To not be thrilled about these tattoos?

[MrsHoney123]

Just wondered how others would feel if their DH of nearly 30 years whom they’d raised three kids with decided in his late 50s to get both his upper arms completely tattooed? Pictures are a skull, a load of roses and a snake.

I would laugh at him, just trying to imagine DH doing it now 🤣

their body - their tattoos

if I was anti tattoos, I would expect them to consider my views, and understand that it may be a deal breaker, however, not your arms - not your choice

I don’t like tattoos but my husband has bodily autonomy so he can do what he likes. I would consider myself entitled to be politely honest about how I felt about them though!

Well it would depend entirely on whether I liked tattoos and specifically those ones. If I hated them I'd be upset and disappointed as 'his body his choice' is all very well, but a permanent change to his appearance I found off putting would be a problem.

His body, he can do what he wants with it

His body his choice

If you hate tattoos then your choice is in whether you stay with him or not. Personally I wouldn't leave over some tattoos but that's me

I would think my DH had lost the plot

I’d be a bit bemused, laugh at him and then accept his decision, I suppose. It wouldn’t be my favourite look though. He’d have cliched upper arms.

Bodily autonomy for all

His body, his choice.

Also: Your husband, your right to tell him you think they look crap and to enquire as to how far the whole midlife tattoo moment is going to go?

Good for him.

My DP & father of my DC revealed over Xmas that his tattoo is a matching one, that he got with his ex!! We have been together 8 years I had no idea!

If they were bad I would judge them. Tattoos can look amazing on anyone but there are more badly done (either in terms of design or skill) than good ones in my experience.

The fact he's just gone and had them done without you knowing beforehand suggests it was a rash decision and they're probably not very good.

Flabbergasted

I sometimes consider getting a tattoo, but have never found The One

DH really, really dislikes them. He'd never stop me, but I know he'd prefer without and would never get for himself.

So I really would be left wondering WTAF, and wondering what influence he as come under

I am entirely neutral on the point - I have tattoos myself and wouldn't object to anyone who wanted to get a tattoo. But really? Sounds a wee bit stereotypical tattoos he's got there - anything particularly personal to him about the symbols he's got, or is it a midlife crisis?

All my tattoos are personal symbols that are important to me, not chosen off the wall of the nearest tattto parlour, which is why I ask.

I'm not anti-tattoo and I don't have a problem with the idea of my DH having them. But after so long I'd probably find it a bit unsettling that he'd do that now and wonder what else might be going on in his head.

I would also be a bit disappointed by that choice of imagery. It's a bit banal!

Yuck. His body his choice etc but it would give me the ick for sure.

I actually wouldn’t care. As long as they’re happy and healthy surely that’s all that matters? It’s just skin. And not your skin.

We had that conversation. He went for a piercing instead.

I used to work with an older man when I was in my early 20s who had got tats when he was the navy. In the following 30 odd years his skin had wrinkled and so had his tattoos. Everything else had gone south too. It didn't help that he wore cheap thin white shirts.

As a result I loathe tattoos.

I hate tattoos, but would reluctantly acknowledge that his body, his choice

I'd struggle to look at them without laughing, raging midlife crisis springs to mind.

I don't know why people keep parroting 'his body his choice' like the OP doesn't know that an adult man can legally choose to have a tattoo without his wife's permission. I'd be surprised if there was anyone who thought otherwise. The question isn't 'does my husband have bodily autonomy?' It's would you be upset if he excercised said autonomy to do something you thought made him look awful/ridiculous/unattractive. Most people, if honest would be a bit upset I imagine.

I'd be questioning his judgement on artwork choice. I'd certainly question the expense of it, because that's a large-scale, long-term body art project.

Would I question wanting to get them? No.

I’d accept it but wouldn’t like it. Screams midlife crisis to me.

I can genuinely say it wouldn’t bother me. I’d wonder why he’d chosen that particular design, but ultimately “because I just like it” is an answer I’d readily accept. We’re all allowed to like stuff even if it is prosaic.