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

[Graeme]

I'm a grown ass man and I'm still scared to show my mom!

My mom...whatever, she doesn't like them, she doesn't understand them, but that's fine and she lives on the other side of the country from me so at least she doesn't have to see them. My mother-in-law, on the other hand...I am goddamned terrified of her finding out I have tattoos, plus she lives in the same city as me and has a habit of dropping by unannounced.

[else]

My Mom hasn't seen my legs since I just had the one on my calf. My baby sister's graduation is coming up in May and I'm planning on "surprising" the family when I show up in a dress.

I'm curious how my Mom will react.

[TrixieFaux]

My Mom hasn't seen my legs since I just had the one on my calf. My baby sister's graduation is coming up in May and I'm planning on "surprising" the family when I show up in a dress.

I'm curious how my Mom will react.

Haha! What did she think about your other one?

[else]

Haha! What did she think about your other one?

"it's so big! it's pretty... but it's so big..."

[Colored Guy]

"it's so big! it's pretty... but it's so big..."

That's what she said!

Rob

[else]

I was waiting for that... Was wondering who it would be. ;-)

[tatB]

My parents have seen my koi 1/2 sleeve on my right arm but they haven't seen my in-progress hannya 3/4 sleeve on my left arm or the panther/snake and rose/dagger on my right leg. They weren't very thrilled with the 1/2 sleeve so the reaction to all of my new work could be interesting... but I'm 26, financially independent, and have a successful career so they can't get super upset and disown me.

[David Flores]

So I was back in Chicago in January and we went to visit my wife's 92 year old grandfather. I always wear long sleeves around him, out of my mother in laws wishes, and it was Chicago in January so it was kind of chilly anyway. I was sitting their with my son and grandpa, and he looked at me and said "What? You're not going to show me your tattoos?" I was taken off guard and couldn't come up with a quick comeback before he said "You want to see mine" I said sure, but he said he didn't feel like taking off his pants. I know he was kidding about having a tattoo, but had to let me know he knew.

[el twe]

I got my first tattoo at 19, and it was something I'd given serious thought to since after I moved off to college. After 2 semesters, I dropped out and moved to San Francisco, and got the tattoo a few months after that. I got a part of a bicycle frame called a drop out on my calf. It took another few months before I showed my parents, and my mom's reaction was, "Oh look, it's a drop out on our dropout!" Can't say I had made that connection before, but my mom still loves to point it out at family gatherings (I've since gone back to school). My others are real simple black outline-only business that my dad can tolerate because "at least it'll be easy to remove when you're 40!" I think they've come to accept that I'll get more tattoos, but I still go through the "what will mom and dad think" when trying to decide where they should go.

[motsimus]

My Dad drove me 40 minutes into the city to get my first tattoo , It was an owl on my torso(in my images) He isn't overly excited for me to get tattooed but he enjoys the fact they look 'old school'. You should of seen the look on his face when I came home tonight with a big fresh chestpiece hahaha, and my mum doesn't really care about my tattoos just as long as I keep my hair long and don't look like a skinhead shes happy.

[tatB]

My Dad drove me 40 minutes into the city to get my first tattoo , It was an owl on my torso(in my images) He isn't overly excited for me to get tattooed but he enjoys the fact they look 'old school'. You should of seen the look on his face when I came home tonight with a big fresh chestpiece hahaha, and my mum doesn't really care about my tattoos just as long as I keep my hair long and don't look like a skinhead shes happy.

Nice tattoos! Can't get upset about classy traditional tattoos like yours. Post a picture of your fresh chestpiece!

[else]

It took another few months before I showed my parents, and my mom's reaction was, "Oh look, it's a drop out on our dropout!" Can't say I had made that connection before, but my mom still loves to point it out at family gatherings (I've since gone back to school). My others are real simple black outline-only business that my dad can tolerate because "at least it'll be easy to remove when you're 40!"

Your Mom is HILARIOUS!! :D

My daughter was in town a couple weeks ago and we went out to lunch together. I showed her all my new tattoos and she made a comment to the effect of "it's a bad idea for young people to get a bunch of tattoos, but someone as old as you can get as many as you want because you won't live long enough to regret it". So funny!

[Brock Varty]

Your Mom is HILARIOUS!! :D

My daughter was in town a couple weeks ago and we went out to lunch together. I showed her all my new tattoos and she made a comment to the effect of "it's a bad idea for young people to get a bunch of tattoos, but someone as old as you can get as many as you want because you won't live long enough to regret it". So funny!

Is she wishing you an early death? Might want to take her out of your will...and insert my name.

[motsimus]

yeah i'll throw one up after work

[motsimus]

Nice tattoos! Can't get upset about classy traditional tattoos like yours. Post a picture of your fresh chestpiece!

here you are mate

[ironchef]

Great thread and I'm enjoying reading about everyone's personal experiences. I'm ABC (American born Chinese) born and raised in Chinatown/Lower East Side of Manhattan, NYC. Most people are aware of the negative connotations associated with tattoos in Asian cultures (think Triads and Yakuza). My younger brother was actually the first in the family to get a tattoo. He got it back in college with a couple of close frat brothers. I remember the first time my dad saw it, he actually flicked and slapped at it with a pair of chop sticks!

Fast forward to 2009 and at the age of 33, after much planning and back and forth, I get my first tattoo, a koi half sleeve. I figure I could still hide it under a t-shirt. Summer 2010 rolls around my dad spots it. He doesn't really give me the riot act but questions my thought process. My mom was more concerned if I had now permanently damaged my chances of meeting a nice girl.

Now we're in 2012. I've two 3/4 sleeves, which both mom and pop have seen. They don't know about my thigh piece nor the HUGE back piece I'm getting worked on right now. This summer could be a very interesting one, especially during Sunday family dinner at the folks.

[tatB]

Great thread and I'm enjoying reading about everyone's personal experiences. I'm ABC (American born Chinese) born and raised in Chinatown/Lower East Side of Manhattan, NYC. Most people are aware of the negative connotations associated with tattoos in Asian cultures (think Triads and Yakuza). My younger brother was actually the first in the family to get a tattoo. He got it back in college with a couple of close frat brothers. I remember the first time my dad saw it, he actually flicked and slapped at it with a pair of chop sticks!

Fast forward to 2009 and at the age of 33, after much planning and back and forth, I get my first tattoo, a koi half sleeve. I figure I could still hide it under a t-shirt. Summer 2010 rolls around my dad spots it. He doesn't really give me the riot act but questions my thought process. My mom was more concerned if I had now permanently damaged my chances of meeting a nice girl.

Now we're in 2012. I've two 3/4 sleeves, which both mom and pop have seen. They don't know about my thigh piece nor the HUGE back piece I'm getting worked on right now. This summer could be a very interesting one, especially during Sunday family dinner at the folks.

Have you met a nice girl yet? haha

[reverend1]

Have you met a nice girl yet? haha

Too late now. He got tattooed and therefore is stuck dating hairy bikers for the rest of his live. Not that there's anything wrong with that. :p

[ironchef]

Have you met a nice girl yet? haha

@BrianH I actually have and she's been very supportive with my tattoo projects. Best part is when she helps me out with the aftercare on the hard to reach areas of the back piece!

[tatB]

@BrianH I actually have and she's been very supportive with my tattoo projects. Best part is when she helps me out with the aftercare on the hard to reach areas of the back piece!

lucky man. whenever I mention getting a back piece my girl friend just giggles because she knows it will involve getting my butt tattooed and apparently nothing is funnier than tattooed man butt.

[Pugilist]

lucky man. whenever I mention getting a back piece my girl friend just giggles because she knows it will involve getting my butt tattooed and apparently nothing is funnier than tattooed man butt.

Well.... She's not wrong.

[ironchef]

lucky man. whenever I mention getting a back piece my girl friend just giggles because she knows it will involve getting my butt tattooed and apparently nothing is funnier than tattooed man butt.

Same here! @BrianH My girl always teases me about going full monty in front of the crew at the tattoo shop and how besides her and my parents, my artists have seen more of my ass than anyone else, hahaha. The only part that really skeeves her out is when I start to peel. She says it looks like I'm sick or a leper and parts are just falling off!

[AlannaCA]

My Mom hasn't seen my legs since I just had the one on my calf. My baby sister's graduation is coming up in May and I'm planning on "surprising" the family when I show up in a dress.

I'm curious how my Mom will react.

lol! every summer there is usually a new tattoo and my dad finds out when we go to the beach together. he usually doesn't say anything!

[Chris3000]

This made me laugh out loud. Thanks for the laugh even a couple of years later.

got my first when I was away at college. My parents are pretty conservative especially my mom. When I showed her the tattoo she called me an asshole. That was the first time I had ever heard her curse. It was refreshing.

[JeffK]

I grew up lower middle class listening to metal and punk in a major urban area. I don't think either of my parents were surprised. My dad didn't like them, but he knew he couldn't do anything to stop me once I was old enough. I think that's important. Everyone I know or have heard stories from, even if the parent is doing something like paying for college or rent and they threaten to cut that if you get a tattoo, all it does is promote lying. The person still gets their tattoo. They just lie and hide it.

I'm glad my parents have always had that mindset. They knew they couldn't stop me. As long as it was my money, it was my choice. Every time I got a new one my dad kinda just made a face. My mom even got one at one point.

I have a daughter and get asked by people who, you can tell, don't like tattoos "what are you gonna do if she wants one?" Um....really? Like you think I'd be against it? I have 15 and counting. What the hell do you think? I'd rather her consult me and go somewhere good than to some crap hole and not tell me. I don't know if they're implying that as a parent my mind would change or since because she's female I'd be against it? I dunno. Weird assholes who think they can control people. They weird me out sometimes.