To not understand why parents hate their kids getting tattoos

[lailamaria]

Obviously this applies to adult children but it's something i've come across a lot and never really understood it, is it because parents feel some sort of ownership over their kids bodies or is it something different.

This isn't a brag or anything but my mum's never been bothered, she has 2 tattoos herself with extremely sentimental meaning (although i think people should get tattoos whether their sentimental or not) and for my sister's 18th she even paid for her to get one as her birthday present.

I understand not liking tattoos on yourself but demanding your adult children don't get them or even talk them out of getting them I think is rather rude when their paying for them themselves with their own money. My aunt used to ask my cousin to cover hers up just because she hated it (it was a flower on her back so it wasn't like the tattoo was offensive.)

I'm not trying to judge truly I personally just find it strange

I'd guess that many parents see it as limiting their child's options or opportunities, something they'll possibly come to regret.

Having a child limits your options and opportunities and could possibly be something a person comes to regret. Everyone is fairly gung-ho about that though. And you can't hide a child up a long sleeve and pretend it isn't there either.

I have just seen this and it's a chance to let off steam.

I hate tats with a vengeance.

Neither of my DCs has them but one has just got engaged to someone (male) with a whole sleeve. He did it in his early 30s.

In my time, like another PP said, tats were reserved for sailors or builders and had a link with 'really rough types'.

I hate the way they make skin look dirty. I just can't see why anyone would mutilate themselves with permanent art work.

Anyway, I was really sad to see DD with this man with his sleeve. She doesn't like it but of course, he does.

I know that all types of people have them BUT in general it seems to be people who aren't 'professionals' who go for major body art displays. I just think it sends out a negative 'follow my mates' attitude. Yes, I know I sound snobby and make no apologies for this.

And you can't hide a child up a long sleeve and pretend it isn't there either.

To be fair, you don't take a child to job interviews.

I haven't read the whole thread, has anyone mentioned that Virgin Atlantic has just in the past few weeks lifted its ban on employing people with visible tattoos? On one hand, this might show acceptability is increasing, on the other, it proves that those who claim there is a potential problem are not imagining it.

I think that for many, it basically comes down to that. I'm not prone to sentimentality and calling my adult DCs 'my babies', but at some instinctive level, I want their beautiful skin to stay unsullied. I know it's irrational, but I reckon that it's because we spent all those years tending to our adored babies' and toddler's perfect skin and keeping it perfect. And then suddenly they grow up, and without our say so get needles full of black ink stuck into those perfect bodies.

One of mine has a tattoo. I've never said anything that isn't positive about her having it. But I still see it in the same way as a permanent ugly blemish on my beautiful child.

I think they're ugly. They get uglier as people get older and more saggy. They also get uglier as people want to wear more stylish or formal clothes, especially evening and wedding dresses, instead of the crop tops and mini skirts they wore when they got them. Also the pebbledash thing.

Those who hate the 'ugly blemish' - all sorts of things cause blemishes. Scars for instance. What about the baby's born with blemishes - birth marks? Are they less than perfect?

It's their skin. Just because we changed their nappies, gave them their baths, and rubbed body lotion into their little bod's doesn't mean we have a caveat over it.

I got my first and only tattoo for my 50th. It's on the inside of my wrist and is meaningful to me.
I think it's stunning and don't understand the hate.
Having said that it's not exactly something I'll regret as I'm hardly a youngster.

You've got an open attitude towards tattoos but I'm not surprised as your mum has them so growing up you would have been unlikely to see them as a negative. My own mother hates them.For my own experience I don't mind them on other people. I'm not a big fan of sleeves or tattoos on the face or neck. I don't have any and don't want any. Mine are only little yet so I don't know how I'd feel but their skin is beautiful.and unblemished and I'd quite like it to stay that way. That being said when they are adults it's up to them, I'd just want them to go to someone reputable and really consider the design.

Exactly.
But say that you don't like tattoos and you're immediately perceived as conservative, boring and judgy.

I dislike the look of ink on skin. I admire the artistry of a good tattoo artist, I get why they have meaning to people. But aesthetically black and blue ink on skin just isn't attractive to me.

I also find they detract from what a person is wearing. For some reason my eyes can't ignore a tattoo of any size. So someone can be wearing a stunning dress, but I can barely see it as the tattoo takes away from the shape of the dress.

But as I said, I know that's my personal taste. So my DD has no idea that I wish she didn't have one.

I'm seeing just as much judgement of people who don't like them, as I am of those who have them, on this thread.

I have 7 tattoos and don't mind 3, hate 3, and one is okish. But given that I hate 3 of them and I definitely want to get one lasered off in the future I'll encourage my daughter not to get one. Ultimately of course it'll be up to her but for most people I know they regret them. Some of mine look tacky as fuck and I'm embarrassed by them.

one of my dc has one, has had since 18 and I found out 3 years later - it's on the rib cage (and it's a bit shit. not completely shit, but definitely basic).
I have always disliked them. I was disappointed to see the tatt and it will probably be regretted but not my body, not my choice and I did what I could to argue against.

erhhh really.... I find tattoos vile and common....

I think they look hideous. All these people following the herd and inking themselves in an effort to be unique.

I would be so sad if my DC got one.

It's like building a house with your bare hands and the new owner wants to pebbledash it. They're allowed but you really wish they wouldn't.

Perfect analogy!

If my child mentioned they were thinking of getting a tattoo as a teen or young adult then I would STRONGLY discourage them and point out that almost everybody I know who has one now regrets it.

At the weekend we were at an event and a couple of women shared our table. One of them was covered in tattoos - both hands with spiders' webs, a snake up one arm, the other arm was a full sleeve, her earlobes, lace pattern on her entire neck that looked like a scarf and roses and barbed wire across her chest.

Then yesterday I saw a woman in Aldi in a sundress, also heavily tattooed but one arm had a huge horse's head and the other an enormous portrait of Paul McCartney. I thought that looked frankly weird.

Good to know. Thanks. Just writing that down...

My mum always says "that'll look great when you're 60".
Talking about getting one covered the other day and she just kept saying how ridiculous I'd look as a pensioner with it.

My parents: 'what is that tattoo going to look like when you're old and wrinkly?'

Me: 'probably about as good as my old, wrinkly skin'.

So tattoos are common but not having one, ie the vast majority of people, isn't common?

Oh no wait, you're just being a classist snob.

I'm covered in tattoos, my first was 17 years ago, I don't regret a single one of them and I don't care what other people think about my body and what I choose to do with it.
I work in a professional job and not one tattoo has been a job stopper for me.

If my DC decides to get one when he's older I will be supportive, as it's his body and he has the autonomy to do what he wants with it, just as I have with mine.

The poster said they find tattoos vile and common. That is their opinion. It's not the truth, it isn't an objective fact. A heavily tattooed person might find someone without any tattoos boring. That would be their opinion.

I mean they are not a new thing are they? The middle aged contingent are covered in them.

I would feel a bit disappointed if my kids get them as the just look a bit naff these days. But I'd get over it 🤷🏽‍♀️

I'd be way more upset if they wanted to remove healthy reproductive organs tbf.

I don't think I've ever come across a bunch of people more vehement that they 'don't care what others think about them' that get more butthurt when someone doesn't like their choice as people with tattoos.

People like different things.

I don’t think it’s fair to say that you’re labelled just for saying you don’t like them. People here are being labelled because of the way they’re expressing that view. On this page alone of the thread there are examples of misinformed, judgy, classist posts where people can’t just say that they don’t like tattoos but feel the need to underpin that view with a horrible attitude.

I personally love some and am not keen on others. But then again I’m not in their skin and I don’t always know the story behind them. I don’t know where all these people are who regret their tattoos because I can’t say that I’ve ever met a single one, and I know a LOT of people with them.

Funny isn’t it how perhaps we see what we want to see