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

[Colored Guy]

I was 22, married to wife #1 and owned my own house, so I was very much on my own, what could anyone say? My mom liked it, my dad didn't have much to say, which was what he had to say about everything. My mom became one of my biggest tattoo fans.

CG

[TrixieFaux]

I was 22, married to wife #1 and owned my own house, so I was very much on my own, what could anyone say?

CG

There isn't much they can do about it but there is a lot they can SAY. I'm in my forties and my mom hasn't run out of things to say about it yet.

[MadeIndelible]

I was 21 when I got my first tattoo (22 now). My little sister went with me to get it, and I stopped by my older sister's house on the way home to show it to her. I decided not to tell my mom about it, but she saw it one day when she went into my room while I was sleeping. She didn't mind since my sisters both got tattoos before me. When we were kids, though, she said that if any of we kids got tattoos, she would "scrape them off with a butter knife!"

[Amok]

My parents still don't know I have any, they'll find out eventually since my tattoos are not small. Fun times ahead.

[JakeArcher]

I was 18 and i had over 10 tattoos before my parents found out, better get your moms name somewhere, if you want it to go over well

[bulldog]

I'm 38 and my mum still moans at me when i get tattoos, even the little heart,swallow, banner mum tattoo i got for her......

[Duffa]

I've been lucky that my Mum has liked all my tattoos, she just asks the same thing in typical Mum fashion "Did it hurt?". Now, my Grandparents on the other hand have no idea that I have tattoos or if they do they have never said anything. It can be a real bitch here in summer with family get-togethers and I have to wear long sleeves and jeans haha

[slayer9019]

I've been lucky that my Mum has liked all my tattoos' date=' she just asks the same thing in typical Mum fashion "Did it hurt?". Now, my Grandparents on the other hand have no idea that I have tattoos or if they do they have never said anything. It can be a real bitch here in summer with family get-togethers and I have to wear long sleeves and jeans haha[/quote']

My sister dropped the bomb to.my extended family. Little did I know I was wearing long sleeves and pants when I didnt have to. Oh well. I am now the "tattooed guy" in my family.

[Heidi]

Fun topic....I got my first tattoo at age 21 (32 now). I was in college and had been planning on it for quite some time, so I tried to soften the blow beforehand by asking my mom if I could get a tattoo, or talking about them, or saying things like "aren't rose tattoos cute?". Her response each time was "I don't think so, Heidi".

But of course I went ahead and got one. I decided to just tell her about it right away, and showed it to her the next time I visited home for the weekend. I said, "Isn't it cuuuute?!" when I showed her and she just made a face then said, "That's your last one right?"

She still says that every time she realizes/finds out I've gotten more work (which is progressively difficult now because I'm pretty well covered). "That's your last one, right Heidi?" I just laugh and say 'I don't know about that'. My brother also has a lot of work, but she seems more accepting of his tattoos...maybe because he's younger, or maybe because he's a military veteran.

My dad is from the UK and very "proper British gent". I never talk about my tattoos with him and leave it up to my mother to tell him (if she wishes) when I get new tattoos. He ignores them but that's fine with me...he still treats me like his little girl (aka, no differently!)

[Dan S]

I'll flip this one around...

The day my oldest turned 18, I did my best to stop him from running off to the closest tattoo parlour. Didn't work. He ended-up with 'zactly what I warned him he would, a faded-out, spotty, p.o.s.

TRIED to talk him into letting me take him to CTC, but NO.....had to be right this frkn minute!

Now, my next one down, he was smart, I took him to CTC, and he got some real nice work from Nick there. Next son in line is about a half-year out, and already working on his designs, and the daughters, well, they aren't into it, yet, but as long as they go to a GOOD tattooer...

[Graeme]

@Dan S A guy at work with a 16 year old son is going through the same right now. This guy has a bunch of good tattoos and appreciates good tattooing and his son wants to get tattooed but he has the sorts of ideas that a 16 year old would tend to have. He's hoping that his son waits and goes with him to a good artist at a good shop when he turns 18...

[MGblues]

I got my first one on my 19th birthday and managed to hide it for at least 2 weeks. Then there was that morning I overslept for college and she went in to wake me up...saw it peeking out from under my T-shirt...She slapped the shit outta it (thinking it was still sore) saying "wait till I tell your Father"!!

That evening at dinner my dad says "let me see your tattoo". I show him, he says "cool".

Mom just rolled her eyes. No more worries after that.

She still doesn't like it too much, but this little 78 year old woman did tell me recently "you know, I see so many folks around here with just awful stuff tattooed on them and I think to myself "My son's tattoos are sooooo much better"".

God, She's awesome!

[ChrisvK]

My parents were on vacation until the day i got my appointment for my first tattoo. I was hoped they wouldn't be back till after i got the tattoo but sadly they showed up 5 minutes before i had to leave. I just told them i was going to get a tattoo and my mum fucking flipped. My dad said nothing. When i got back my mum was positively surprised and was glad that i took time to find a good artist. My dad had his camera all set up and ready to take pictures of my new tattoo, he was almost as excited as i was. They did told me that as long as i live at home i need to inform them before i get a new tattoo next time so they can adjust to the idea;)

[Lotus]

I've went tattoo crazy this year and had 14 appointments so far,19 since Nov. My parents know not one of them! It'd be too overwhelming for them at this point so I reckon they'll never know I'm tattooed. I should add I'm 31 years old!haha!!

[Amok]

I've went tattoo crazy this year and had 14 appointments so far,19 since Nov. My parents know not one of them! It'd be too overwhelming for them at this point so I reckon they'll never know I'm tattooed. I should add I'm 31 years old!haha!!

That's a lot of tattoos to hide!

[Dan S]

@Dan S A guy at work with a 16 year old son is going through the same right now. This guy has a bunch of good tattoos and appreciates good tattooing and his son wants to get tattooed but he has the sorts of ideas that a 16 year old would tend to have. He's hoping that his son waits and goes with him to a good artist at a good shop when he turns 18...

@Graeme, I promised ALL my kids a quicl trip to the first handy tattoo-removal location, whether it was a laser facility, or me with a fresh deck-o-squares, if they got any bootleg ink before they hit 18. So far, so good.

[SnowyPlover]

My Mom likes my tattoos and it was no big deal to tell her; she is very mom "protective" about them. However, my grandparents have no idea, which is best for everyone concerned, I can't imagine.

[David Flores]

It's funny their is one guy who I have to hide my tattoos from, my wife's grandfather. He has seen my tattoos in pictures and asked about them, and I don't know if he doesn't ask because I am always in long sleeves when I see him or because he is 92 and forgot about them.

I hear he was a real grumpy bastard for awhile, but he seems to have mellowed recently after falling in his apartment and breaking his hip. He now lives in an assisted living facility near my mother in law. He tells great stories and really knows how to give people a hard time and loves spending time with my son. His dad ran a speakeasy during prohibition, but he swears that they were good Italians, not mixed up with the mafia, well expect for an uncle or two he says.

I really only wear long sleeves out of respect for my mother in law and how much she has helped us out and accepted me despite being a tattooed atheist.

[kswan530]

My first tattoo that i got I was 18 and it was my last name in old english across my shoulders. I figured the family couldn't get mad about that haha. My mom was all ready used to me having mohawks and dyed hair, she freaked more when i pierced my lip with a safety pin when i was 15. My grandpa was a little upset when he first saw it and my mom looked at him and said "he's still the same kid dad". Im pretty lucky to have that lady as my mom. I just got another last night and the first thing I did this morning was send her a pic of it haha

[ShaneRealz]

I don't know my Dad and my Mum has foot tattoos and all her brothers are sleeved so it was a non event really, I think she assumed I would start getting tattooed.

[Mike D]

I got my first tattoo right after graduating from college when I was 23. I was living in the Bay Area and rode the BART over to Oakland to visit Tattoo 13. Chummy tattooed my upper arm with an scene of St. Michael. Not long after it healed I was visiting home and having a drink on the back porch with my mom. I told her that I really needed to talk to her about something, and rolled up my sleeve. She starting yelling and slapped me, while I was laughing at her reaction. After about a 5 minute rant she asked to see it again, and commented that it was really pretty. My Dad just told me to keep them where they could be covered in a suit. Every time I visit LA these days I end up getting tattooed. My parents have slowly become more accepting of them. They used to say "that's the last one right?" after each tattoo, but even that has stopped. In fact my Dad just texted me about getting his first tattoo at age 60. I honestly thought he was messing with me, but he was dead serious. I guess my point is that parents attitudes can change over time. Mine go so far as to show off my tattoos to friends when I'm on vacation.

[Colored Guy]

I got my first tattoo right after graduating from college when I was 23. I was living in the Bay Area and rode the BART over to Oakland to visit Tattoo 13. Chummy tattooed my upper arm with an scene of St. Michael. Not long after it healed I was visiting home and having a drink on the back porch with my mom. I told her that I really needed to talk to her about something, and rolled up my sleeve. She starting yelling and slapped me, while I was laughing at her reaction. After about a 5 minute rant she asked to see it again, and commented that it was really pretty. My Dad just told me to keep them where they could be covered in a suit. Every time I visit LA these days I end up getting tattooed. My parents have slowly become more accepting of them. They used to say "that's the last one right?" after each tattoo, but even that has stopped. In fact my Dad just texted me about getting his first tattoo at age 60. I honestly thought he was messing with me, but he was dead serious. I guess my point is that parents attitudes can change over time. Mine go so far as to show off my tattoos to friends when I'm on vacation.

Most parents come around after a while. My dad still has made no comment about any of mine, my mom was a big tattoo fan. Way cool that yoor dad is breakin' his ink cherry, any idea what he wants?

Rob

[Mike D]

Rob -

He mentioned getting a map of Ireland. We come from a long line of Irish Catholic immigrants and he wants to pay homage to that.

[Colored Guy]

Rob -

He mentioned getting a map of Ireland. We come from a long line of Irish Catholic immigrants and he wants to pay homage to that.

Sounds great... maybe a whole thigh piece... nah, start him off with something a bit smaller. I'm trying to talk my dad into getting a USAF tattoo on his arm, but he's balking.. then again, he's 95....

Rob

[mattmcclaintattoo]

I was 14 years old when i received my first tattoo, it was on an old futon bed, in a living room of a house party we were having, i was big into punk rock and hardcore music and skateboards that was pretty much my life, so i figured what the hell lets put something on my leg. so i got "skate & annoy" on the back of my leg, the kid ran out of liners and lined it with the side of a shader (ouch) whip shaded it with black and filled the letters in green. the letters are all oozy and drippy looking with the design and i was so pumped on it. well hiding it from my dad and mom was the hard part, i never wore shorts. during the summer every beach trip my family ever had was avoided, i did a damn good job at hiding it. i hid it all the way until i was 18 years old and finally got one legally. i showed my parents my new tattoo, and they loved it. I then started off with "theres one more thing i have to show you" i pulled up my pant leg and told them the story about how i got it when i was 14 and how i had dodged them with it for 4 years. my dad is a very southern working class man, one of those dont talk much kind of guys, he looks at my leg and stares at me and goes "why didn't you tell me? i wouldnt of been all that upset." so all that family time i miss i could of been apart of, but we all know how life works, you live and learn. its still one of my favorite tattoos to this day.