Tattoos and piercings in childcare

[vayab1]

HI there I’m currently a childcare apprentice in a nursery and have to write a report on public concerns. I have chosen tattoos and piercings and I was wondering if anybody could help me by giving their opinions of people who care for children with tattoos and piercings, where you draw the line (e.g. tattoos with profanity etc). Thank you for your help in advance, have a lovely day ☺️

[Fekko]

I guess a swastika on your neck and 'fuck' across your knuckles would cause me some concern! I'd worry about piercings if you are around small kids as they can be a bit grabby with jewellery. That goes if you wore dangle earrings too.

[vayab1]

Thank you for your reply 😊

[flowery]

Facial tattoos I'd probably not be happy about, or profanity as you say. I'd also be concerned from a safety point of view about facial piercings in terms of being grabbed by exploring toddler hands.

That's it.

[StinkyMcgrinky]

Same as PP I think. If someone had profanity tattooed across their knuckles or a really large facial tattoo I might be a bit reluctant to use them to care for my children. But I don't see any concerns with visable tattoos if they're not offensive. Same with piercings really. My CM does have a visable tattoo on her wrist which has no bearing on her abilities go do her job. I think a vulgar/offensive tattoo in itself isn't an issue it's the mentality of the person deciding to have that permanently displayed on their bodies.

But, this is coming from a Mum who has had het fair share of tats and piercings and has been permitted to procreate 😉

[vayab1]

Thank you for your reply 😊

[StylishMummy]

I would strongly dislike any visible tattoos as I think they're ugly and I wouldn't want them normalised or encouraged. Earrings are fine but otherwise piercings wouldn't be appropriate unless cultural. But then I also despise the look of children under 7-8 with pierced ears

[MonaTheMoaner]

I have lots of tattoos but anything with profanity or racist language would worry me and make me turn away. Piercings are fine.

[Helpimfalling]

My ex sister in law had bitch written on her knuckles and was a teaching assistant I was disgusted

[tellitlikeitispls]

I'm pretty easy going about it and I wouldn't have an issue with tattoos, even facial ones, as long as they don't contain profanity. I have a friend with facial tattoos and I have found (in the past when my children were nursery age therefore relevant to this thread) MY children accepted it. Not without question. Lots of questions! But they don't see it as anything but pretty (or not) drawings on skin. Which is what it is essentially.
Any body modification should be assessed independently, I would say. A split tongue for instance - well I would suggest that this would not be a problem AS LONG AS it was not shown to the children. This crosses a line IMO.
As previous poster mentioned, anyone working in close contact with small children should not be allowed items of jewellery that can be easily grabbed or risk a, well, bloody situation for the carer. Such as ear piercings with dangly jewellery, stretch piercings in ears that little fingers can easily pull, septum piercings with large rings - you get the idea.

[Emaline]

I personally really don't like tattoos or how they look. But I couldn't care less if my child's carer chooses to have them. I can't see how that's any of my business or impacts on their ability to do their job. Profanity or something potentially scary to children would be the only exceptions.

[HoppingPavlova]

Tattoos would not worry me whatsoever unless they were vulgar or contained profanity. A tattoo with the caption ‘give it to me hard big boy’ would be a no. A tattoo of a dragon/Phoenix/picture of relative or dog or whatever would be fine.

Piercings anywhere visible would be fine. Dangle earrings would have me wonder but essentially I think if they are willing to have their ear ripped apart, well, up to them I guess ........

[SeeKnievelHitThe17thBus]

Tatoos I have no issue with, unless you suddenly get loads of 2 year olds colouring their arms to be like "Mavis" the nursery nurse.

Piercings I'd presume your employer would say had to be studs only, in whatever location on your head, because of the H&S risk of grabbing babies (I stopped wearing earrings when DS was small because he even grabbed at studs) and the risk of bars etc. snagging on clothes / blankets.

[TheBitchOfTheVicar]

Good grief! Wouldn't want them normalised?!

I have no issue with anything other than what PPs have already said: anything racist/homophobic/sweary.

[vayab1]

Thank you all for your replies. I will be including quotes from replies however I will not include usernames. Please keep commenting viewpoints until the end of today (8/03/2018) as that is when my coursework will be completed. Thank you again and have a lovely day 😊

[flowery]

”I would strongly dislike any visible tattoos as I think they're ugly and I wouldn't want them normalised or encouraged”

They are normal though! And I don’t think children of childcare-age can be “encouraged” to get tattoos as clearly they would not be able to. Once they reach the age where it is possible, surely someone’s not going to get a tattoo because their key worker when they were three years old had one?!

[jellybean1986]

Visible tattoos would not be an issue for me unless as said, they contain profanities etc. I am starting childminding myself and have tattoos. Piercings wouldn't be an issue but dangly/hooped earrings, nose/lip rings are easily grabbed and probably not the most suitable for practical reasons, but again, I wouldn't judge.

[whatthefuckingfuck]

Wouldn't want them normalised?!🙄

Pretty much the same as everyone else has said. I wouldn't judge anyone with any kind of tattoo or piercing as long is it was safe for little children and the tattoos were not rude in anyway. It doesn't reflect who they are or how well they can do their job. As long as the children were happy.

[misskatamari]

I wouldn't mind tattoos unless they were vulgar or inappropriate, and piercings wouldn't bother me at all. Dangly earrings, as others have said, I would probably think best avoided tho (just due to the grabbing potential of little ones)

[mrsBeverleyGoldberg]

I would wonder about the suitability of a person with a profanity, picture of death, or racism tattooed in a visible area. Although none of the children would be able to read it. I saw on tv a girl get a tattoo of a hanging man on her leg. Just because their views would be not the sort of thing I'd want my dcs exposed to.
I wouldn't be bothered by any other piercings or tattoos because it's the same as wearing make up or dying your hair. The qualities that the person had would be the thing I care about. In fact some of the more extreme piercings like the expanders would have fascinated my dcs when they were little.

[Snowcatrunsthehouse]

I would really rather they were not visable. A small flower just visible bottom of trousers is probably ok. But absolutely no facial tattoos, profanity’s, skulls or scary type things.
Just have them covered and everybody is happy.

[TheBitchOfTheVicar]

@Snowcatrunsthehouse there is a world of difference between a pretty flower and skulls and fuck knuckles 🙄

[insancerre]

I work for a medium sized childcare company with several settings
Our policy is all tattoos must be covered when working
Facial piercings are not allowed except for earrings
We have a very strict dress policy and unnaturally coloured hair is not allowed either
I know one person who was sacked for dying their hair pink
The policy was written by the director, so I guess its her decision whether to employ someone with a visible tattoo, but I can't see it happening

[LorelaiVictoriaGilmore]

Our wonderful nanny has visible tattoos and a nose piercing. But I would draw the line at profanity.

[WopYa]

don't care about tattoos or piercings, however as a PP said children are grabby so for own safety maybe only wearing studs is best.

Profanity obviously not geat, but I have no issue what so ever with visible tattoos.

My childs keyworker has a couple of tattoos on her wrist which are obviously on show most of the time, but it doesn't affect her ability to do her job!

as for " wouldn't want them normalised " to me they are normal. Both me and DP have tattoos and whilst mine are not visible if I am dressed, ds has seen them (he is nearly 2) and obviously his dads and I think the most interest he has ever paid is asking "what's this" but during a stage of asking " whats this" about everything!