Dropping the Bomb, how your parents found out about your first tattoo!

[Ashley76]

My dad discovered mine a few weeks ago. My mom found out the night I got the outline done because I kind of casually mentioned it (parents are divorced).

I was leaning against the couch and the very bottom of my tattoo was peaking out from under my shirt. My dad walked up and yanked my shirt up on my side and goes, "Does that come off?"

My sarcastic reply was, "With laser removal."

After about two days of him not talking to me he finally came around. It's kind of become a running joke with family friends because my stepmom told them, and they all know I'm the least likely person to get a tattoo the size that mine is. He's still not happy and doesn't understand why I had it done, but he's kind of brushed it off now.

[pidjones]

Good on ya, Emily. I suspect there are more personal (not institutional as it is illegal) prejudices against disabilities than non-traditional piercings or tattoos. You get to enjoy them all! Good to see you bearing them all so well.

[thatsnashd]

i hid my tattoos from my dad for 10 years. Cuz after he found out my sister had tattoos he did not talk to her for 4 years. On the way to my sister's funeral I turned to my further and said, "dad I have a lot of tattoos, and I don't want to die hiding anything from you. Or hide who I really am" he said "ok, I'm not a dipshit David, your a tattoo artists I assumed you have been tattooed for years.

The end.

[Jar W]

My father was heavily tattooed. Full sleeves on each arm, hands done, chestplate, some on his stomach and back. He was in fact the reason I always wanted to get tattooed. I remember being a little kid and thinking what a badass he looked like. My mother was just the opposite, no tattoos, no desire to get tattooed. She did not like my father's tattoos. He got many of them after they divorced. I was not at all concerned about telling my father about my tattoos. On the other hand I was a little concerned about telling my mother considering her dislike of them. I was afraid she would think that I was going to be "just like my father." So I told her when she was drunk haha! The next day she called and said I remember we talked and I think I remember you telling me you got a tattoo? I said yeah mom and you said you thought it was awesome remember! She ended up seeing it later when she was sober and all she said was hmm I don't really like that. But she's always treating me just the same. Moms have a way of doing that. I guess what I'm trying to say is break the ice when the parent is drunk if you can...

[LadySparrow]

My mom likes my tattoos, she doesn't like the pain I cause to myself with them.

When I went to get the first one, I left home with moderate sized picture. The result was twice as big as the picture, because the tattooist quite reasonably refused to tattoo medium sized phoenix on my large back. She almost fainted when she saw it, but more out of the thought of pain I had to endure :D

She is my first caregiver and always washes and creams my tattoos patiently.

Other relatives are too distant to matter. I regret only that my granduncle is blind, I think he would enjoy looking at them.

[purplelace]

Recently my mum has found out I am heavily tattooed, she was a lot cooler than thought. she doesn't want to see them or know what they are but she saw my hip twin Celtic dragon one, well part of it and said, "You're covered!" I replied, "Yeah, pretty much" she should shook her head wondering why her little girl would do such a thing to herself. No other family members know but <shrugs>

Suppose, recently she's changed her mind about tattoos, which is a good thing.

[Valpolicella]

It's fascinating to me the reactions that some parents give their kids over something as seemingly innocent as a tattoo. It really gives perspective to how much things can change from just one generation to the next. I can remember my mom saying that she thought tattoos looked so trashy on women, and my grandma saying that no one would want to hire someone with tattoos. In their generation that's how it was and its really hard to change an opinion that's so ingrained.

I've never officially told either of my parents, mostly because I live so far away from them and it didn't cross my mind to tell them, but my dad has seen it loads of times and just says nothing or maybe something like "everyone has tattoos these days". My mom said "I saw your tattoo on Facebook and I don't even hate it! I'm coming to terms with it." I asked her why she thinks it's a big deal and she said "Sweetheart. Imagine you have a perfect baby girl, beautiful, perfect in every way, and then she goes and draws permanent pictures all over herself!"

Good point I guess? Ha.

[TrixieFaux]

It's fascinating to me the reactions that some parents give their kids over something as seemingly innocent as a tattoo. It really gives perspective to how much things can change from just one generation to the next. I can remember my mom saying that she thought tattoos looked so trashy on women, and my grandma saying that no one would want to hire someone with tattoos. In their generation that's how it was and its really hard to change an opinion that's so ingrained.

I've never officially told either of my parents, mostly because I live so far away from them and it didn't cross my mind to tell them, but my dad has seen it loads of times and just says nothing or maybe something like "everyone has tattoos these days". My mom said "I saw your tattoo on Facebook and I don't even hate it! I'm coming to terms with it." I asked her why she thinks it's a big deal and she said "Sweetheart. Imagine you have a perfect baby girl, beautiful, perfect in every way, and then she goes and draws permanent pictures all over herself!"

Good point I guess? Ha.

It's nice she's coming to terms with it!

I have a little girl, beautiful and perfect in every way...and the other night when @DJDeepFried was reading her bedtime stories I overheard her saying she wanted to cover her arms in tattoos, "like mama's." I just smiled and thought that was so sweet. Whether it happens or not, she will always be beautiful and perfect to me. That's the generational difference!

[Valpolicella]

@TrixieFaux Omg. That is so sweet I can't even handle it. I feel the same about my son, of course I would fully support him getting tattoos when he's old enough. Would be a bit hypocritical if I didn't!

[AuntTudie]

My mom found out when I spilled a bottle of Indian ink on her bedroom floor and tried cleaning it up only making a bigger mess. Ahh, the good 'ol days of ink needle and thread. Don't remember what she did, but my arm swelled up pretty big.

[Margarita Yaschenko]

My first tattoo was a big bird-girl with wings and tattoomachine in her clutchs on the top of my back. All picture concealed clothing and i don't want to show it to my mother. At that time I was working as tattooartist about 2 years. But I hidden tattoo from parents one year ) But once upon i time I was in parent's home and was drawing something and my head was bowed to the paper and my mother saw the upper part of the figure due to the T-shirts. About an hour she walked me around the apartment and asked to see the picture. Six months later, I showed the whole picture together with a new tattoo on the hip. =)

[bongsau]

...so my Mom decides to clean my room one day when I was living at home. She was flipping all the mattresses in the house.

And she finds this ziplock back of epsom salts.

So when I get home I find Mom sitting quietly and anxiously tells me to sit down we need to talk.

She says she found something under my bed ... I'm like oh shit mom just found my best porno mag.

Then she asks me if I was on drugs. I'm like Mom!?! WTF!?!

Well I guess dear old Mom was really upset and concerned all afternoon, thinking i had started a cocaine habit !!

So I had to come clean and tell her they were epsom salts for soaking my fresh nipple piercings LOL.

That ended the conversation right there, she didn't want to hear about lol.

She didn't find the dirty magazine stash...yet...that's a different story and my younger brothers fault.

ok not about my first tattoo, but about my first piercings

RIP Mom <3

[Dan]

...so my Mom decides to clean my room one day when I was living at home. She was flipping all the mattresses in the house.

And she finds this ziplock back of epsom salts.

So when I get home I find Mom sitting quietly and anxiously tells me to sit down we need to talk.

She says she found something under my bed ... I'm like oh shit mom just found my best porno mag.

Then she asks me if I was on drugs. I'm like Mom!?! WTF!?!

Well I guess dear old Mom was really upset and concerned all afternoon, thinking i had started a cocaine habit !!

So I had to come clean and tell her they were epsom salts for soaking my fresh nipple piercings LOL.

That ended the conversation right there, she didn't want to hear about lol.

She didn't find the dirty magazine stash...yet...that's a different story and my younger brothers fault.

ok not about my first tattoo, but about my first piercings

RIP Mom <3

LOL great story :)

[Princesa]

I always knew I was going to get tattoos & had a folder full of artwork since 6th grade! My mom would just laugh it off when I'd show her my ideas...well when I turned 18 back in 1993 I got my 1st tattoo on my lower back a little black panther lol she was just like why? why do you feel the need to deface yourself? and that it was going to look like crap when I got older,etc.......here I am at 42 15 tattoos later & she still is just like why?????? She doesn't hate tattoos she just doesn't see the point in them....she knows I'm getting ready to start working on my half sleeve soon so I'm sure I'll hear her commentary lol and don't get me started on my septum clicker according to her its disgusting & doesn't like me wearing it around her lol My dad could careless about either.

[TattooedMumma]

Ive replied here about first tattoo, but I didnt get a semi negative experience until my pipes on my arm.

Id been planning (im a planner, I like to work out how it will look in the end) my arms for some time and had most of it worked out (family men theme going on). When my paternal grandfather passed , on a whim I went stuff it im starting it now with his. Which actually has ended up being for both grandfathers (both avid pipe smokers. Maternal Grandfather had pipes for all occasions, Paternal Grandfather just had his favorite ) .

Anyway. That afternoon I am sitting in the car, waiting in a carpark when Dad spots me and pops over for a chat. I moved my arm, resting it on the door/open window as I normally do when Dad sees my tattoo and screws his face up asking what it was (really meaning why there) so I said in my usual smart arse fashion... its a pipe tattoo.

cue further grimacing and a question what for. I told him for pop and he was obviously not super impressed. Either because its a fairly constantly visible tattoo or because its his dad (issues there, bad history).

Anyway a few hours later he must have got over himself because he ended up texting , probing more about the tattoo and "so what are ya gonna get for me when I cark it? "

To which I said id get it before he did, told him what of and he jist said "cool!" Which, is a lot coming Dad. Man of few words lol.

So that was that. No more grief.

[Jo Ellen Holder]

I was meant to be having an interview for a job (i jumped in on a cancellation and missed the interview...oops) and my mum texted me asking how the interview went and i replied with

"it didn't"

and she was like "what do you mean, didn't you go, why didn't you go"

and i sent her this picture and then she told me off for missing the interview but said she wanted a picture once it was done

as for my dad I tld him after and he was like "i'm not into them myself but it's your body,you can cover it with tattoos for all i care"

[Michaelshane]

My parents will never find out I have tattoos.

[lape]

I just told my mom that I was getting a tattoo. After the session she got to see it and her words were something like "that's a nice tattoo but I don't like it" which as been a reoccurring theme for every new tattoo I get. Dad is not a fan for sure, but he just ignores them for the most part.

I think until I get my hands done, they'll be accepting of it.

[Transcendence]

My mom actually bought my first one. She's not one for tattoos but she said she didn't care as long as it's meaningful. My daughter was born the year before so we took one of the cards the doctors used to stamp her birth foot prints on and got it tattooed on my chest with her name. My second one I tried to hide until she came in to my room to wake me up and saw it. By my third(most recent) I just didn't care anymore haha. It's my body, I'll do as I wish. Not all of them can be meaningful

[PurpleViolettron]

I snuck it into a conversation a few days ago with my mom that I was getting the rose tattoo I'd been wanting. Then I just posted the before-and-after pictures on Facebook when it was done. Neither parent responded for a while. My brother and youngest sister did. My sister saying she'll still get a tattoo at the youngest age and my brother saying he still did it first. My dad responded to his cousin asking about the pain with "I hope that can be washed off." After talking to my mom, I found out he's kinda mad about the size and how he thinks it'll be hard to cover. Yeah, a short sleeve shirt won't cover it, but my professional clothes will. I made sure of that. My mom was more full of "Was the place clean?" "Was everything sterile?" "Did he stop for breaks?" "Did he give you care instructions?" In addition to the "It's nice, it's just huge." Oh, and telling me to go buy vitamins.

[Bosco]

A few weeks before my dog had passed away, I told my dad that I'm going to get a tattoo of his (the dog's) head. And my dad already has a few tattoos himself, said he was gonna buy it for me for my 18th birthday. My mom basically told me no, (parents are divorced, and I'm living with my dad) but after I told her why I was getting it and what it was, she just said to make sure the shop is clean and sterile.

[cuttsy]

I come from a strict religious upbringing. One day, when I was 18 or thereabouts, I woke up and told my mum I was going to get a tattoo that day. She begged me not to (which made it even more appealing). I went out, got inked, came home, rolled my sleeve up and showed her, only to see her cry. I think she realized about 5 years and a few tatts later that the tattoo does not changeth the maneth.

[oboogie]

My Dad saw it first, I think. He was not a fan. He told me he hoped it was fake. I told him it was and didn't say anything else about it. It was very, very small (and not very good). He really hates them still, but he's come to accept them. He jokes about them now.

My Mom wasn't thrilled, either, but she was more accepting. She now tells all of her friends about my tattoos and makes me show them when I'm with her. Hahaha. She still doesn't love them, but she is used to them now, and she appreciates that they are well done. She told my artist, when we ran into him one day, that his work was beautiful — she just wishes t wasn't all over her daughter. Hahaha.

[tomhanksornothanks]

Okay, well both of my parents have tattoos (albeit small ones and only two each). They know about all my tattoos, and I tell them before I get the actual tattoos. My dad couldn't care less, I could be covered in tattoos and I don't really think he'd have an issue. My mum, however, thinks that women should have "small" and "delicate" tattoos, and keeps asking when I'll stop getting them. She does a massive sigh and eye roll every time I tell her I'm getting a new one, but a lot of the times she ends up liking the actual tattoo. I think she just wishes they weren't on me haha

[Devious6]

My father had a tattoo - got it while in the Marines during the Korean Conflict. It was a traditional skull with a snake weaving through the eyes and mouth. But, since he passed away in 1997 and I was 60 when I got my first tattoo - just about a month ago - this wasn't a big problem. My mom is in a nursing home and I showed it to her the day after I got it. She asked why I got it, I told her and she smiled and said it looks good. End of story. :cool: