My son is changing.

[BarbBarb]

Hi everyone. my son is 22 and I have been noticing a lot of changes in his interests. my and DH were hoping he would go down the dependable sensible type. But he seems to be keen on the arts. He's been talking about starting a podcast with his friends and he's stopped cutting his hair and is getting a ridiculous mullet to go alongside a wispy mustache which looks so untidy. The other day he tried to show me a video of Ed Sheeran where Ed Sheeran was showing off all his tattoos. I am just worried that the artistic life is a struggle and certainly don't want him getting a Tattoo he used to be such a sensible boy. Am I over reacting?

Par the course, surely

A moustache AND a podcast? Say it aint so!

See its all bloody Starmers fault his first job as PM should have been to ban Ed Sheran.... look what's happening now... our kids are being Corrupted 😱

Interesting. I am anti-tattoo, and looked into medical evidence in order to further justify my position. It seemed to be that if anything there was a marginal health BENEFIT to tattoos, in that by initiating an immune response they increased general immunity. Marginal benefit but it seemed to be there. Interesting to learn that maybe they are harmful after all.

No one is asking you to like them, but as long as he doesn't get a tattoo in the middle of the face or with inappropriate content that would stop him from getting a job, who cares?

He might have piercings his mum wouldn't know about, in places she would NOT want to know about

Never in my life did I ever think an Ed Sheeran video would be a parents worst nightmare! 😆

@BarbBarb OP think about this way?- are you the same person you were at 22? I sure am not. I also noticed you said he “tried” to show you a video - I’m guessing you shut him down? Please don’t do that. Show interest in what he’s doing. And what’s the problem if he gets a tattoo? I have a tattoo and so does my husband and we are both in senior positions of what you would consider a serious route. One thing doesn’t preclude the other.

😂

On the off chance this is real...

Being an artistic creative type person isn't really a choice, you either are or you're not.

If you are also sensible, practical, organised etc, then I really would not worry.

If someone is also massively impractical, a total dreamer, disorganised... they still may be just fine, it's their life to worry about.

Good job it's not your head then, isn't it.

I don't think you could sound any more disappointed in your son if you tried.

Podcasts are huge, why can't you support him in whatever he wants to do? He could really take off.
Mullets are so on trend. He can cut it off when he wants to though.
As for tattoos, if he's not trying to ink you, you have no right to say anything.

He tried to show you a video? Are you that disappointed that you couldn't even watch it? He's including you in his interests. HIS interests. Not yours. You don't own him.

Oh my god he’s expressing himself!! He must be stopped at all cost!!

In all seriousness I understand you not wanting him to get tattoos, because they’re permanent, but ultimately it’s his decision. My mum always said “poke a hole wherever you like, but please, no tattoos” and I stuck with that. I am glad I did now, because I know I would have got stupid tattoos. Most of us get a weird haircut much younger, I have had my fair share of horrific haircuts. Because my mum let me choose my own haircuts from the age of about 10, all the awful ones are in the distant past. I’m sure he will have grown out of it by the time he’s 27, and if not you’ll just have to love him with a mullet.

You’d probably have a hard time finding a 22 year old without a tattoo these days….

HA

I hear that if you play 'Shape of You' backwards it's full of Satanic messages about biting the heads off bats and sacrificing passing maidens.

Some people I know of are burying their 24 year old son this week. Think on

DS (16) has a mullet and I’ll confess that I secretly cheered when he said recently that he’s getting tired of it and thinks he’ll have the back trimmed shorter. Happily, he doesn’t have sufficient facial hair yet to grow a ‘tache. 😂

I don’t think that having a mullet has ruined his life though.

I love that a teenager thinks a group of mums of teenagers can't tell when a teenager posts 🤣

Sounds like he is finding himself - they all do

He is an adult so nagging him will likely backfire

He is still very young and sounds like he is trying to find his way

And??

You never had a questionable haircut when you were young? If not, then you sound very boring 🤣

Your son sounds great - this is the age for experimenting, having fun and developing your interests. Don’t be a fun sponge.

Good for him. We need more people who are into art, this world is too academic .

I did this I was like a total hippie my mother was mortified by the way I dressed. I have been through lots of a phases as most young people do before you have responsibilities it’s fine.

This post is clearly a piss take

You should really, really out of touch. Is there some cultural issue here, or are you from a strict religious background?

As others have said, this is the best time in his life to take risks and explore avenues.

The only thing I’d say to him is that most ppl who are starting out in the Arts also have “day jobs” to pay the bills. I know a couple of professional musicians in their 20’s, one plays in an orchestra, the other in a band. Both also need less exciting jobs to pay the bills. So he should factor this in.