Would you let your kid get tattooed before 18?

[Gia Dobson]

that's the part i feel the worst about! people should become edge (or break it) because of their decision to be a part of it, not because it's been ingrained into their minds that they HAVE to be a certain way.

I agree. Then there's the whole "dress up like a skinhead" aspect. I have to wonder what "flavor" of skinhead he thinks he is. It's all a little heavy when, in my opinion, he should still be going to soccer practice and worrying about the next junior high school dance.

[Lochlan]

I agree. Then there's the whole "dress up like a skinhead" aspect. I have to wonder what "flavor" of skinhead he thinks he is. It's all a little heavy when, in my opinion, he should still be going to soccer practice and worrying about the next junior high school dance.

I often wonder if kids who decide to be a "skateboarder" or "surfer" or "punk" or "skinhead" or "????" if they get an opportunity to get educated in it as much as they can to gain a foundation and potential further love for it or dislike for it once educated on it or do they just join the fad? I ask this because isn't soccer or dancing or whatever else the same? Or do the stigmas influence too much of the other stuff? Soccer/football (non american) has plenty of violence and/or crews/firms. So when a kid starts soccer or teeball or whathave yous that is more "mainstream" at a young age are they given a brief understanding of it and its history or do they just show up to practice dressed the act because the guardian(s) have decided so or the kid shows an interest? How much does society's stigmas play a role in parenting? I don't ask this to be counterproductive or ridicule but rather to be productive. If tattooing, skinheads, edge, punk, hardcore, skateboarding, etc are going to be more "mainstream" and in the publics eye and productive society members like the many others in society how do we make it so the potential "fad" for that individual is less long term harmful (harm reduction) becuase isn't that what is being discussed? Or are we giving straight up "No", "Not in my backyard", etc answers like many of us got/get in life which we don't respond very well to?

We have had plenty of people on this forum and in this particular thread speak to underage tattoos they got. Scott has an interesting point

i guess my lady has weighed in on this but i got tattooed at fourteen by aaron cain in his bedroom sitting on a couch hung over as hell and my life rules.... fuck with out that pivotal moment who knows what my life would be like..as for my mom she tried to stab me with a pair of scissors she was holding at the time. so she was not happy. as for my kids if they were close to 18 and relatively sane and wanted something timeless i would do it. i would not let them get a pig head with a rose in its mouth and sunglasses on like i did..haha. i think this is my life and families way of being, financially and spiritually. i mean thats what i do and who i am, they are a part of the pack. if they want it i would do it for sure.

. So my next set of questions/reflections are how do we educate because we all know lecturing and telling people (teens especially) not to do something they are that much more inclined to do so. For those interested this is a flavor of something called psychological reaction mixed with some other theories.

Alright I think I've attempted to throw enough gasoline and M-Eighties on this thing for now..........lets here it........

[max thomas]

Well, as someone who grew up around tattooing and tattoo shops (my father being a tattooist) I can say that I was very jaded to tattoos growing up. I never really wanted one because I had seen so many that just weren't cool...

My father (my current boss and teacher) also told me I had to wait until I was 21 to get a tattoo. I was sort of angry about this but I knew that he knew the most about tattoos so I listened. My friends all had tattoos in high school ( I live in Virginia as well, so the legal age is 16) and I just thought they were ridiculous.

Anyways, my first tattoo was when I was 19 and had been apprenticing for about 3 months already. My dad allowed me to get tattooed since I was learning the craft. I got it on my ribs because I had heard that was the worst spot and if I couldn't handle that I had no business being a tattooist. Today I somewhat regret it because I know that I could have something so much bigger and meaningful than a tiny skull and crossbones lol.

I live in a very rural area of Virginia and kids come in daily that just turned 18 wanting their first tattoo (we only tattoo 18 year olds, we don't approve of parental consent) and their ideas are just... idk... I just feel very upset that they want these things so badly and would rather go to someone in their kitchen than not have a tattoo( kitchen wizards are so prominent in our town we often joke about being the "garbage man" having to clean up their trash tattoos). I try to guide them in the right direction towards a quality tattoo but they just don't care. The tattoos that I have seen within 1 year on very young people are truly appalling...

[Bunny Switchblade]

I was tattooed at 15/16....my son was tattooed at 16 by a very solid tattooist! Short story is that my son wanted it on his back....decided "Go big or go home".....he couldn't take it and lived with it for several years totally unfinished and it is very hard to even figure out what it was going to be with only 30 total minutes of line work!

It was a mistake because of what he wanted and where he wanted it!

Would I do it over if i knew then what i knew now???

I would have let him get tattooed but I would have insisted it was smaller and in

a less painful spot than right over his spine!

When he was 18 he had no problem getting tattooed on his upper arm and is partially sleeved

now on both arms with good work from good artists!

I have insisted that my daughter not get tattooed until she is set in a career...she is 23!

People think this is very strange but she needs to wait until she grows up a bit! :)

Sad but true!

[Jake]

I was tattooed at 15/16....my son was tattooed at 16 by a very solid tattooist! Short story is that my son wanted it on his back....decided "Go big or go home".....he couldn't take it and lived with it for several years totally unfinished and it is very hard to even figure out what it was going to be with only 30 total minutes of line work!

It was a mistake because of what he wanted and where he wanted it!

Would I do it over if i knew then what i knew now???

I would have let him get tattooed but I would have insisted it was smaller and in

a less painful spot than right over his spine!

When he was 18 he had no problem getting tattooed on his upper arm and is partially sleeved

now on both arms with good work from good artists!

I have insisted that my daughter not get tattooed until she is set in a career...she is 23!

People think this is very strange but she needs to wait until she grows up a bit! :)

Sad but true!

My question is why let your son get tattooed so young but not your daughter even when she's well past the legal age? Granted I feel like what he did with his back was a mistake (I hate unfinished pieces- let alone something that was tapped out after 30 mins of lining) and maybe you didn't want her to make the same mistake- but like you said she is 23! Just curious

[Bunny Switchblade]

My question is why let your son get tattooed so young but not your daughter even when she's well past the legal age? Granted I feel like what he did with his back was a mistake (I hate unfinished pieces- let alone something that was tapped out after 30 mins of lining) and maybe you didn't want her to make the same mistake- but like you said she is 23! Just curious

My son was always much more mature and he now at 21 is in the Army and has a career whether he stay in the Army or not! My daughter on the other hand is still trying to "find herself" which is fine with me as she supports herself and her son BUT she is not set in a career!

It may also stem from the fact that I have been a tattooed woman for 26 years and i know the stigma that society attached to me because of that and how hard it was for me at times. I know that the stigma has been lessened a bit now because of tattoos going mainstream BUT I would prefer her not to have any obstacles put in her path until she is set in a career!

If she did decide to get one there obviously is nothing I could do about it and I would also make sure it was an artist at the top of the craft!

Hope this makes sense!

:)

[Jake]

My son was always much more mature and he now at 21 is in the Army and has a career whether he stay in the Army or not! My daughter on the other hand is still trying to "find herself" which is fine with me as she supports herself and her son BUT she is not set in a career!

It may also stem from the fact that I have been a tattooed woman for 26 years and i know the stigma that society attached to me because of that and how hard it was for me at times. I know that the stigma has been lessened a bit now because of tattoos going mainstream BUT I would prefer her not to have any obstacles put in her path until she is set in a career!

If she did decide to get one there obviously is nothing I could do about it and I would also make sure it was an artist at the top of the craft!

Hope this makes sense!

:)

Gotcha. It's interesting hearing different people's perspectives on this stuff.

[Bunny Switchblade]

When it really comes down to it....all I care is that she makes responsible choices regarding the tattoos she does get, and that they are done by a qualified artist!

I see too many "kids" making really bad decisions about getting tattooed, and I see a lot of parents trying to be a friend to their kid, rather than a parent, and letting their kids make poor choices! I have been fortunate to have friends in the craft to guide me so the least I can do is try to guide others as responsibly as I can!

[RockelMan]

Everyone has some great point for either side of this discussion. I too have my own opinion to this and it is as follows. (I don't have kids yet but its best to know what you plan to do)

I don't believe a Child can make an appropriate decision regarding art at a young age,(Take a kid to an art museum you will see what I mean) because tattoos are art, not just images. Would you not want your art that's adorned on your skin to be aesthetically pleasing? A person needs to be mature, cultured and educated in tattoos to be able to make an important decision that will last for the rest of their lives. It is my opinion that a child does not have these qualities. I am speaking out of experience, and I don't think I was ready at 18 to get one.(although I was not very educated in tattoos at that time in my life. I got that one covered up now) Even at 21 I got something that I am happy with the idea of but now at 31 I am thinking about what I can do to it to have it fixed, or should it just be a cover up as its in an area that is blocking bigger and better things. All my other tattoos have been carefully planned out and they look amazing!

Also when a child muscles are not fully developed an image may just become distorted as they grow into their prime. So no I would not let a child get tattooed under the age of 18.

[Lochlan]

Anyone see this:

Georgia Man Sentenced for Tattooing Toddler Son

Father Tattooed 'DB,' Short for 'Daddy's Boy,' on 3-Year-Old Son's Shoulder

BY JESSICA HOPPER

April 5, 2011

A Georgia man has been fined $300 and sentenced to 12 months of probation for tattooing his toddler son.

Floyd County District Attorney Leigh Patterson called the tattooing of the boy "egregious," the Rome News-Tribune reported.

Patterson told the paper that it would have been difficult to take the case to a jury.

"I don't know if we would be able to elicit a testimony from a child," Patterson told the Rome News-Tribune.

The boy's mother, Amy Ashley, was not cooperative and refused to testify. She was the only witness other than the victim, Patterson said.

George Hawkins, the boy's uncle, has custody of the now 5-year-old child.

"He's doing good. He's got his problems with losing his family," Hawkins said.

Eugene Ashley is not allowed to see the child and the boy's mother, Amy Ashley, struggles with drug addiction and also lost custody, Hawkins said.

Before the discovery of the tattoo in May 2009, George Hawkins thought highly of Eugene Ashley.

"I've known him to go to work. He had 40 stitches in his foot and a broken arm, he'd work 12 to 16 hours a day, feed the kids, give them a bath and put them to bed and then clean the kitchen up," Hawkins said.

Ashley worked as a pressure washer for power companies throughout the South, Hawkins said.

Eugene Ashley is not the child's biological father, but adopted him when he and Amy Ashley were married.

The boy received the tattoo some time between January and May 5, 2009, according to court documents.

Officials from Georgia's Department of Family and Child Services noticed the tattoo while visiting the family's home, where the couple lived with their four children.

"He [Eugene Ashley] took full responsibility for giving the tattoo, but I think my niece should have been charged. Amy...was not charged with nothing. She tried to hide it. She put fake tattoos over it to try and hide it," Hawkins said.

Hawkins claims that Amy Ashley knew about the tattoo for months before Eugene was arrested.

Amy Ashley denies that. She previously told ABC Affiliate WSBTV that she didn't find out about the tattoo until Easter weekend of 2009.

Eugene Ashley told police that he was drunk and didn't remember tattooing the letters, WSBTV reported

The little boy still remembers getting the tattoo, Hawkins said.

When asked if the tattoo hurt, the boy says "a little bit," according to Hawkins.

ABC News

[AbbyRoad]

if i was a parent i would bring my kid to get tattooed when they were 16.

on the assumption if they were anything like me, theyd find a way to get a tattoo without my permission anyways

and id rather bring them somewhere safe and clean to get their first tattoo

[Kev]

My son has been bugging me since he turned 16 to get tattooed. Nothing from my personal experience- me waiting til I was 30/had money to start getting tattooed, a family friend that went through a painful laser removal on a teenaged tribal arm band, discussions with tattooers at conventions have turned him off. I am honestly less concerned with him getting tattooed and more concerned with the quality of the tattooer he uses at this point. I think education is more important at this point = /

[dari]

@Gia Dobson, @gougetheeyes, @jinxproof1996, @Julio Avila, @Nick Colella, and anyone else who wants to weigh in, how old will your kids be when you first let them tattoo YOU?

4? 7? 9?

[ShawnPorter]

I had a pretty large tattoo (five hours) done on my leg when I was sixteen.

The artist (a talented guy from Chicago) knew I had a few smaller pieces and after talking to me for a few months (via letters in the pre internet glory days) was comfortable with doing a large piece on me.

My parents had signed for my first tattoo and were ok with me getting larger work.

Would I have the same thing done today? Probably not. But do-overs aren't really my style.

That said, the piece is very sci-fi oriented and I'm still a dorky scifi loving manchild, so it all works out pleasantly.

My fiance and I don't plan to procreate; we're content with Italian Greyhounds who'll never be tattooed... so I guess I don't really have much of an opinion either way.

[jinxproof1996]

@Gia Dobson, @gougetheeyes, @jinxproof1996, @Julio Avila, @Nick Colella, and anyone else who wants to weigh in, how old will your kids be when you first let them tattoo YOU?

4? 7? 9?

my daughter tattooed me at age 8. its was awesome. i told my son he could as well (he was 5) but he wasn't into it. haha. they have both been to the shop a bunch and they LOVE to trace and color flash. it was (and is) a great experience.

[gougetheeyes]

Dari, if we have kids I'd probably be more inclined to get a tattoo for them, instead of letting them tattoo me. Hurts bad enough when a skilled adults tattooing you, can't imagine a less dexterous pair of six year old hands drilling into my skin!

[gougetheeyes]

my daughter tattooed me at age 8. its was awesome. i told my son he could as well (he was 5) but he wasn't into it. haha. they have both been to the shop a bunch and they LOVE to trace and color flash. it was (and is) a great experience.

Well that's too heartwarming for me to say "never." So I'll modify my answer, if they're into it and the time and circumstance is right.. First part would be having kids though haha.

[G.Uristti]

i have a daughter and would definitely have a problem with her getting tattooed before she was 18. i feel a little like a hypocrite but thats how i feel. i guess in my head i see it all going horribly wrong :/

[JAllen]

@dari my daughter tattooed me when she was 6, it's my favorite tattoo by far. a small simple shipwrecked sailboat.

[Ursula]

I had a customer at work the other day tell me she had just taken her 12 year old daughter to get a belly button ring. She then also told me how her 16 year old son has been going and getting tattoos so she took him to get his last one so she could make sure he was going somewhere clean. I then informed her that in Ontario where we live, piercing a 12 year old is illegal, and so is tattooing a minor without parental consent. She got a really shitty look on her face and left pretty soon after. I don't she liked being told her and her kids are being taken advantage of by assholes.

[Patriot Ink Tattoo]

Well...I got my first when I was 16 in Sturgis. I'd like to say that my kids would have to wait until they're 18 but since I tattoo and own shop, it will probably be when they're 16.

[slayer9019]

Well I do have to say that not being a parent, and leaning heavily to the idea of never being a parent I cannot make a good call just yet but I would say to wait. This is strictly out of my own personal journey of being tattooed.

My first tattoo was at the age of 21 and I am soooo damn happy I waited! When I was growing up just about everyone I knew was getting tattooed and not just a piece here or there some where already sleeved in highschool (we were the "rough bunch"). While I loved the idea of being tattooed young, I am so glad I never did. Most of my friends got metal band logos, and other not so great ideas tattooed all over and have covered up more than one, some as early as the age of 22!

Judging my the "great artwork" my parents witnessed scribbled all over my body when I got sent home from boyscout camp (I had been drawing "tattoos" on myself since I was a little kid till about highschool"), I would be a mess of craptastic stuff. I also think that your body doesn't finish growing till your about 18 anyway so tattoos can become all stretched out too soon as well.

If/when I have kids, I know I will never be able to stop them (my parents never could), but I would tell them to wait till they have a career of some sort started first. My sister got her first tattoo after she finished art school and became a graphic designer at a half-decent ad agency. I waited till I had already worked the industry a bit and knew what I can and can't tattoo (didn't take long). I know a handful of friends with visible tattoos that cannot work their chosen fields because of it, and it is a bit saddening, so I say wait a bit or hell just don't get something stupid.

If they were about to get some scratcher to do a tattoo on them I would drag their ass to a good shop.

(Also just found out that in New Jersey, where I live, there are no laws against tattooing a minor, just need a parental consent!)

[David Flores]

I didn't read this whole thread, but I relate to what Dari says about her kids being young. I really don't know what my feelings will be in 12-15 years. Right now in the state we live in I would discourage it, because it is illegal and anyone worth a shit tattooing wouldn't tattoo anyone underage. I would tell him he can get whatever he wants, by whoever he wants and I will book the appointment and pay for it as long as he waits till 18 when he can get a proper tattoo. My guess though he wouldn't have anyone but my best friend ("Uncle Ross") do it, but who knows I might be shelling out some money on some airfare and hotel, oh well at least I could get tattooed as well.

[Shannon Shirley]

its crazy how we as adults influence children, boy that was stupid, oh well.I was heavily influenced by the adults around me as a child. that being said , I do tatto minors ,I certainly dont relish it. but thier gonna get it somewhere,determination and all.In Alabama Its 16 also.there are so many scratchers here that you gotta be glad that you have the opportunity to show them the ''right way''.

My kids are only 4 and 1 and my crystal ball is broken, so I can't say what's going to happen when they get older, or how I'm going to feel about it. Scott made Henry his own machine, the only difference is that it has a ballpoint pen coming out of the needle area, it's even been hooked up to a power supply so that it vibrates when he "tattoos." Several parents in our babysitting co-op have made jokes about Henry stealing a real machine from Scott and tattooing the other kids when they're older. That thought has crossed my mind and it terrifies me, although I'm hoping both of our kids will have a little more common sense than that.

I do know that I've had a million really, really bad ideas in my life, but they've been tapering off as I age. I'm fortunate that I didn't get every bad idea I ever had permanently scratched into my skin. I would prefer that my kids wait until they're older to get tattooed, but I would certainly rather they get tattooed by their dad or one of our friends than tattoo themselves. So I guess the answer is that I WOULD let my kids get tattooed before 18, with my own restrictions, not unlike the ones wtjon06 posted.

Scott's niece came in for a tattoo on her 18th birthday. It was a pretty nice event, the whole family went out for a fancy dinner and then to the tattoo shop afterwards, a very ceremonious right of passage type thing. And it wasn't a tiny butterfly, it was a BIG piece in her hip, and it came out great. The words she wanted were a little hoaky, so he said, "Yeah, let's save that for your next tattoo." I hope she still likes it in 20 years, I bet she will. I can't imagine her getting too many more, I think it was just about growing up around Scott's and asking him questions about tattooing. Her other birthday present? A strand of pearls!

[David Flores]

If it was legal in Oregon I would have a hard time figuring it out this issue. I still don't know if I would be excited for my son to rush into getting tattooed,, but it would be nice to have someone who knows what they are doing and is a responsible tattooer doing it. But I guess nothing magical happens at age 18.