy, cheap and common, man or woman. I dont consider it an art form myself, just like I dont consider Tracey Emins unmade bed exhibit art either, but some people do.

I was brought up nicely, boarding school, manners, high expectations of how to look, behave and what I would achieve as an adult ...... I rebelled for sure, I partied, I drank, I smoke, but the line I never crossed was tattooing myself up, I just know that when I'm that mum standing at the gates of my kids school I dont want to be parading some 20 year old tattoo tramp stamp.

Whether people like it or not the fact is it limits you in later life, there are many many jobs where having tats rules you out, wrong or right, it happens.

 

[MichelleVW]

here's ready to get yelled at , but at the exception of the reason I put just above I think tats are trampy, cheap and common, man or woman. I dont consider it an art form myself, just like I dont consider Tracey Emins unmade bed exhibit art either, but some people do.



Whether people like it or not the fact is it limits you in later life, there are many many jobs where having tats rules you out, wrong or right, it happens.

I won't yell nor care if you don't like my tattoos. I love them and that's all that matters.

It's true, they can limit your job opportunities and that is why I have instilled in my children that you never pierce your face or get a tattoo that isn't easily covered.

 

[Christine]

My co-worker's niece, at age 20, got a tattoo of a huge tree. It is on the top of her foot and extends up through the front of her ankle and very lower shin. Uuuuugggggghhhh... I mean, honestly, the artistic work of it is nice, I can't take that away from the artist; however, she will never be able to cover it up unless she wears pants, dark hose, etc. I wonder if she will have any problems in the future. She is very committed to being "green" and is involved in lots of environmental causes (she marches, she pickets, she gets arrested, etc). The tree symbolizes her commitment to the environment, which I'm sure won't change. I just wonder how she will view this very large, noticeable tattoo in 20-30 years.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

Mine is on my foot, so it's easily hideable. The only time it shows is when I'm barefoot, or during the summer when all I wear are flip-flops. It is fairly small, only about 2 inches long by 1 inch wide. I guarantee you I won't regret this one because, my cancer will live with me forever. As much as I try to push it away, it won't go away - that's why I got the tattoo. To remind me of my battle and if I can beat cancer, I can do anything.

I know my circumstance is different than most, but it annoys me when people say I'll regret this because I got it so young. Or that it'll look crappy when I'm 85. I don't even know if I'm going to live to be 85, so I'm going to live while I can.

Damn, we're a judgmental bunch.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

I had something all typed up and then deleted it.

I think I'll go hang out with my trashy friends instead. Ya know.. the ones who judge based on what's inside a person's heart instead of what's showing on their bodies.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

My best pal got hers as a teenager and now as she stands at the school gates as a middle class mum picking up her kids she HATES what she did to herself.

This is what she's thinking about when she picks her kids up from school? Really?

 

[DisneyJen0504]

I was brought up nicely, boarding school, manners, high expectations of how to look, behave and what I would achieve as an adult ...... I rebelled for sure, I partied, I drank, I smoke, but the line I never crossed was tattooing myself up, I just know that when I'm that mum standing at the gates of my kids school I dont want to be parading some 20 year old tattoo tramp stamp.

Whether people like it or not the fact is it limits you in later life, there are many many jobs where having tats rules you out, wrong or right, it happens.

I was also brought up nicely in terms of manners, high expectations for my appearance, grades, responsibilities, etc. I did not rebel-never needed to because the rules in my parents house were realistic. They weren't so strict that I needed to rebel the second I went to college. I have never smoked a cigarette, done a drug, or had alcohol a day in my life. (I am 31 by the way) just never had the desire and my parents taught me I didn't need those things in my life. I think it is funny because in my house drinking and smoking or drugs are crossing the line.

For what it is worth, I do have two hidden tattoos (a butterfly that matches my best friends' butterfly who passed away, and a one on my back that has sentimental meaning for me.) Both are hidden, but I am proud of them and like one poster said, I don't judge others by their choice to get a tattoo but rather the person they are.

Lastly, I don't see why in the world it would matter what someones tattoo looks like when they are 85!! I will be happy to have lived a a long and happy life. Worrying about what I will look like at 85 (I think the sagging breasts are far worse than an old tattoo) is just plain silly.

 

[okeydokey]

wow, sounds like some kids may go crazy when they get to college, with no rules.

Sounds like some kids who learned self restraint will do very well.

 

[Colleen27]

I just came back from a WDW trip yesterday. One day was spent at Wet N Wild.

I could not believe how many young kids had REAL tatoos. I mentioned it to the 2 girls we brought on the trip with us. They are 14 and 16. They both went on to tell us that they thought that at least half the girls in their classes had tatoos.


Obviously some unethical tatoo parlor doesn't care about the laws and is tatooing without an age ID check.... ( I think in PA the age is 18 to get a tatoo. I know that 30 years ago I tried to get a tatoo and the place would not give me one because I was too young, they said ).

What I am not getting is how this place can stay in business - the one that DOES give tats to underage kids. The girls I took with me to WDW told me which tatoo place is giving the tats to all these young kids.

Surely "SOME" parents must be quite angry. I know if it was my daughters getting tats at ages 14 - 17, I would be all over trying to get that place shut down. I would call police. I would call the health department. I would call my local state rep. I would call the local business license department..... you get the idea.

WWYD if your underage child came home with some tats?

Most places will tattoo teens with parental consent. Personally, I won't be giving it, but many parents do. I'm of the feeling that they can wait until 18+ to do something truly permanent like a tattoo, barring extreme circumstances. I'm a pretty liberal parent in general and would consider giving permission for most piercings, but tattoos are in a different class to me and should only be gotten after more thought than a typical teen puts into things.

 

[Colleen27]

I have 3 tattoos and I love them all. I don't buy into the "what will they look like at 85" because I figure at that point who the heck cares what I look like anyway. Will I care that the butterfly on my ankle has gross veins near it...nope..

I'm with you on that one. If, at 85, my big concern is what my tattoos look like, I'll be thanking my lucky stars!

 

[Colleen27]

It used to be cool and hip and different - amusing that now its so common you're not being different or rebellious at all, just following the herd.

I'm amused by the fact that there are all these deeper meanings assigned to tattooing. It never occurs to people who don't like them that it isn't about "cool" of "following the herd" but rather simply a difference in what different people find attractive.

 

[ChrisFL]

I am not a fan of tattoos and it's getting disturbing where some people are getting their tattoos....especially the guys that have them on their necks or hands.

Anyway, this is what I think is the problem. A lot of younger people are getting tattoos for things they like at the time. But think about the rest of things we have in life. How many of us would be happy wearing the same clothes, driving the same car, living in the same house, listening to the same exact songs, or having the exact same job our ENTIRE lives? I'm betting very few, but those same people will be happy to get a tattoo.

I think a lot of it is to "fit in" with their friends, and that's never a good excuse IMO.

 

[imabrat]

Imabrat,
I feel your cancer matured you far beyond your years. I personally despise tattoos but if you were my child, I would have allowed you to get it. I think many people here feel the same about you. You are not the AVERAGE 16 year old people are talking about on this thread.

Thank you. Even before all of this happened, I could guarantee you I would've rathered a tattoo than a piercing. I'm just not into piercings, they're not my thing. That's why I think saying a 16 year old doesn't have the mental capacity to really understand what a tattoo means is plain bull. Everyone is different, just because we're young doesn't mean we're stupid.

I was also brought up nicely in terms of manners, high expectations for my appearance, grades, responsibilities, etc. I did not rebel-never needed to because the rules in my parents house were realistic. They weren't so strict that I needed to rebel the second I went to college. I have never smoked a cigarette, done a drug, or had alcohol a day in my life. (I am 31 by the way) just never had the desire and my parents taught me I didn't need those things in my life. I think it is funny because in my house drinking and smoking or drugs are crossing the line.

I don't smoke, I don't do pot, I don't drink, I don't steal. I'm an focused student with great grades, I volunteer, I think I'm a good kid. If I ask my parents for another tattoo, they'd most likely say "yeah let's go get one" because that's not crossing the line in our house. If I ask my parents for some money to buy pot, they'll tan my hide because that is crossing the line in our house.

 

[Colleen27]

Whether people like it or not the fact is it limits you in later life, there are many many jobs where having tats rules you out, wrong or right, it happens.

That really depends on where you get the tattoos. One of mine is sometimes visible in casual clothes, depending on the style and if my hair is up, and the other isn't visible unless I'm in a bathing suit. Neither would be seen in a professional setting. The "tramp stamps" that are so popular with teens & young adults aren't something that will be showing when they're at work.

IMO, that's not an argument against tattooing; it is an argument for putting some thought into what you're getting, which should be a no-brainer when we're talking about something permanent.

 

[imabrat]

I think a lot of it is to "fit in" with their friends, and that's never a good excuse IMO.

No, part of it is rebellion. I see it all the time with my peers, I've done it. Isn't that a normal teenage thing - do what your parents say you can not do? Parents being so vehemently against tattoos is partly why kids get tattoos from shady vendors. They can't afford it, and if they're parents find out they're dead. That's why I don't think I'll be so against tattoos if I become a parent.
Like I said, I have a warped opinion on this, so whatever.