I’m not super pro-tattoo or anti-tattoo. I’ve debated getting one in the past but never that seriously. But my mother is vehemently anti-tattoo. Listed below are the reasons my mother has always given me for why I shouldn’t get a tattoo.
And I understand that she’s from a different generation. And I love my mother very much. She’s a really wonderful person and I’m not saying none of them is a legitimate reason, but I’m saying that after having a child, I find it really hard to take any of them seriously.
And so in case you were headed out to the tattoo parlor as we speak, here are:
10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER, EVER, EVER GET A TATTOO ACCORDING TO MY MOTHER (but having a baby is fine)
1. “A Tattoo is Forever”
Yes, a tattoo is forever. Totally forever! Except that a tattoo can, if needed, be erased with a laser.
No comments on how there are some days when you want to temporarily erase your three-year-old with a laser.
* * *
2. “People are going to judge you all the time.”
They absolutely will. You’re a terrible mother! Why are you doing whatever you’re doing? Why AREN’T you doing this thing you’re NOT doing? People will judge you so harshly for every child-related decision, they won’t even notice that you have the Chinese character for “Serenity” inked on your forearm.
This is not the Chinese character for Serenity.
* * *
3. “Having one will limit the type of jobs you can get.”
It will! Like jobs where you need time off to take care of your kids when they get sick! Or jobs where they’re only hiring guys because they feel like hiring women is a liability!
* * *
4. “A tattoo will ruin your body.”
It totally will, right? Also what will sort of ruin it is carrying another human inside your body for the better part of a year and then pushing it out an opening ten centimeters wide and then attempting to breastfeed it. Followed by the stress of trying to raise it to adulthood. Let me know if doing all that ruins your body any more or less than the butterfly on the small of your back.
Oh no, a drawing of a butterfly: My body is RUINED.
* * *
5. “It’s going to be more expensive than you realize.”
It is SO expensive. There are tons of basic costs at the beginning but I can’t even explain how much it’s going to cost to put this tattoo through college.
* * *
6. “You don’t know if it’s going to be clean or safe. Also, you know it’s going to hurt, right?”
Luckily, having a kid can easily be summed up by the words “clean” and “safe.” Also, “painless.”
* * *
7. “I know you think you want one, but you probably haven’t thought this through all the way.”
No, I hadn’t.
* * *
8. “You’re excited about it right now, but how are you going to feel about it in 15 years?”
You’re right, I’m totally going to want to strangle it in fifteen years.
* * *
9. “Is it that you really want one? Because maybe you want one because it seems like everyone else has one.”
Judging from my Facebook newsfeed, yes, everyone does have one. Maybe part of why I wanted one was actually wanting one, and part of why I wanted one was peer pressure.
* * *
10. “You think you’re going to seem so cool walking around with one, but really most of the time you’re going to look sort of ridiculous.”
Sorry, I couldn’t hear that last one. I was screaming the phrase, “DON’T EAT THOSE BUGS,” while pulling pieces of sweet potato and banana out of my hair and coat pockets.
Please help.
* * *
If you enjoyed this piece, follow the blog by signing up in the sidebar. Or you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter.
If you want to read other blogs of mine, here is one I wrote on What I Do All Day When I Am Home With The Baby.
If you’re my mom and the whole time while reading this you kept thinking, “Yes, sweetie, but it’s DIFFERENT,” don’t worry, I am aware that getting a tattoo and having a baby are different. Also, let me know if you and dad can babysit the “tattoo” sometime soon. Also, I love you!
If you like to buy or read books, I have an essay in this one that just came out a week or so ago. I feel like it was a pretty good essay. If you feel like buying it, there’s a picture of the cover right under this text that is also a link to buy the book. Go nuts.
For anyone who’s like, “I totally want to buy this book but I don’t want to support the adorable local bookstore to which you linked. Give me the link so I can buy it off Amazon,” here is a link so you can buy it off Amazon.
Comments
986 responses to “Why You Should Never, Ever, Ever Get A Tattoo (but Having a Baby is Fine)”
Strangely one of my reasons for not eventually getting a tattoo where all the other cool college athletes were getting one (just inside the hip bone) was because I kept thinking, “What will that look like when I’m pregnant?!” Which is it’s own answer. And it turns out, after I’m pregnant it likely would have looked like the period at the end of the crooked vertical scar that is my emergency c-section scar. (So actually maybe that tattoo would have just added worse to bad.)
(Loved your post!)
I have one there and it didn’t get stretched or distorted during pregnancies.
Yes, it is true for me. Whenever I want a tattoo, I just imagine myself 30 years from now, when my skin is all wrinkled, it won’t look so pretty.
I’ve seen a lot of old people with tattoos. Guess what? They actually don’t look as horrible as people say they will. In fact, they don’t look horrible at all.
No one really looks pretty when they’re 70-80 with wrinkly skin, tattoos or no tattoos.
I don’t expect my skin to look like a 20 yr old when I’m older, so why would I expect my tattoos to look the way they did when I was 20 too? It’s part of the change in body to me. I will always love them.
I feel the same. They are all taken from artwork I have done so they will always be a part of who I am. So when I am wrinkled it makes sense that my art might as well get old and wrinkled with me. I’ll still love you.
Are you saying you won’t look so pretty all wrinkled?
Well. A worn out belly due to pregnancy(s) would’t look better than the tattoo….
Great post, somewhat akin to the P G Wodehouse style of subtle humor!
lol nobody cares bro
Live and let live, bro.
Lol bro lol lol like, bro, lol, like nobody cares, lol. Bro. Lol.
I hadn’t noticed, but you’re right. I need to pull out my book of Jeeves short stories, lol
Well said! And so true about the Facebook feed. The funny thing is that even with one “tattoo,” the newsfeed seems to keep trying to convince me that those adorable newborns are worth the sleepless reality.
I love your posts. They make me smile or laugh out loud every time. Thanks for all your efforts to brighten a Mom’s weary/wonderful day.
Brilliant!
You are so clever, I loved reading this! I am so with you as well with regards to the tatt situ and the lovely mum! I went with the anti- dignity tatoo, too and to be fair to them they do give me a lot of my material
This was so funny. I know I have said at least a few of these reasons to my daughter. And, yes, it is a generational thing (for the most part).
Every time. You always have my discrete chuckle move to an out-loud attention-getting uncontrolled guffaw. Thank you 🙂
I’m so glad!
You’re going to get me fired – laughing out loud in cubicles is never a good idea.
From my experience I found it to be the only way to survive working in a cubicle.
Muttering helps, but then those pesky HR people come to visit.
I feel like a barbed wire tattoo that doubled as a DNA double helix would ensure I’d fit in wherever I went. I might do the baby first, lift and hold the babe for a couple years until my biceps match the illustration, then rock out the wire/DNA. Best of all worlds.
Reblogged this on Love, Peace & Toddler Grease and commented:
love this post!!!
This is amazing and hilarious. Better go pick up my tattoo before he falls off the couch and breaks something.
I waited until my father passed away to get my tattoo, because he so against them. I have never regretted getting the tat. Three dragonflies to represent each of my children (with an added scene). Will I get another, definitely, will it be painful, yes, but so were the three children I had, not that that has anything to do with it.
This is hilarious! Thanks for writing this. I love my tattoos and will probably never have a baby, but I’m pretty sure one is a little more stress than the other. 🙂 Nice post.
This is ridiculous. Likening a child to a tattoo is beyond ludicrous. Children are beautiful living creatures that give you more than you can imagine. What has your tattoo done for you lately? Get real.
You are a close-minded idiot. You get real.
get real and don’t be that killjoy who doesn’t get a joke. Also – tattoos are nice to look at.
Lol what has your child broken for you lately? Lighten up, this post is for humor, which you obviously cannot seem to grasp.
joke (noun)
something said or done to provoke laughter or cause amusement, as a witticism, a short and amusing anecdote, or a prankish act
The dictionary is a beautiful book that gives you more than you can imagine.
You get real yourself dodie, creatures that ruin lives and are an immense responsibility not everybody can handle. Have you ever been to a supermarket lately? Children are filled with greed. People who say that having children was the best thing that happened to them obviously never had 2 kitkats fall out of the vending machine. There 7 billion people on earth ruining each others lives and all live on earth with it.
To answer your question, my tattoos have done a lot for me lately. They remind me I’m stronger than my struggles, bigger than my faults, and more beautiful that the media tells me. I also have my personal mantra tattooed on my forearm and that helps me get through the pain, fear, and stress that come with my illness. And when I say helps me get through it, I mean the amount of pain I feel will sometimes stop my breathing but as soon as I place my hand on that tattoo, a sense of perseverance comes over me and I can (sort of) breath again, well enough to get help.
Yeah, some people get tattoos just because they like the look (and who are we to stomp on someone’s personal preferences?) but a lot of tattoos have meaning behind them. Please don’t discriminate against all because a few are ill-conceived. Some people have kids when they shouldn’t too, doesn’t mean no one should.
Yes, I feel the same way about my “tattoos.” They remind me I am stronger than my struggles, more beautiful than the media would have me believe (and I feel more beautiful because of my “tattoos”). The pain from getting my “tattoos” was almost unbearable, but when I see them a sense of perseverance comes over me and I am reminded why I am breathing. And by my tattoos I mean my children. Someday I may get over my fear of needles poking into my back or side and get the artistic kind. 😉
I have two teenage tattoos and 8 wearable tattoos. I love all of them, they are all special and meaningful. The comment about greedy kids is insulting to me. My girls are thoughtful, polite and well mannered. This is because of good parenting. My tattoos are my art, one my eldest designed, she did one for her aunt also. I love the article in its entirety and some of them I’ve heard. My mom never judges any of us that do have ink. She accepts the fact that we are adults and we make our choices. She trusts in the fact that she raised us properly to make wise decisions and be the well mannered children she raised.
It’s meant to be funny, Oscar the Grouch! Still, I can answer your question. What my tattoos have done for me lately is make me happy, because I love them. My daughter also fills me with joy, because I love her. Is my love for them equal? No, but luckily I don’t have to choose. I can have both a family and tattoos. Yay! Life is good.
My thoughts exactly.
Except the fact that the comparisons in this blogpost work. Both are expensive. Both can limit you. Both change your life. Both will cause people to judge you. Both should be chosen with great thought to the future.
To people who want kids, kids will be more meaningful than a tattoo, of course they will, because they’re a living thing.
I don’t have or want kids, but my pets mean more to me on a scale of 1-10 than my tattoo, because guess what? They’re living things.
However, tattoos mean more to me than children, because I don’t have or want them. So to me, yes tattoos (or pets, or [insert anything else here]) are more important than kids because kids aren’t anything I want in my life.
Does that make my choice better or more valid than someone who chose to have kids? Of course not. But neither is their choice more valid than mine, except to them. Our choices are our own, and they are equally important.
You can’t compare someone else’s choices or values to a strangers, it doesn’t work that way.
I could not have said it better myself! Well done QUEENSARU!
Well, my tattoo’s definitely wont drop me off at some random old folks home -_- Get over your child worship. Some of us don’t think babies are the be all end all. I’m awesome without babies.
This is fantastic!
My sweet baby is asleep so I should be too. But I’m reading your blog instead. I’m calling this a good decision. I have a tattoo and a baby, both also good decisions. Very much enjoying the added perspective one gives the other. Your brand of satire (while apparently unfathomable to some cranky folk) is fantastic. Keep it coming!
Dads don’t babysit, they parent. Sometimes on their own as the mon runs screaming from the house. You pay a babysitter with money. You pay a dad with a sane returning mom.
…and sex.
I think she was asking when her Mom & Dad, tattoo’s grandparents, wanted to babysit.
Hmm, your mum left out a few reasons:
* A tattoo suggests you lack self-esteem (search for Randle & Aitken – Liverpool Hope University)
* You risk infection and other adverse reactions whenever you get a tattoo.
* A third of people regret getting a tattoo (British Association of Dermatologists – Conference 2012)
* Laser treatment doesn’t completely remove the evidence of a tattoo.
* Some people view tattoos as evidence of lower intelligence.
*Was this study only done in the UK?
*Do you think that Tattoos make others less intelligent than you?
*Everyone should know the risks beforehand!
*There are millions of reasons why people get Tattoos! Not just intelligence or self-esteem issues! What about memorial for the passing of a loved one or someone close to the heart, the celebration of life in the birth of children or a life changing moment!
Thank you Travis. #3 is exactly what I would be getting a tattoo for if I ever get one. To honor my miscarried babies. I do think tattoos should be meaningful. If not people are more likely to regret them.
And all the above could also be applied to child bearing…except for the lazer part i guess.
* A child suggests you lack self-control
*You risk death and other complications whenever you give birth
*Nobody asks people how many of them regret having a child, but given the millions of kids up for adoption every year I’d say “millions”
*Some people view having children as evidence of lower intelligence, lower ambition, lower ability to succeed in life, and lower control over your own life and destiny. And if you don’t believe me look at any working woman vs stay-at-home mother debates.
(I absolutely did not mean that as a crack at adopted kids or parents forced to give up their children, sorry.)
*How does a child suggest you lack self control. LAME.
*True…for the mother, not for the father so only true for half the people in the world with a child HALF TRUE
*You realize that many if not most children up for adoption are not due to regret, but due to parents in jail, dying, or the children being taken away. IGNORANCE
*You are reaching here just to try to draw up an analogy. The other was from a study, this is from you being a jackass.
Yolen, are you for real? Having a child suggests lower intelligence or ambition? Your bullet points suggest a lack of intelligence. Having children is an ambition for many/most people. Having children has little bearing on a person’s ability to succeed in life. Have you never met a successful person who was also a parent? The only situation in which your first point (lack of self control) makes sense is if it was an unplanned pregnancy due to not using a condom. And then it would be the man’s self control in question. Your second point would make sense if it was 1800’s Europe. Modern medicine has all but resolved this issue. Try again.
She was making a retort to the one who posted weak research about the dangers of tattoos by giving equally weak statements about having children. That is all. It can be said of having lack of self control for “unplanned” pregnancies.
Having a child our of wedlock or unplanned is considered irresponsible and a marker of bad decision making or lower intelligence. Considering about half (51%) of the 6.6 million pregnancies in the United States each year (3.4 million) are unintended, that would be a lot. [Finer LB and Zolna MR, American Journal of Public Health 2014]
Having tattoos is also a huge ambition people have! I know just about the same amount of people who have always wanted/ already have tattoos as I do people who want to start a family. There is a lot of overlap of course.
“Having children has little bearing on a person’s ability to
succeed in life”?? Have you ever tried to get a job as a mother? Have you ever tried getting a job and raising your kids as a single mother? It’s ridiculously hard work!
By the way, successful people without kids: Helen Mirren, Dolly Parton, Betty White, George Clooney, Janet Jackson, OPRAH WINFREY… should I go on?
Women are judged WAAY more harshly for unexpected pregnancies than the father. Since they’re the ones most likely to be with the child, raising the child and out in public, they will be the subject of rude comments from family and strangers alike. It doesn’t matter if it was a lack of condoms or hormonal birth control, if a mother is considered “not right” by being too young or poor, they’re given bad treatment by the judgmental fools around them.
“650 women die each year in the United States as a result of pregnancy or delivery complications”!!!
Some complications include depression (changes in appetite and sleep, feelings of guilt and worthlessness, and suicidal thoughts); ectopic pregnancies (or when the egg is fertilized outside the uterus and must be removed); hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness, usually requiring hospitalization); miscarriage (“as many as 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage”); Placental abruption; Preeclampsia – and those aren’t even mentioning the different infections during pregnancy. Pregnancy is not as straight-forward and safe as a lot of people would like to think
(Above stats came from womenshealth.gov under Pregnancy Complications)
Just some thoughts in response to your post –
1. Having a baby can *actually* cause you to have low self esteem – mothers who have difficulty with self image during pregnancy or post-birth due to physical changes that have occurred, changes within their relationship with their partner, or post-natal depression – which can leave women a risk to themselves and their children. Men can also suffer low self esteem due to the lifestyle change or differences in their relationship with their partner.
2. Women risk infection, injury and even death, when they give birth. Whether they suffer tears because the baby was breached, overly large or the midwife made bad choices in the delivery or because a C-section was required, they can take very long times to heal from these.
3. I’m sure many people feel at least some form of regret (and then guilt) for having children at some point or another – whether it created great strain on their relationships with friends, family and partners or changed their lifestyle and took away opportunities that would have been open to them should they have not had dependants to care for.
4. You can’t always remove evidence of children. Either from your home, belongings or your person.
5. Some people will view your parenting decisions or your children’s decisions as evidence of your lower intelligence. Personally I think people are constantly judging others on a purely visual basis, I might as well actively promote an image I like rather than one I think will appeal to others. You are never going to please everybody, but you can work on pleasing yourself and the people whose opinions you actually value.
I could spend time finding articles to back up these points, but I think most of them are fairly obvious. Personally I feel more comfortable with the idea of going through the process of getting a tattoo than giving birth and being responsible for the upbringing of a human being. I still might do it one day, but feel it is a much greater personal responsibility and will impact my life much more than a tattoo would.
Translation: “I’ll think you’re stupid.”
Well yeah, but if you’re an idiot yourself …
* Tattoos aren’t a mark of self-esteem issues, just like having a college education isn’t always a mark of intelligence
*If you do go tattoo parlour hunting, you’ll find there are very professional, clean, respectable tattoo parlours. As long as you decide on one of those and follow their instructions, you won’t get an infection or disease.
*People regret more things than you can imagine. My mother regrets dropping out of college to be a wife and have children. If a person regrets getting a tattoo, then it’s their thing to work through.
*Pretty much anything you do as an adult has permanent consequences. As adults, we are free to make choices. If the tattoo cannot be fully removed, then you live with the consequences of your decision.
*Judging others without knowing the full story can be a sign of low intelligence, too. Stereotyping has never gotten anyone anywhere. Don’t do it.
Signed,
The 22 year old senior double-majoring with a 4.0 GPA college student in a four year program who doesn’t have to pay a dime for college because of her academic achievements who…you guessed it…. has a tattoo that has a very personal meaning for her
The people who “view people with tattoos as evidence of lower intelligence” suggest diminished intelligence themselves because of an inability to comprehend higher purposes for getting tattoos and/or a persons right to freedom of choice.
I also resent the idea that you think a tattoo suggests lack of self-esteem. It wasn’t until I had self-esteem I got my first tattoo because I knew once I had one people like you would judge me for it, insult me and try and make me feel miserable for my beautiful artwork. Fortunately I have great self-esteem and it never crosses my mind for a second to regret it, or let your close mindedness get under my skin (pun intended).
I choose my artists very carefully and check out their hygiene records before undertaking any artwork.
You are correct in you assessment of laser treatment however, as some colours don’t respond well and more often a cover up piece is required. If people rely on the fact that they can have laser treatment that is naivety on their part when getting the tattoo.
This is why I chose the tattoo route instead of the baby route. Now I can amuse my friend’s kids with my artwork .
This really made me smile.
When I got my first my mum looked at it, sighed and said “Yes it’s very nice just don’t tell your brother, you know what he’s like”
Since he has a long history of doing things without thinking I agreed.
Of course as soon as my brother stepped through the door I was dragged over to him by mum so that she could have the privilege of showing off MY ink.
I loved this. So much fun.
Totally love it!!! You made my day.
Subtle, hilarious and excellent. Thus far, I have only managed to compromise my future and my body with tattoos, but your post successfully gave me pause to reconsider the other permanent commitment (at least very temporarily :)). Thank you!
Wow. You’re an idiot. Amazing.
Dodie, thanks for proving Number 2 (as if we weren’t already well aware that there were dyspeptic plebes like you out there).
I would like to point out that the act of breastfeeding doesn’t actually change your body. Your breasts change during pregnancy. Any stretching/sagging/etc that happens to them is a result of pregnancy, not breastfeeding.
Otherwise a good article!
I have to disagree. All the changes in my breasts happened after birth. Something about needing to stretch to hold enough milk to feed a village…
Actually, those changes happen regardless of whether or not a mother chooses to breastfeed or not. It’s pregnancy (and childbirth) that brings on those changes, not *breastfeeding*
The author says that “attempting to breastfeed it” changes your body, but it doesn’t – it’s pregnancy that does.
Trust me, I’m a mom and a breastmilk donor for the local NICU.
Thank you so much for clarifying. So much ignorance about childbirth, breast feeding, etc. People need to educate themselves.
Here is my take on this… And I have 4 tattoos!
Yes they hurt but so does giving birth only worse and sometimes longer lasting pain! Yes, people will judge you for them but in the world we live in anymore you get judged for every thing anyways instead of being accepted for who you are… Tattoos should have lots of man hours of thinking things through before you get one! Make them meaningful and not just because you “Want one”! If you have tattoos in which you can’t cover up for a job, then yes it will limit you, be smart about your tattoos! They’re expensive but so is good quality works of art! Tattoos are a form of art! They only ruin the body if they aren’t thought through, done or place poorly! Only get tattoos at a successful tattoo parlor… One that has been around for some time and has a good reputation for high standards (Do your research 1st)!
And yes I read this whole thing and realize it was in humor but some people do need different explanations or examples to understand… 😎
I’m definitely wanting to strangle my ‘tattoo’ 15 years later. Funnily enough, I never have that urge with my actual tats. 🙂
Tell your mom now I want more tattoos! For now, my two babies are enough, though.
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Reblogged this on syrens and commented:
Reblogging this because it’s an excellent (and funny!) discussion of gender expectations for (cis, at least) women. Why should you never, ever, ever get a tattoo? Possibly because it involves claiming your body as your own and doing with it what you want.
Judging by the comments here, there are plenty of tattoos born without a sense of humor. Wonderful post!
You’re mom is right about tatoos and by the sounds of your complaining, you probably shouldn’t have had kids either.
How on earth was she complaining? It was a joking article about the ridiculous reasons people give for not getting tattoos that could equally be applied to having children.
E.g. Anything that isn’t done without a good deal of thought beforehand could potentially be regretted – including children.
Also it’s ‘your mom’ not ‘you are mom’.
“Also it’s ‘your mom’ not ‘you are mom’.”
I love you…
Your mom is a wise lady so you should listen to her more often, cheers.
To be fair on #1, a kid could also be erased by a laser. It’s much less socially and morally acceptable but still…
HAHA… LOVED LOVED LOVED IT. YOU’RE GREAT♡♥♡♥
Next time, get a tattoo of a baby. Best of both worlds!
[…] A friend just posted this blog post on Facebook – I thought the ladies with kids might appreciate it! Why You Should Never, Ever, Ever Get A Tattoo (but Having a Baby is Fine) | The Ugly Volvo […]
Reblogged this on hellphie's fiendish fiction and commented:
I’m one of those people that doesn’t plan to have kids. This sounds like a pretty straight forward decision, but it comes with more grief than you would expect. Constantly being challenged or told that you just don’t know what you want yet. I’m in my mid-30s; I’ve thought this through. I do, however, have tattoos. They don’t all have grand, tv-tattoo meanings. I just like them. So, when I came across this blog this morning, I felt like it should be shared. Kids and tattoos, I’m comfortable with my choice.
I have neither a baby or a tattoo. But when I get one Ill tattoo the words “baby” on it.
Your post was amazingly funny. Thanks!
love the interchangeable barbed wire/dna double helix option. Ha!
This was good. I have tattoos and babies. And didn’t get any of the tattoos until after I was done having babies. And I love all of them – the tattoos and the babies.
I completely understand where you are coming from, and I had a good laugh reading your posts. I know you’re not really trying to compare having a baby to a tattoo, but you made some valid points.
The example I agree the most, would have to be the Facebook newsfeed. I honestly witness both the brags about a new tattoo and newborns being created, and it has been flooding my newsfeed as of late. I does seem to be an equal trend these days. I myself never really took getting a tattoo seriously, and maybe at one point it was a phase on wanting to get one. Even so, it wasn’t an idea I bothered to entertain, nor considered.
I currently have neither a tattoo or a child, and I going to continue enjoying my life until the latter is considered, seriously.
I am following your blog, feel free to return the favor.
– Cinn Cinn’s Circle
My favourite: “Imagine what you’ll look like in your wedding dress!”
Though I suppose that doesn’t apply to everyone with babies. . .
Actually, I have seen plenty of photos of gorgeous brides *rocking* their tattoos instead of hiding them. Check out offbeatbride.com and you will see what I mean. By the way, I love this post. Hysterical. 😀
I also like when brides show off their “tattoos” proudly. There’s no shame in being a pregnant bride. Both should be celebrated.
Great post. This is some kinda “Filipino type” reasoning you’re using. Grandparents always use these as reasons why we shouldn’t get one. It never occurred to me though. Hilarious 🙂
Reblogged this on A Hurley Point of View and commented:
Well, this is too good not to share. Thank you to the author of this content. I wish i could be this witty.
Smart, funny, and so on the nose!
I love this post. I’m done having kids so I figure, now would be the perfect time to get a tattoo. Why not. I’ve already “ruined” my body. I plan on showing this to anyone who asks why.
love this post! I have a tattoo, well two of them, but no kids. I’m 25, never been married, never had a kid, finished college and I’m getting my Masters degree- my mom still complains about my tattoos and she’s said all of the above. I enjoy reminding her that at least I haven’t had any kids and then she goes quiet in relief LOL THANKS! Great read
Reblogged this on Lora Lee's Centsations and commented:
lol As a mother of 3 kids and a person with numerous tattoo’s, I find this post awesome! Very funny and true. 🙂 But then I’m quirky like that.
Reblogged this on Rachel Gilliam and commented:
I love this a lot. Like a lot.
Nice try, but it absolutely can limit the jobs available to you. There are many companies that do not hired people with visible tattoos for jobs dealing with the public. Some companies have an image they want to project, so tattoos that can be seen are right out. In the past, the U.S. Border Patrol wouldn’t hire anyone with tattoos that could be seen below the line of a short-sleeved shirt. They did not want to project the image of a bunch of thugs.
They’ve made this thing called tattoo cover up for at least 15 years now. I can have my tattoo on the weekends and not in the office and it takes like 5 minutes of my time.
What cover up do you use? And does it cover well? I have some cover up but you have to put on like 4 layers, it takes ages!
im sorry you have to cover your tattoos up! but good for you for doing what you have to!
They could always try not beating people to death or taking payoffs and bribes or running guns and drugs. I could ignore tattoos if they’d knock that crap off.
well that sure is a stereotype if i ever heard one. I know lots of people with tattoos, and very very few people who run drugs and guns. And to be honest with you I am not sure that the people I have met with guns or drugs even have tattoos.
Not everyone with tattoos does those things. In fact, over 60% of the military have tattoos.
this.
There are many places on your body where you can have a tatto which can only be seen by people that you choose to show it to.
None of mine can be seen even if I am wearing a short sleeved shirt.
And since when do thugs have beautiful works of art on them?
I could understand your argument if the only choice of tattoo available was Love and Hate across your knuckles but things have moved on since then LOL
Typos are another reason some people are overlooked for some jobs.
Your comment is made of awesome.
Thank you. I typically try to keep my snarky thoughts off of the internet, but I just couldn’t let that one fly.
Ha, yes! My first thought when reading that response!
This.
I’d think twice about hiring someone who had a typo in their tat. Not because they had a tat, but because they didn’t notice the typo, or the horrid grammatical error in the tat. I once saw a customer sporting a tat which read exactly as this, in Gothic Bold, including quotation marks: “Allway’s A Christain.” That image is forever seared on my brain. Ironically, the execution of the lettering was crisp and flawless.
The point —->
Your head
Funny thing, some shirts have long sleeves. People often mean white collar jobs when talking about workplaces you can’t have tattoos, but white collar jobs tend to involve long sleeves and possibly a suit jacket over that, so…who’s going to see it?
Exactly. I have tattoos on my forearms and I’ve worked next to people for months who didn’t know I had tattoos until I mentioned it in passing.
I work as a programmer in an office environment. I wear short sleeves all the time. I have a large tattoo on my forearm, and 8 earrings and a pierced tongue. All of my coworkers are aware of this. No one cares because I’m competent.
This, I know I’m late to the party but I had to say, tattoos piercings and other personal choices do not affect how well you do your job.
They also tend to not “hired” people who make silly grammatical errors. Is your only example the border patrol? I know very few people who would like to work for those “thugs” (while we’re throwing insults around). In a society where tattoos are becoming increasingly prevalent, more and more companies are becoming accepting of them – not to mention the availability of cover up.
A lot of companies that state “no visible tattoos” really only enforce restrictions on offensive tattoos. But, ya know, nice try.
OR maybe they are you know a night club or rock magazine or something that is actually looking for someone with tattoos/stylistically appropriate to represent them. Therefore increasing the jobs available to you. STFU HATER 🙂 and have a nice day.
“In the past” is the key phrase there. The border patrol has no current policy against tattoos. I’m biased because I live in Portland and have no tattoos. Among my peers, I’m actually in the minority. Unless you get some crazy face tattoo before applying to be a receptionist, it’s never going to make a difference. 90% of tattoos are not visible when you are in work attire. And even when it is, (I happen to know a female Legal Assistant who works at a major law firm who has full sleeves), as long as the tattoos aren’t offensive or disturbing, they can actually help you by creating a aura of uniqueness or creativity.
That’s the point she’s making. Having kids will limit the jobs available to you as well.
They make body makeup. However, I wouldn’t WANT to work at a place that wouldn’t accept my tattoos! To each their own, right?
My other half and I just decided on what our next matching tattoo will be… We got our first after being together two weeks. Thirteen years later, this will be our fifth matching tatt. 😉
Also, having a child can and will limit what jobs you can get, because…family bonding.
There is a reason why it is not legal for hiring managers to ask if you are married or if you have children. Because it has been demonstrated over and over and over through multiple forms of research that if you are perceived as a woman with a family, you are less likely to be hired for most jobs.
So what is your point exactly?
they are a bunch of thugs, tattoo or not.
Reputable companies also do not hire people who don’t proofread their statements.
Depending on where it is and where you work. I get to wear a t shirt and jeans to work, there is no concern at all about my tattoo showing when I’m there, and it’s not some “non-respectable” job, I work for one of the biggest tech companies in the world. Seeing tattoos as a reason to judge a person is an outdated, inaccurate way of thinking.
Having a child, does not I assume?
I’m a scientist – nobody gives a f*ck about your appearance if you do good research. B-)
Yep, because no tattoos really helps in that area :/
Thinking that… you’ve missed the point slightly here.
I hate this argument passionately. I’m so sick of hearing the “you can’t get this job if you get a tattoo!” Not every job is the cookie-cutter corporate 9-5 job where people are looking to judge you based on something like that. I don’t think people with tattoos are as naive as you think, dude. There are also creative, art based jobs out there. I know this might be mind-blowing for you, but in some jobs it might actually be appreciated or overlooked if someone has tattoos. If someone wants to be heavily tattooed, I’m sure most realize that YES some companies won’t like it. But if they want to work there they’ll make the effort to cover it up, if they feel like it wouldn’t be appropriate in their work place…But for me personally, I don’t want the job where someone is going to judge me based on something which really has nothing to do with my job or me as a professional. If they did, cool, that’s their own prejudice, and that would automatically tell me that that isn’t the kind of environment I would flourish in. I get that not everyone is in a position to choose which job they would prefer. And if that’s the case, I’m sure they can be an adult about it, suck it up, and wear that blazer or long sleeve shirt to cover it up.
Some food for thought: my friend works as a graphic designer at a big corporate company, and you know what? Her boss has tattoos which are super visible! She has tattoos! AND IT DOESN’T MATTER. In fact, she said it’s never even come up. Sorry to blow your mind.
I still find these comments amusing when I personally know people in CEO positions who are covered in tattoo’s under their lovely suits. As well as doctors, soldiers, chefs, managers etc etc. As you said, if your hands are covered in tattoo’s, maybe it will affect your chances, but most tattoo’s are easily covered up, and until employers start demanding full body checks for tattoo’s before hiring staff, then we can really get in to any position we desire, and it WON’T affect the quality of the work we do.
I am aware that some companies won’t “hired” folks with visible tattoos, but if you follow the adage, “Never put a tattoo where a judge can see it”, human resources probably won’t give a shit either. But poor spelling, grammar, and syntax? You can’t laser those away.
That was the point…..just like being a mom can limit the amount of available jobs. Both tattoos and motherhood out a limit on what jobs you can get. That was what the author was saying.
Yeah, there are places that won’t hire someone with visible tattoos. You’re absolutely right. But there are also plenty that will. And not just crappy, low paying jobs either. I am very tattooed, including ones that would be difficult to cover up. I work in the medical field, in a management position. I do not cover my tattoos & my employers are not bothered by that fact. They know that I am damn good at what I do & that I would be difficult to replace. My tattoos have absolutely nothing to do with my education or abilities. Is it difficult to find a similar job in that field when you’re heavily tattooed & have blue hair? You bet your ass it is. But I wouldn’t want to work at one of those places anyway, so it’s a good thing I’m invaluable to my company.
On the other end of the spectrum, I’m also a freelance hair & makeup artist; a field where most won’t even think twice about tattoos & strange hair. And one where you can basically make as much money as you want, if you’re willing to work for it. In other words, acting like tattoos will kill your chances at decent employment & success in this day & age is just ridiculous & based primarily on ignorance & personal bias. I have friends who are CEOs, doctors, lawyers, small business owners, etc who are all heavily tattooed, make great money, & are quite respected by their colleagues & peers.
You completely missed the point. There are countless companies that will not hire a woman if she has children because she is inconvenient. Just the same as some companies won’t hire someone with tattoos, but oh wait, there are these things called long sleeve shirts and pants that fix that now don’t they?
You’re right,
As a senior engineering manager I was terribly unembarrassed when at the work xmas party beach day all my gaol-tats were on display.
The credibility I gained with the team was immeasurable, not because I had a tat but because the team knew I was able to commit to things that were not just the generic norm.
Ice-Broken = WIN
I have 4 tattoos (2 visible) and I teach elementary school.
Tattoos do not equal thugs, that’s a really backwards and outdated way of thinking.
This concern about being portrayed as a thug, by a guy who call himself, “Zombie John Gotti” ?
What if you got a tattoo of a baby?
I don’t know you, but I know you are just the best.
Ha ha ha. Thank you for that laugh, Kat. (from Mother of 4, no tattoos.)
I guess I’m your mom’s age… or even older. Sure, you can remove tattoos… at the price of 4 or more sessions with a licensed dermatologist… unless you’re planning on using someone less qualified.
But beyond that, my thoughts boil down to this. You are what? Somewhere between 25 and 30? Think about what you were crazy about 15 years ago. Songs you had to listen to. Celebrities you admired. Fashions you sported.
Now imagine yourself with these choices being displayed to your friends, co-workers, potential employers, etc. And even more importantly to yourself.
I promise you that when you are 45 you will not want to display anything that you thought was cool when you were 25. (Well, unless you don’t grow and mature).
So this brings us back to the concept of removal. Surely there are ways to “be yourself” and to display your uniqueness in less permanent ways.
I realize that (by the tone of your article) you will not be inclined to consider seriously what I’ve written. Still I suspect you might do so in 20 years.
Not always true. I totally understand where you are coming from, but tattoos really arent just tattoos anymore. The majority of us heavily tattooed people consider our life choices and what not as a different kind of culture. I strive every single day to stomp out the stereotype of us modified people. We all have different reasons for getting a tattoo and honestly you wouldn’t believe some of them but its not really ‘just because’ like people may think. Other than the fact that I think they are beautiful and love having them on my skin, they help over come bad things that happen in life. Loss of a loved one, big life change, divorce, etc. I think its a shame that companies are willing to miss out on what could be an amazing employee just because of an old school prejudice against ink in skin. As far as your likes and interests changing throughout the years, I guess you do have a point there. But even the tattoos that I got 10 years ago that probably weren’t so great ideas tell a story about my life. Every day they remind me of how I have grown as a person. Every thing that was or is important to me is portrayed as beautiful art on my skin. I was smart tho I guess you could call it at a certain point. Wanted a huge Harry Potter tattoo when i was much younger but everyone talked me out of it because they were convinced that I would “grow out of it”. Yep never happened so here I am 13 years later and I got that sucker tattooed on the whole side of my head! Lol! We are all people. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters. Some of us just prefer to live our lives a little more decorated than the rest! 🙂
Absolutely love your answer! As a semi-heavily tattooed person, it is exactly how I feel. Each of my tattoes represent different times of my life, including coping with important loss! Plus they’re beautiful pieces of art. So there’s no way they will become a burden in years to come! If anything they’ll mean more to me!
We’ll said . 🙂 I am a mother, and I have 4 tattoos. (None you can really see unless I show you). My husband on the other hand has a semi sleeve on one arm, a huge tattoo of a woman on a rocket (ya, don’t ask) one his left arm and random tattoos all over his body, including a start on each hand that is VERY visible. He neither behaves or “looks” like a thug and he works at Microsoft. I’m sure I speak for the both of us when I say that we regret nothing. Our tattoos are a part of us, each tells a story and a memory we might have forgotten had we not had a special artistic reminder.
I’m sorry, I had to laugh at your comment “things in life like divorce”! I can just see my “X” head first into a Waste Management Dumpster in full color on my right shoulder!
I don’t have any, but I have thought about getting one. Like you also said, they are really personal and do represent some of our life’s events. Trust me when I say this, as one ages, what was once three inches high, will be four inches lower.
Kacey-I heart you. Keep on keepin’ on!!
I’ve had my one, single tattoo for 10 years. It is a piece of art. I designed it with an artist with experience painting and drawing as well as tattooing. If I someday stop liking art, the foundation of creativity in society, I will let you know. If that happens, someone please go ahead and lock me aware somewhere because it means I will have lost any interest in beauty or nature. Not all tattoos are hearts with the word “mom” inside or tribal art adopted from ethnic groups you don’t belong to. Some of us spend 6 years planning the perfect piece that holds serious aesthetic and emotional meaning for us.
so growing and maturing means no longer enjoying an artist I have loved throughout my entire life? It’s good to know that in 10 years when I too hit 45 that I will gain the ability to judge others based on my own experiences, even though I lack any knowledge of their experiences and the things they enjoy.
Wow Teddric, you could not have said it better!!!!!!!!!!
Right? I’m glad I don’t have such a pessimistic view of the world.
Those are all good points, but every tattoo isn’t exactly something “cool”. Plenty of people get plenty of very dumb tattoos (at all ages), but for many, tattoos are beautiful works of art that can represent some very meaningful and powerful things. I, for one, seriously doubt I will ever regret my own that are tributes to dead family members. I think what is important is taking the time and consideration to really examine why you want a tattoo in the first place.
You understand that many tattoos, especially for those who take tattooing seriously, are not random pieces of flash art or the name of your favourite band, right? My one and only tattoo, which I considered for 6 years before choosing to commit to and then worked with a professional artist with experience in painting, drawing, printmaking AND tattooing to design a piece of art that reflected my personality, personal history, and interests is something I took very seriously when getting done.
There are millions of people with tattoos who are not drunken 20 somethings who stumbled into an all night shop in Miami on spring break. My mother has 3 tattoos and not a single one came about out of impulse – she was over 40 when she chose to get tattoos that she regretted never having been self-assured enough to get when she was younger.
So you might regret a tattoo, but you also might regret caving to the outside pressure of people clinging desperately to outdated notions of who people with tattoos are. Shaming people for their choices and claiming it’s a mistake of youth shows a profound lack of understand or willingness to attempt to understand people whose worldviews do not align with your own.
I see nothing whatsoever wrong with a person who doesn’t choose to get a tattoo. I think that their bodies belong to them and that they should be the person making decisions about that body. I don’t see them as uninteresting or as uninvested in their lives and bodies. I don’t assign ideas or preconceived notions to them. I don’t tell them that they’re making the wrong decisions in life and they’ll look back and wish they had captured beautiful moments permanently so they had something to remember them by when photos have faded. So I don’t understand why people think the opposite about those who choose tattoos.
Amen! 🙂
Well I am 40. I have one child and many tattoos, including one that I got when I was 18. I have no intention of getting any of them covered. I am currently working on a full back piece and a sleeve. I make no attempts to cover my tattoos, they are on my neck and I have short hair. My tattoos are a way I use to express myself as many others do. I am not going to a scratcher and getting a cheap nasty tattoo. My artists and custom designs are chosen with care.
I am University educated and have owned my own business. My husband has none. It is his body and his decision. I have no problem with that. If my daughter wanted to get a tattoo (when she is old enough) I wouldn’t have a problem with that. She knows they are permanent. I would pick the place to ensure she got a good tattoo but it is her body.
Beautifully said and well-spoken. I completely agree. Thank you for sharing such wondeful insight!!
Um, no, I’m going to have to stop you right there.
I’m also between 25-30, but I designed my own tattoo, and I will never regret having a part of my artwork that symbolizes the paths my life has taken inked in to my skin to carry around with me forever. It’s not all song lyrics and pictures and meaningless drivel.
I have 3 tattoos, I got my first just before my 30th birthday, it is a memorial for my cat. my second tattoo is a memorial for my father who passed away a year ago, my third tattoo is one I share with my cousins and aunt. I am going to like my tattoos in 15 years because they are deeply symbolic of the people and things I love and want in my life forever.
i am 38. i am still quite happy with the dragon i got when i was 20. and i have an awesome job. and awesome kids. my tattoo still makes me happy 18 years later and hasn’t harmed anyone or anything…
I didn’t get any tattoos of what I was “into at the moment” all my tattoos have true deep meaning that I will never be upset about. They all represent my faith, my love for my son and my family. In 20 years I will still be very happy with my tattoos. And I’m getting many more 🙂
I truthfully take this reply as an insult against my mother. She got her first tattoos around the age of 30. She turns 45 this year and she still loves her tattoos. According to you, that must mean that she never matured. In those 15 years, she raised 3 children(now aged 22, 20 and 19). How in the hell, do you not mature through all of that? You act as if everyone gets tattoos for a spur of the moment decision. Her tattoos are a dream catcher with mine and my siblings initials, a wolf, a rose and a dragon holding a rose. All have a story and all took much thought. I, myself, have a tattoo. Even though they are song lyrics, they are also words that I can stand by for the rest of my life. “You are what you love, not who loves you” has way more meaning than just simply lyrics. It is a reminder to stay true to yourself and to forget what everyone else says. Also, we both have our tattoos in places that are easily covered. Don’t be so quick to judge.
I don’t think I’m going to regret the small tattoo I got to remind me of my dead grandmother (a woman who practically raised me) in 25 years. I’m pretty sure I’ll still love her & miss her & stuff.
I have many tattoos and am planning more. I don’t get them to show off, I don’t get them to look cool or to get attention. I get them for no one else but me. As far as I’m concerned it’s my body and my skin. Sure, there are other ways to be myself in less permanent ways but why should I? Because shallow people like yourself have a problem with it? What I choose to do with my body has nothing to do with anyone else.
I got my first nearly 15 years ago and you know what, I don’t regret it at all. So you can’t promise anything. Because clearly you know nothing.
If people like you don’t like my ink then it is you with the problem. Don’t look. I don’t think you have any right to be telling people how they will be feeling years down the line.
No I don’t regret any of my ink. No I won’t regret any in years to come. Mind your own business and let people live their lives how they want.
I am currently 42. I got my first tattoo when I was in my early twenties, my second tattoo when I was 24, and I have no regrets. In fact, I am considering my third tattoo now.
Hahaha!
How IGNORANT.
You cannot make that “promise”.
Or, you can. But you would be wrong.
Love my tatts!
My Jesus fish with the cross inside?
Highly doubt my feelings about my Saviour will change.
Got my first tatt at 22 years old, getting another tomorrow… Love them ALL. Never regretted them for a moment. I’ll be 36 in June.
TO EACH THEIR OWN.
Which means you are entitled to your ridiculous OPINION.
*peace*
How about responding to what was written, not what you wish was written? Did she say that no one ever regrets a tattoo years later? Where was that said? I didn’t see it, but clearly you did, so quote please?
Or maybe its easier to make a fallacious response to a non-existent argument than face the fact that people regret having kids too, for some o the same reasons you listed. That’s just too scary to face, huh?
Well, I’m a lawyer so I can easily afford removal if its absolutely necessary. Oh yeah, and I’m a lawyer and its never prevented me from having a great job. But sure.
I’m a 44 year old physician with 18 tattoos, about to get my 19th. I got my first tattoo at the age of 21……23 years ago. I don’t regret a single one of them. I’ve gotten things that have meaning to me and tell a story. I haven’t chosen tattoos and placed them on my body just because they are “in”. If you chose a tattoo spontaneously and don’t give thought to it, yes, you might regret it. I treasure each and every one of mine.
Dear chitownmom,
Who gets a tattoo of themselves wearing their current fashion choice?
I don’t run out and get a tattoo of the current tv series I’m watching. I don’t hav any tattoos relating to my favourites movies/shows etc etc but would I get something from my favourite cartoon/movie growing up? Absolutely because that’s always going to be my favourite childhood show. Am I going to regret it because someone like you asks “pfft why did you get that?” No because I’m not as weak minded like people such as yourself who are so easily influenced by others. People who get tattoos generally get them for themselves, sure some do it because it’s a fad and it’s those people who might regret their choice. The majority won’t regret it just because YOU know you would if you got one.
I have the mottos from my family coat of arms tattooed on my ribs and a large Celtic cross on my back to pay tribute to family I’ve lost and also some work on my upper right arm, so if some insecure person asks “won’t you regret those?” They can get lost, because that question is an insult to me. I won’t regret being who I am or my family.
And why post negatively here? This article was written in good humour, not for a debate
I don’t have any tattoos, but I have wanted pi – as in 3.141592653589793 etc tattooed around my arm since I was 15. I have wanted the X-Men character Blink as a tattoo since I was 7, and I have wanted a Sara Bareilles lyric as a tattoo since first hearing her in 2006. I STILL want all of these tattoos, and I’m 28. And there’s nothing wrong with nostalgia. Most people, even if their tastes have changed, have a fondness for their markings. Most people don’t regret tattoos – unless they’re of their once-lover.
Actually I have a tattoo that was done when I was 17. I’m now 36. I do not regret it, I never have, and will happily live with it until the day I die.
You seem to be under the impression that a tattoo can only reference small, fleeting things that you will soon “get over”. This is not the case. A lot of people will get a tattoo that is an indelible reminder of why they fought so hard to survive cancer, depression, to commemorate a loved one, or in pride due to their service to their country. Things of import. They actually *mean* something. This isn’t childish scribbling in a notebook.
Also: Someone is a legal adult at the ages of 18-21. As the OP mentioned, you have no problem with putting them in the drivers seat with the duty of raising another human being…and yet you’re balking at the fact they may have ink embedded in their skin? “25-30” is certainly an age where you should stop assuming you have a parental influence over someone and accept they are an adult, who is capable of making their own informed decisions – even if they are ones you do not approve of. This goes threefold for someone who is not, and has never been related to you -you do not have a right to judge their life. You never had that right. And you certainly never had the right to attempt an unwarranted and un-asked for air of paternal condemnation.
Got my tattoo in grad school at 21. Am now 37, and still love it. I purposefully got one where it could be easily hidden if I decided, for example, to one day run for public office or go to seminary, and many people don’t know I have it, but I love it and am guessing that at age 50, age 70, maybe even (god willing) age 90, I’ll still love it.
Lets see… I’m 28 now. Fifteen years ago I’d have been 13. I enjoyed working with animals, music, dancing, doing research, reading, art, alternative fashion, fishing, working outdoors, languages, trying new foods and such…
And now, fifteen years later… I enjoy the same things and have no shame in that. I even make money and help others with some of those interests. I also have a variety of tattoos and piercings, some I’ve had since I was 18.
So far so good. No regrets and no issues or inconveniences… Aside from poor biddies whose idea of “mature” is pre-occupying themselves with the decisions and lives of others. But even that is pretty mild. Honestly, I get the most inconvenience and judgments from an entirely different life choice: The decision not to have children.
Your argument only applies to those who have Spice Girlz tattooed across their chest. The rest of us will be perfectly happy with our tattoos in fifteen years. Or fifty years.
I’m 27, and I’ve seriously wanted my tattoo for about 15 years. It’s modeled off a page I saw in the da vinci codex of flight from my 7th grade history book. If my desire for it lasted through middle school, high school, undergrad, my first job, and then into my PhD… am I allowed?
Or maybe some of us like to remember the paths we took and the people we were that helped transformed us into the awesome individuals we are today. My tattoos are like a story of my life. If someone was once important enough to me to get it tattooed then yes, I’d like to remember that. I’d like to remember that young person with fond memories. Frankly, I think it’s rather immature to not acknowledge your growth as a person over time.
I live in Seattle. I met an elderly lady on the street last summer who was admiring the art on my arms. She had no tattoos of her own but absolutely loved them. She said that she grew up in a different time where tattoos where harshly looked down on especially on women and not easily to get like they are today. She her favorite part of her day are her evening walks where she loves admiring all the different people and the ways that people choose to look these days. She says that she wished that she had not grown up in such a closed minded era. She told me all about her granddaughters tattoos and funky hair and how much her daughter hates it. She just tells her daughter to get over it and tells her granddaughter how much she admires her for being herself and enjoying life. She knows that her granddaughter will not look back and be sad for the decisions she made in her youth because it is what makes her happy and who would regret being happy? So it’s not age that causes you to judge us with tattoos, it that fact that you think that you are better and wiser. Well you are not. You are just close minded and feel like you can tell the rest of us how life really is. You think that is someone has a tattoo that they are incapable of making informed adult decisions. I got my first one 8 years ago. I am a responsible, reputable, mature career nanny and tattoos have never held me back and they never will.
In 20 years, I will still have my pacemaker. Therefor, my tattoo will still be completely relevant (as it’s my medical symbol on my wrist). As for my others, I didn’t just make a decision and go out the next day and get one. 1 of my tattoos, I waited 8 years before I decided to get it. I always wait to make sure that it will be something I will want in the future.
There are people with terrible tattoos, but you can’t lump EVERYONE with tattoos all together. You really can’t do that with any group of people. Just like I’m not going to group everyone my mom’s age in with being as narrow minded as you presented yourself as.
I really need to pull my old lady card here and admit that, at 57 yrs young, I am about to be a great-grandmother any day. And when I look back at what I was crazy about 15 years ago, it’s not much different from what I was crazy about when I graduated high school in 1974, nor is it much different from what I love now in 2014 – Led Zeppelin, Shakespeare, sci-fi/fantasy, children, animals, dancing, art, long hair, bowling….
I got my first and only tattoo (above my ankle) when I was 49 – an adaptation of a henna design I had been wearing off and on for years, so I was sure it was what I wanted on a permanent basis. It’s an Arabic word/phrase that means ‘beloved’ with vines twined around it in the shape of my husband’s initial. It has as much meaning to my relationship as my wedding rings. I will never regret my decision.
Every member of the 2 generations after me have tattoos – for the most part they are works of art. The not-so-smart ones are at least in private locations. Still, I could make the same argument as Chitownmom when it comes to some of the newer trends like …gulp!…gauges. The only concession I get on this is that they keep the holes filled in my view because seeing sky through my grandkids’ earlobes literally makes me swoon! I confess sometimes I want to grab one of you and ask you what the hell you are thinking, but I wouldn’t have appreciated that at your age, plus I’m not so fashionable myself.
So get your tats and piercings and dermals (did I get that right?) as you see fit, but stop for just a few and consider the voices of experience that we both offer to you young’uns – seriously flash forward 20 years or so (remember gravity is real) and ask that version of yourself how you feel about that trendy little thing you did to your body. Or as I tell the g-kids, jiggling my FLABBY arms at them: “think how this would look if I had sleeves”! 😉
Don’t worry, if the gauges are done well and aren’t stretched TOO far, they’ll most likely go back to normal size if they change their mind.
I have nickel allergies and chose to taper my ears when I was younger to wear titanium and natural stone jewelry since I wasn’t fond of yellow gold. and at the time didn’t see many non-gold earrings that were cute enough to deal with the frustration of nickel reactions. So I wore 4G for about 10 years. During the past year while living in Korea I found lots of cute things I’d be willing to put up with the fuss for and removed them to switch back to regular jewelry. The holes went back to size no issues, I wear normal earrings for a few hours each day (any longer and I have issues.) and then nothing. When I’m older, I’ll likely go back down a few gauges gradually and switch back to natural stones.
I will say that the MORE damaging process is wearing heavy, dangly earrings most of your life. It ruins the elasticity of your skin as you age. I had an older woman in her eighties come into the shop one day (I used to be a professional piercer) with her granddaughter asking if there was anything that could be done for her ears that didn’t involve surgery. They’d been stretched terribly from decades of danglies and were a constant source of lamentation for her.
She walked out of my shop all smiles and feeling much happier with her looks. I couldn’t help “fix” the damage at that point, but I could help with her self esteem about how she looked. I sized the guage of her ears and found her a lovely pair of opal guages that looked like pearls.
Its all a matter of perspective.
As for the advice at the end… Perhaps older generations might want to address that toward the younger generations regarding children as well. To consider themselves in 20 years, how it will effect their lives and goals, whether its really something they want or something they think is the norm or thing to do, if its their choice or peer pressure, if they can afford the sacrifices involved, if they’re ready for the responsibility involved or the risks involved.
Most young couples I know put more thought and consideration into buying a car (or getting a tattoo) than they do having kids. And without fail most of their peers and elders are pushing them into it as fast as they can (and then are often no where to be found when they need help). It must seem easier I suppose, to push advice regarding the rather trivial things like tattoos or piercings. Rather than something with much more far reaching repercussions should things not go well, and which have a far higher rate of incident.
Really, unless they’re planning to tattoo their entire face or do something truly dangerous, there isn’t even any reason to get into it where aesthetics are concerned.
I’m 27, and semi-recently got my first tattoo, and it is not something I will ever be ashamed of. I am sure of this because my best friend of 20 years and I designed it together and got them together and it is representative of our friendship. It’s where we met and spent much of our childhood together and even if we somehow were to drift apart, I would still treasure it.
But judging by the fact that we’ve been best friends for 20 years and only four of those years (adults ones at that) were spent living closer than a 20-hour drive, I think we’ll be okay.
i wonder if the guy in the comments who thinks that “laser abortions” are a real thing also happens to be a senator?
I love you and your outlook. I’m like you, in the fact that I never got a tattoo, but I do have two children and I laughed reading through every bit of this. Bless you!
You forgot that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, made it GOD’S IMAGE. Do you want dishonor the HOLY Spirit like that. Tattooing was an ancient pagan ritual. There is NO comparison with Tattooing and having a baby. Motherhood is the most noblest profession on earth.
Tattoos are an ancient pagan ritual, and we are all born with sin as well apparently. I don’t think that I’m going to burn in hell if I put a tribute to my Grandmother on my shoulder blade. So, religious righteousness is not appreciated guy, please save the holier than thou speech for another discussion. Have a blessed day!
Megan I LOVE your comment which, “Hit the Nail right on the Head”!
You have a Blessed day!
Coming from a man? Just.. sh.
Wait a minute, you’ve met God? So you know he never inked his skin?
that spirit is not part of me as i don’t believe in your “God”.
Actually there is a very strong sacred feminine pagan side of motherhood and birth that predates Christianity. And I say this as a Historian of Woman’s Studies who also happens to be a Christian. There is plenty of documented evidence that early Pagans regarded women as extensions of the Goddess because of their ability to bring life into the world. I’m sorry but your response has no basis in Historical Fact
Ugh. Please go make certain that you are following every single ancient rule for a persons body and lifestyle straight out of the bible before you preach to someone else.
Pagan means it’s not your religion. Good to see you think religion translates into discrimination. Also, the world is round, if you didn’t know. Also, the earth revolves around the sun. Also the world wasn’t created in 7 days. There’s a reason why western religion is dying and it’s because it’s a fraud for money and control.
I choose to decorate my temple with beautiful art. Of course in the bible women aren’t allowed to talk in church and humans aren’t allowed to eat seafood… So it’s funny why so many people pick and choose which rules they want to follow and which rules they want to condemn. (Personally I think the bible is a metaphor, and so do most people I’ve met)
I guarantee you only condemn the sins that you haven’t committed yourself.
You do realize that most of our Christian holidays are based on the Pagan religion before it? Christmas, the birth of Christ, is in December because of a Pagan holiday, and Jesus was really born in the late spring or early summer according to most biblical scholars.
I also feel that people who have faith have it in their own personal way. If you feel that way, that’s great. I respect your decision. But your casting stones, and even the Lord says the only one that should do that is the one without sin.
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Christmas was once a pagan ritual as well. In fact, many “Christian” rituals come from paganism.
Aw, that’s cute. You think you’re relevant 😀
Oh my goodness. You are serious aren’t you? Awww, honey…You are right, there is no comparison between the two. I gave birth to a nearly 10 lb baby, naturally, and then chilled like a boss while I got his name tattooed on my body. Once you give birth, it makes you a super woman capable of anything. And my temple is decorated and beautiful. I will never regret the names of my children on my skin.
You seem to have forgotten that a majority of the world is not part of your religion
You seem to have forgotten that the majority of the world is not part of your religion.
Guess what else is an ancient pagan ritual? Christmas.
Lolol! So because your imaginary friend told you not to tattoo yourself I’m supposed to be upset about it?? I don’t care what delusions you have and what myths you believe in. If Zeus, Horas or a rock you worship tells you not to tattoo yourself than don’t. I’ll be fine not worrying about what your Sky Daddy wants… you do realize that saying that is the equivalent of telling me that Santa doesn’t want me to be naughty, right?
Go home…
And you forgot that not everybody believes in your god or in any god at all. I’m not dishonoring a “holy spirit” that I do not believe in. I guess my tattoos and I are going to a hell that I also don’t believe in.
Ever had a hair cut?
If you’re going to go religious, at least use something other than tattooing being a pagan ritual because almost everything about Christianity is partially pagan. Christmas is a prime example, as well as Easter. Jesus was born in the Spring but his birthday was moved to December to coincide with the Winter Equinox and make it easier to convert people. Easter was a pagan holiday for fertility that was taken over by talking about death and rebirth (life cycle/multiple life theory of pagans). I would love to be a mother, but nature hasn’t decided to grant me that yet. In the meantime, I will take my happily tattooed self to work every day in the medical field and not worry about what people think. They don’t affect my job, and mean a lot to me (which is really all that matters).
You just gave me the exact reason I needed to get a tattoo. For a while I was wondering “should I or shouldn’t I?”
Thank you Michael Cava!
You also convinced me to get a vasectomy and make sure my girlfriend never has a baby. (She has a tattoo, by the way.)
So basically you’re telling me that the majority of Christains I know [pastors and priests as well] are going to burn just because they got some ink? Even if it is a tribute to Christ, Mary, or their own feelings on God? Open up your eyes, friend. No one should be this blind. God loves all who accept him into their hearts. That’s what matters. Not an image someone decided was important enough to them to paint it on their temple walls. I’m thinking heaven is chock full of people with some beautiful work.
If we follow that line of thinking, we also probably shouldn’t braid our hair either then since that was a pagan ritual too and the Bible talks against it…. (This is coming from a Jesus lover, who has no tattoos, but doesn’t have a problem with them, btw).
i’m pagan but i dont have a tattoo… I’VE BEEN DOING IT ALL WRONG!!!
Uh, not ALL PEOPLE ARE CHRISTIANS!!! Not all people believe in your god. It’s okay for you to have your beliefs but it is not okay for you to smash your beliefs on others.
Gods be damned! My neo-pagan tats are meaningless now!
Head covering Christian mama here…Oh, and tattooed too. I have a cross and the names of my miscarried children on my shoulder blade. I did not get to carry them, and so I carry their names, at the foot of the cross, in recognition of Christ’s all sufficiency even in my grief. This does not dishonor the Holy Spirit. If it is a sin (which you cannot prove to me from scripture) it is more than sufficiently covered by grace. Yes, motherhood is a wonderful, and yet at times brutal, profession! 🙂
Dear all who find the religious side of these arguments offensive.
I would just like to share with that having a faith is different to religion, and all you need is to have faith in God. That is all. Whether or not you have tattoo’s, God see’s a child of his coming back to him. The Bible also teaches us not to point out a splinter in one’s eye whilst you have a plank in your own eye, so please, let’s just be concerned about our own sins (not that i believe tattoos are one) and not judge others just because they sin differently to us.
A Christian who’s considering getting a band of beach huts tattooed around her ankle.
I am by choice a Tattoo-less mother who had to share this with her anti baby, tattoo wearing daughter because in spite of our differences we love and respect each other for the people we are. And in addition to sharing DNA, we share a sense of humor!
that is wonderful. I feel the same way about my wonderful mom who I called this morning and she was happy the post was “doing very well!”
My mom got her second tattoo last year and has always advised me never to have babies, I’m sure she would love this!
and there was I thinking that Border Patrol were a bunch of thugs (just without nice artwork) and as far as being 45 goes……you can see freedom from there! (and the ink won’t matter one way or another :)) Have a few beers while you’re getting it done and *£$”% the lot of them and don’t try to join border patrol (they’re a band right? lol)
I LOVED this!!!
So much!
And I also love the comment about getting a baby tattoo.
I also enjoyed that comment 🙂
Anyone believing that a tattoo makes them more attractive is close to insane, There are hundreds of good reasons not to get a tattoo, but I don’t know of one sane reason TOO get a tattoo. Tell me one time it will give you an advantage?
Nobody gets a tattoo to have an ‘advantage’, they get them because it’s an expression of self. Do you make all of your life choices based on what other might find attractive? Because I actually prefer to think for myself……
Because not everyone shares the same views, interests, and beliefs as you. It gives ME plenty of advantages to have tattoos on MY body. We don’t get tattoos because of what you may or may not think of them. I don’t think of getting any one else’s approval before I lay back in that chair and get a beautiful piece of art on my skin. I can give hundreds of reasons why I decided to get tattoos. But I cannot speak for the next person. We are all different. Everyone has their reasons for the things they do in life. They don’t have to make sense to you in order to be considered ‘sane’.
people with tattoos are more fun to see naked
I get them because this is my house and I can paint the walls any color I like, and as a survivor of emotional, physical and sexual abuse, that reminder helps me heal.
Advantage enough for ya?
Because it covers a rather nasty looking burn scar, and “nice tattoo” is much simpler and more pleasant to deal with than “what is that and what happened!?!?”.
And the tattoo IS much more attractive than the start was.
Luckily, I never never considered your opinion, or anyone else’s, before getting my tattoos. And no sane reason to get a tattoo? If it makes me happy to have them, why does it matter?
Also, I have Type One Diabetes. I got the medical symbol and Type One Diabetes tattooed on my wrist. This is potentially life saving. If someone ever sees me having a seizure, they will know why, call an ambulance, and I will receive the proper treatment even if I’m still unconscious. Is life saving not an advantage on your list?
My other tattoo is for the fun of it. I like it. I don’t go around insulting you for not having tattoos. I’ve never pressured anyone to get a tattoo, so why do you get to criticize me for deciding to get them?
I have my pacemaker medical symbol tattoos on my wrist!!
Tell me, do you disagree with people wearing makeup, choosing clothing for appearances rather than only utility or getting haircuts?
I got tattoos because I wanted them. Not to be more attractive to anyone or because I thought I would have some kind of advantage (seriously, WHAT?). Not everything a person does had to be about what they get from it or how others see them. Sometimes we do things because we like them. I wear my hair the way I like it, I color it a color I like and I wear clothes that I like. I don’t give a sh*t what anyone else thinks about my choices.
I just had a conversation with several people at my school about girls with tattoo’s being attractive or unattractive. All the men said that they are more attracted to girls with tattoo’s (not saying that un-inked girls are not attractive). I think men with tattoo’s are more attractive also. That is our personal opinion though. Some people find tatoo’s a turn off, and that is fine. I have three tattoo’s, but I did not get them because I wanted men to think that I am more attractive. My first tattoo that I got on my foot is an infinite symbol with faith written in it. It has the bible verse Hebrews 11:1 and some birds. I got that because I made a promise to God that I will walk in faith infinitely. That tattoo is my reminder. My second tattoo is the word fighter by my collar bone. I got that when I was at a transitional moment in my life. I was nervous about the career that I was pursuing, and God kept on telling me You can do all things through Me strengthening you. I am God’s fighter, and that tattoo is symbol to remind me to keep fighting. My third tattoo has two korean symbols that mean strength and perseverance. Below that is October 20, 2013, which is the day I got my black belt. Below that is songahm taekwondo, which is the form of martial arts that I got my black belt in. It took me 11 years of martial arts training to get my black belt, so I had to be strong and persevere. That tattoo is a reminder that I did accomplish getting my black belt, and that I do have strength from God. If God was not giving me strength in order to persevere and fight, I would not be where I am right now. All three of my tattoo’s remind me that. I think that alone is advantage enough. They have opened a door in my heart to remember that God will help me get through hard times, and that he has helped me through hard times in the past!
Ugh, you sound like a sheep. So you only do things to get an advantage? Good to know that you are too afraid to do anything for your own pleasure. What a sad life.
Thank God you will never get one. You’d most certainly be one of the people with “no ragrets”. “Too” in all caps, utilized wrong, for that matter. What are you? 5? Don’t be so quick to judge simply because you can’t see beauty in things that you aren’t partial to.
Scientists insist that humans learn at around 3 years old that other people like different things than they do. I’m not sure these scientists have ever been on the internet.
To*
That hurt more than my tattoo.
My eyes!!
Anyone who believes having a baby is a good idea is close to insane, there are hundreds of good reasons not to have babies but I don’t know of one good reason to have a baby. Tell me one time it will give you an advantage?
It will give me an advantage in that I won’t have to put any effort or energy into keeping idiots like you from trying to hit on me.
I find men with tattoos far more attractive then men without them. Art is beautiful and provokes emotion. Tattoo might not be an art that you enjoy but millions of us do. That is our reason. Beauty and emotion.
How about this for a reason, o’keefe? BECAUSE THE WANTED TO. Not to mention it was their decision, NOT yours, BUCKO!
I may well print this out for my own mother.
I’ve regretted my decision to have a child *way* more than my tattoo, which is not at all.
I’m 28. I have no kids, but I do have one tattoo I got at 18 and this list sounded so much like my mother!
Quite frankly, I’d rather have the tattoo than the kid. If people think I’m ridiculous or judge me for decorating my own beautiful body and/or not attempting to parent a small version of myself, they’re more than welcome to do so. It’s no skin off my back.
Thus far, with 10 years between me and my decision I do not regret it. Time will tell, of course. I’ll be sure to find this comment again in 20 years and let you know how I feel then.
Reblogged this on Fitness After Forty and commented:
This is why I am getting tattoos instead of having babies.
I’m 39, active Mormon, Mom of 3 and just got one on my back (the tattoo, not a kid). I can cover it up with clothes. Boom. Done. I’m an artist (high school art teacher when I want to make a little bit of money), so I see tattoos as artistic expression. Yet, I do warn teenagers that a tattoo they may want then may not be something they’ll like later. If I got a tattoo at 18, it wouldn’t have been something I would like now – especially aesthetically. So that part I caution against. As for having babies, I am still upset about the stretch marks on my butt and thighs (no one told me I could get them there!) a la first baby. And they showed up there before my belly? wth? It would be one thing is ALL women got stretch marks, but they don’t. Not cool, man. Not cool.
Reblogged this on Come Take A Walk With Me. and commented:
Accurate.
You are an elegant and funny writer. I, too, am probably much older than your target audience. But do consider what your mother says; I have a very young, hip niece who was entranced by tattoos at a young age (some of hers are more artistic than others) who now wishes to have fewer of them — and is finding it extremely expensive. I (try to) get the artistic appeal of tattoos — and some are quite beautiful, at least while new and on unwrinkled skin. But your skin is designed/evolved as the last best defense against germs and other harmful attackers; I can’t fathom purposely putting thousands of holes into it. It is worth serious consideration. (And so, as you so clearly point out, is parenthood. But my children have brought me great joy as well as challenges and expenses. I’m not so sure the joy of a tattoo, however artful, is as lasting. I could be wrong….)
CAN I GET AN AMEN. This was the best post I’ve ever read on both of these subjects, and as a woman whose mother severely objects to my only (for now) tattoo, I got a very big kick out of this. Thank god she doesn’t really care if I have babies or not.
I think this is proper stupid, they say tattoos are very unprofessional, whats unprofessional is turning away an aspiring potential employee just because of the way he or she chooses to be or chooses to express themselves, especially if they have the valid experience nor qualifications, your body is your temple yes correct, but then why not decorate the halls? I’m getting inked very soon, and I have it all designed out, it all has meaning, and it is what I truly want, and nobody on this planet has any right to judge the way I choose that I choose to be, so yeah, we can’t turn away people for their religious beliefs *which is a choice no matter what anybody says* so why turn away anybody because of their tattoo’s or body modifications? Some of the loveliest kindest and most caring intelligent people I have met have ink and body mods, but the modt judging are a majority of the time those that go to church every Sunday, rant over.
I started my sleeve when I was 39 years old. It will be done just after my 40th birthday. It is a representation of my motherhood and my children, an Art Nouveau lady with roses, peonies, etc. I am starting my right arm in the fall, dedicated to my marriage and the outdoors,but have a flock of birds on the inside of my forearm curving around my wrist.
The reason I waited for so long was :
1: I wanted to give myself time to accumulate wonderful life experiences to ink on my body
2: society’s potential judgements had held me back to a certain extent.
I will continue to tattoo myself as I move through my life because I love my life! I want to show how beautiful it is and how grateful I am, on my body, in an artistic way. I have been with my husband for 13 years and he says that I have never looked more beautiful to him.
Comparing a tattoo to a baby is pretty silly. Having a baby is one of the best things that can ever happen in a persons life.
If I were to have a baby right now, I’d be the most miserable person on the planet. New ink, on the other hand – o joy of joys!
Also, I think having babies is silly, which is why I’ve been saying ‘I will not breed’ since I was 12. I’m 24 now. Still haven’t changed my mind about the babies, but I’m totally loving all six of my tattoos.
To some people.. not all.
“Having a baby is one of the best things that can ever happen in a persons life.”
Yep…Spoken like a person who doesn’t have to shoot one out of his body. I love how men think babies are so awesome. Bet you wouldn’t think they were so great if you had to have them!
(For the record, I have tattoos and cats, but no babies so far as I am aware. And I regret none of those choices.)
My tattoos don’t piss on the floor because they figured out how to get their diaper off.
I really wish I could like this comment! Well said!
I love how most of the “having a baby is the best decision ever” comments are from dudes. While I hope to be a mother one day I also worry about it because I want to have the money, time, and energy to be a good mom while not sacrificing my career. Iwork in a “white collar” job with the public and several of my colleagues have visible tattoos and it’s not an issue.
I am also terrified of what will happen to my body. It’s frickin’ scary! While I also don’t have a tattoo I consider a tattoo much less life and body altering than a child. I can also take that trip to Europe I want regardless of when I got the tattoo but if I’m pregnant I can’t fly after a certain amount of time and then I have a screaming baby/toddler rather than a silent piece of ink. Honestly, I love this article and it makes a valid point about the similarities between the arguments against one decision and the realities of another.
In your opinion. Personally, having a baby would be the worst thing that had ever happened to me because I don’t want kids and having one would throw a huge wrench in my life. I can get a tattoo and not have to change one thing about how I live.
Not to many…do you even realize how many people regret having children? Having children makes you more depressed and more stressed in life, not happier and less stressed.
For some people- not all though. Not everyone wishes to reproduce. If I accidentally get pregnant with a long-term partner, great. I accept the love and responsibility I must put towards it. But other than that, I have no intentions of having a child anytime soon.
Times are changing and so are gender binaries. Sorry.
It can also be one of the biggest regrets. Babies, cute as they are, are not all sunshine, joy and rainbows.
They’re expensive, a very long term obligation, a huge risk and liability and can negatively affect one’s health, marriage, friendships, career or education goals.
Kids are not for everyone.
Getting a tattoo can be very meaningful, too.
Maybe for you. I am 35 and have never felt the urge to have one. I like my life the way it is. I don’t want to have to give up things for a baby. I like my sleep, my free time, my music and my disposable income.
Well said! Love my freedom!
It’s done as a joke.
You also can’t make the assumption that having a baby is the best thing for EVERYONE.
I’m a mom, my daughter was the BEST thing to ever happen to me, but I’m also not just defined as being a mother. I also understand that there are a lot of people out there that should never ever have children. Children would be the worst thing possible for them. It would be bad for the baby too.
You have a very narrow view of the world. You my love having a child, but many don’t want children…and that’s OK. You’re also being pretty insensitive to the people in the world who cannot have children.
tattoos are beautiful, and the art is sometimes very important to the person. i have three tattoos and i am 18, one is the irish triquetra, symbolizing past present and future which i got when i first moved away from home. the second is the initials of all four of my younger siblings, who may as well be children to me, and the third is a peace sign on my inside right hand wrist to remind myself that every day i have the choice to create peace with my own two hands instead of anger and resentment. they are all small and all very important to my personality. i love my ink!!!
lihannan, your tattoos sound beautiful. I love the idea of reminding yourself about choosing peace every day and also the reminders of your siblings and significant life event.
Reblogged this on nerdyantisocialite and commented:
Preach it sister
[…] Why You Should Never, Ever, Ever Get A Tattoo (but Having a Baby is Fine). […]
Reblogged this on Activism and Agitation.
1. so is bad choice you make in your life that you regret every day but its just not visible to other people.
2. If people are going to judge me on my tattoo’s then that’s there problem not mine.
3. If some doesn’t want to employ me because I have visible tattoo’s (which I do and a lot of them) then I know its not the job for me.
4. It will only ruin your body if you either get it done by some one who doesn’t particularly know what they are doing with a tatty gun, if you don’t give it good after care, the positioning on the body and how much light gets to it on a daily basis etc.
5. yes it may be expensive but there is usually a reason it comes with a higher price tag as good quality usually isn’t very cheap.
6. If you do your research on the place you decide to get tattoo’d then you should probably know any way. Of course it hurts but at least that makes it feel like you have earn’t it.
7. Well probably not but some of my spur of the moment one’s which I got 10 years ago are still my favourite ones’s even though they don’t have the detail of some of the others.
8. We’ll find out in 15 years won’t we. I don’t think I’ll know til then.
9. If you do want one because every one else has one then do not get one. It is a form self expression and how you want to show your self to every one.
10. Yet again I reinstate a previous point, if you get tattoo’s for any one else but your self, want to get them to look cool or care what people might think about them in the first place then don’t get them.
Reblogged this on The Beard Fairmans and commented:
HA! Yes. This.
This just makes me happy. I have two tattoos, and two children. I haven’t regretted any of the four of them. Ever. All four came into my life in my late thirties and early forties. I will not be having any more children, but I think that a new tattoo for my fiftieth birthday might be a good idea.
[…] An awesome piece on why you really shouldn’t get a tattoo, but having kids is fine here. […]
It’s all a matter of personal choices. I have 4 well-planned-out tattoos and a 2 year old who was even more planned, and I don’t have regrets about any of them… in fact, I’m planning for more of both 🙂
I think it’s funny that most of the comments about how birthing babies is wonderful and tattoos suck, are coming from men. I see plenty of tattooed women who did both. Why does it have to be a choice?
by reading this article can add insight for me...!!!!
thank you for the information………….
Loved it! Such a clever and light-hearted comparison.
I’m sorry, but we all have a very personal opinion. The way I see it, it’s not that you are unique, or set apart, actually, now days, since “ink” is so prevalent, you are just one if the bunch. Tattooing comes from primitive tribal people. So I’m not sure that’s evolving in our culture but embracing old ancient tribal rituals.
I personally think no matter how “artistic” it is it cheapens you. Art is not necessarily to be permanent ink on a human b
How does it “cheapen you”. I don’t know about you but I don’t put my worth on my outward appearance. I work with children, volunteer on a regular basis and help out people whenever I can. You are saying that my value as a person goes down because I chose to get tattoos? Seriously. That is ridiculous, My actions are what make me worth while not my skin.
I’m interested in how old you are. I don’t know any adults that think people get tattoos to be unique or set apart…. is that what you think people do? They sit around saying ‘I wish I was more unique! How in the world can I set myself apart from everyone else?? Hmmm….I know! A tattoo! Nobody has one of those!’? Grow up honeybunch. Lots of things we do these days comes from primitive tribal people so not sure what your point is. I’m also not sure if you are trying to say that we are supposed to care if we are embracing ancient tribal rituals when we get a tattoo – who cares? Is that what keeps you up at night in other facets of your life? Whether or not that particular activity started with tribes?
And luckily, I and probably no one else here cares about your opinion of our artwork. I may think that the clothing you wear cheapens you. I might find your hair to look cheap. Perhaps you wear pink nail polish and I might find that to look cheap. So what? Are you going to stop because of me? Does it even matter in your life?
complete and utter bullshit
Because you don’t understand the joke, hate babies, hate tattoos, or some kind of combo?
My tattoo, “World Porridge Champion 10.10.10” I got it, I earned it and I’m proud of it!
That’s the point she’s making. Having kids will limit the jobs available to you as well.
I adore this. I’ve only had my tattoo for about 6 months, it’s fully healed, I’ve loved the subject matter since I was a child (and I’ve been planning my first tattoo for years) and unless I’m not wearing a shirt, you can’t see it. (It’s on my ribcage)
My mother has never once told me not to get tattoos, she’s had most of hers for more than half of her life and she loves them all.
As a mother of a “different” generation, may I say that I really didn’t want my thing 18 yo daughter to get a tattoo. I let her get a nose ring at 16 because I knew it would be temporary. You quit wearing the ring, it closes up.
My daughter has ALWAYS pushed my boundaries. So she got a tattoo and I did go f-ing BONKERS. As she knew I would. All I could think of was the perfect baby skin when she was born and was still (sort of ) and extension of me.
I finally had to realized that my daughter was an adult and I couldn’t control her life. And she was definitely NOT and extension of me.
I love my daughter and I have learned so many things from her. Like how to be an adult and how to accept things I may not like or understand. She helped me grow up.
I thank her.
Your comment made me smile. My mom is very against them as she is a very conservative christian but she loves me and never made a big deal about it. I asked her not to when I told her about them. My mom is proud of the person I am and the person that I am constantly striving to be. It warms my heart that I can be me and she just loves me and doesn’t judge me. 🙂
Two kids, two step kids – and got my first tattoo at 42 (now have 3). Want to know which has caused me less pain? My art is my own, a reflection of me- my kids started off being images of me too, but then their dad had to influence them, so now they are just their own people. And since I was already in my 40’s, the tattoo hasn’t changed since the body was already in menopause. Also my tattoo doesn’t want to crash on my couch, bring home boys, borrow money to pay the rent – and never have any of my tattoos said those words that made us shudder 7 years ago “Guess what? I’m pregnant”.
This is actually pretty funny because all the reasons you have given for not getting a tattoo are some of the reasons why I dont want a child. Lol
this is hysterical! live and let live…different strokes for different folks. it’s silly to even argue about tattoos or the comparison to having kids…the article was meant to be funny (and is!). everyone has choices in life…and there ARE good and bad consequences for all choices…some folks get a tattoo and regret it…some don’t. some folks have kids and regret it. some folks don’t have kids and then regret it. BREATHE. I find the debate almost as funny as the actual article.
Reblogged this on Sweetened-Condensed and commented:
Quite amusing. Good points!
[…] Why You Should Never, Ever, Ever Get A Tattoo (but Having a Baby is Fine). […]
Reblogged this on Pieces of Me.
I think it’s a personal choice. And people who judge people about their tatoos are shallow. I have both child and tatoo and I wouldn’t change my choice.
Not trying to sound like your Mom BUT…..What about the looks of the once amazing tattoo in 30+ years? I’ve seen many tattoos that look great now but I’ve never seen a wrinkled one and thought it looked good.
When people ask me how my tattoo’s are going to look when Im old and wrinkly, I tell them that I wont care because I am going to be Old And Wrinkly! All bodies deteriorate and get wrinkly I don’t think the body is going to look much worse with some ink.
I mean, does any body (tattooed or not) look completely amazing when you’re old and wrinkled?
No, it looks like an old wrinkled body.
Go into a nursing home and look at the elderly there and tell me if their skin looks great.
Might as well have a little art on your wrinkled old body, right? Another thing….no one gets tattoos for you. I got my tattoos for ME and me alone. I could honestly care less what judgmental people think about it (or any part of my life for that matter).
In 30+ years your skin is going to look wrinkled and saggy, too. So will mine. Mine will just be more colorful…. I mean, skin will age anyway. It isn’t like only tattooed people will wrinkle…
lol I looked great while I was pregnant and am left saggy, wrinkly and with colourful lines and patterns over my stomach that dont look after time 🙂 …Can still use that analogy to cover both kids and tattoos.
None of my body is going to look spectacular when wrinkles and old age sets in, my entire body tells my story of a life lived whole heartedly.
I’m not one to preserve something for prosperity. I look after it enough for it to last me as long as I need it and get full use out of it, body included.
I have a tattoo. My mom knew about it. My dad still doesn’t. It is on my hip and I have an amazing story that led me to getting it. I love it, and I love the story behind it. Someday…perhaps I’ll blog about it…maybe when my dad is ready and able to deal with it 🙂
Reblogged this on NH Wedding Photographer .
Reblogged this on Anniebadass and commented:
Love it!
狂
瀉
Crazy Diarrhea
Just in case anyone was wondering. Cracked me up when I finally found the translation.
i have 13 tatts and an awesome job, keep crusading folks , not gonna change my mind , your reasons are null and void
This is–by far–the best thing I’ve read all week. Hilarious. I (0 tattoos and 2 kids) am going to share it with my mom (3 tattoos and 6 kids). She’ll love it too.
I find the people who spew religion-based hatred to be offensive, and frankly, stupid. I will try to keep my response to any “God hates tattoos” religious bigotry short and concise:
If you choose to live by the rules in your holy book, I do not mind. If you choose to impose your religion’s views on other people, I do mind. Religion is somewhat like a penis; it’s okay to have one, but you shouldn’t whip it out and wave it around.
I thought This was really funny/true. This is coming from someone who is heavily tattooed & a Mom…And who has a mom who has said all those things to me before.
People, Stop taking everything so seriously & learn to laugh a little.
People, lighten up! The compulsion to warn strangers against tattoos is hilarious! It’s body art. It’s not, say, heroin. It’s not even as dangerous or costly as, say, regular consumption of red wine. It’s a personal choice.
Hilarious that your mom’s anti-tattoo arguments are more applicable to parenting. Great article. Thanks for a smile.
Special thanks to the baby tattoo commenter! Ha.
all the pro-baby anti-tat commenters on this post seem to be men. interesting.
I personally never liked the tattoos that people displayed back in a day, but nowadays I see wonderful works of art and have complimented on more than one occasion how beautiful the choice made with a mature response from the ‘canvas’. Heck, when did you go to the art gallery and talk to the canvas and get a response?
How about…because you can’t give blood for a year afterward due to THREAT OF HEPATITIS (liver disease is no joke)!
I already can’t give blood anyway thanks to the mad cow disease scare and having been to Europe too much thanks to family there, so… that’s a moot point?
I gave blood less than a year after each of my tattoos. The blood center just asked where I had them done and when I named a reputable place they were good with it.
According to the American Red Cross… You can’t give blood for a year after getting a tattoo IF its done in an unregulated state. The same consideration (waiting 12 months if there is any doubt about the sterility of the tools and establishment) is recommended after getting your ears pierced too.
Also can’t give blood for 12 months to up to 3 YEARS after traveling to many countries.
Would you care to warn people of the dangers of world travel and common ear piercings as well?
I have a tattoo that’s says “ignore fucktards that post comments on blog sites.”
Loved this. Tattooed and babied and loving both. X
I am glad it was enjoyed. enjoy both your babies and your tattoos 🙂
Ditto.
Would you want to live in a house with no furnishings? I wouldn’t think so. So if my body is a temple then I shall decorate it. But then again I’m a 25 year old pagan witch with no kids that owns my own house and car as I work a full time job and put my self threw school as I plan my wedding. So who am I to think expressing myself and the love of myself and family is a beautiful wonderful thing for all to see? Who would think getting tattoos would hinder me so much?
I’m your mums BFF as you know and 2 years ago I got four tats and I love em and I want more I am only sorry I waited so long. It’s art as long as you get a good tattooist both my kids have several and even my grand daughter who is 17 has a little one on her finger and she hopes to join the police force the stigma of tats is definitely lessening.
I say if it’s what you want and it’s not hurting anyone else go for it
Reblogged this on rosesontheotherside.
I get your points and find your writing to be very funny! Thanks for sharing your creativity!
I am amazed at the comments taking it all so seriously. I need a good laugh most days.
Thanks. It was intended for a laugh 🙂
Reblogged this on Neighborhoods and Nations.
I loved this!
I’ve been reading the comments, some are really funny and some are just rude.
As a heavily modified person myself, with tattoos and piercings. I work for an extremely large reputable company. I don’t have to cover up, take out my piercings or even have standard coloured hair. I’m not discriminated because of the choices I’ve made and what anyone else says or thinks about my choices is no skin off my back.
I’ve seen some comments about kids being the best thing in your life… It may be for you, but to some people it’s the worst thing. Judging others on their own choice to procreate or modify their bodies is silly. There is a reason we are all different.
Embrace yourself, don’t let anyone bring you down or feel bad about your choices.
I love you!
I have tattoos and children, and I totally agree with this comment. Neither are for everyone. And both happen to the wrong people, and give the whole thing a bad name. . .
Well said!
2 comments:
To: theuglyvolvo: I do have 3 children and 2 step children and no tattoos. I have to say that I laughed the whole time I read your article.
To: styleunboxed: I think you said some very significant things.
I think it is very important not to prejudge, others. Looking at the inside of a person or persons and getting to know and understand them is the key. Thanks for taking the time to explain more about tattoos. I knew they were more popular, than before, but not much more than that.
I kind of think people THINK tattoos are more popular simply due to all the methods you get to see them around nowadays than say, our parent’s time… or even 10 years ago without facebook/instagram. This could also be argued about there having more gay people now than ever – it’s simply you now KNOW more of them.
I had a really good laugh reading this – and shared 🙂
Oh, good! I am truly glad you enjoyed my post. Point taken about the technology being much more available and all so that we are more aware of things. People are speaking up and out more as they should, too. Definitely there are many more gays around the world than even reported due to discrimination – for sure. I do actively try to meet and find out about different types of people and topics of importance. I took classes in Costa Rica for 5 weeks for example. When an opportunity to take classes at a college which was 90% African and the remaining 10% had many Middle Eastern students, I jumped at the chance to learn more. The school had classes I needed, but if I really didn’t want to go there I could have studied at a nearby university with an opposite make up of students. Right now, I am living in the south – on purpose – to learn about different kinds of people in the US. The point being that I was shy before and so probably sounded like a conservative, old lady who lives in a box (ie thinks about and stays only within her own experiences and values). I’m not that type of person. I just had to stand up for myself. I do not mean to offend or get all self-righteous. Also, sorry, but it hadn’t occurred to me to find out about people who love tattoos.
Anyway, investigating about the topic, it seems that a 2006 study shows that while
10% of people 41-64 have or had tattooos then,
40% of people 26-40 have or have had tattoos then and
36% of people 18-25 have or have had tattoos then – if the survey or study is accurate.
Another survey seemed to have lower results for the amount of difference, so I am not sure the reality. One report also said that people in the mid-western states were less likely to have them then some other areas of the country. It also said that while 54% of Gen Nexters have gotten a tatto, dyed their hair an untraditional color or had a body piercing in a place other than their ear lobe only 21% over 40 have.
As I am 61, grew up in the Midwest and didn’t have the technological advantage of knowing these things, growing up. My parents and grandparents were a great deal older than I. My grandmother, for example, was born in 1896 and lived to 94 years old. My great grandmother lived to 101 years old, so I also had the information or lack of it from their generations. I think that is still not a good reason not to know. I will try harder to find out about tattooing and why it is important to so many. Thank you so much for pointing this out to me. I sincerely appreciate it. Take care 🙂
I have a few words to those of you who dislike tattoos for whatever reason – to those who think it limits ability to find a job, or that they’re ugly, or unattractive, or that they blah, blah, blah, blah…
If you don’t like tattoos, don’t get one.
But some of us DO like them, and some of us see them as body art. Some of us see our body as a canvas, and some of us love to express ourselves in this way. And, you know what? That is absolutely fine, because we are all different people, with different tastes.
My tattoos are meaningful to me. One is a wedding ring – two of them are of birds of prey – I used to do volunteer work with a raptor rehab place, which I loved, and I hope to do it again someday, because that is my love and my passion. I’ll never just lose interest in that. Also, my husband is a wonderful man, and I’m very lucky to have him in my life. He’ll stay in my life so again… another meaningful tattoo.
There are lots of jobs that don’t mind tattoos nowadays, because tattoos are fairly mainstream now. It’s not just thugs that have them – look around you – all kinds of people have them. My job doesn’t mind my tattoos – they don’t mind the fact that I have funky colors in my hair, either – because they know that I do a good job, and that’s what matters to them. As long as you’re not showing something lewd in plain daylight, I don’t see what the problem is.
And for those jobs which are picky about tattoos – there are tattoo concealers apparently, though I’ve never tried one before. There are also long-sleeved shirts and pants. Not everyone’s tattoos are obvious and in plain view of everyone. Also, in regards to people not liking a tattoo they got in the past, sometimes you can get those covered up with another, more meaningful tattoo, rather than getting it covered up. There are solutions.
Even then, why does that matter to you what the next person does? If you don’t like tattoos, then don’t get one – it’s as simple as that. Don’t judge and try to govern the lives of the people around you. It doesn’t matter to them whether you think their decision was bad or not – it’s their life, and it’s their business – not yours.
*rather than getting it removed, I mean.
wow, i think so many people that have posted here missed the point COMPLETELY. LOL. too funny to read posts from people that READ and understand the meaning. It’s pretty simple. Urging someone to not get tatted is outdate and doesn’t make sense when all of the arguements can be applied to having children also. I have tats and kids, and I have heard these to describe deter me from BOTH choices. My first tat was at 18, my last one was at 29. NOT ONE OF THEM, is a fave band, animal, saying, exes name. All can be concealed, my KID though, cannot. And I get judged more because of parenting, good or bad, than my tats, which get little to no commentary, other than, nice ink. Open your minds folks, from both sides.
Exactly!
Reblogged this on cloudberrytattoo and commented:
This has nothing to do with poetry – but oh my god, so funny. And so true. I have both tattoos and children, and, well…
Yes, exactly. I too have both children and tattoos. Found this refreshing and oh so true 😉 My children have said so many more inappropriate things than any tattoo I have ever seen could possibly say. Great post!
Never met a tattoo I liked. Seriously, I hate tattoos. It also seems that most people I know who have one regret it. Whatever it was, for some reason, it doesn’t represent them anymore.
It’s like wearing the same shoes, shirts, and jeans you were wearing 15 years ago. Things go out of style and just become dated.
Different strokes for different folks.
I am sure I do not want to look at the same work of art every day forever. Maybe they will make a digital tattoo someday that is changeable…
In regards to things going out of style, you’re definitely not wrong. I was the same (not a dislike for tattoos, just didn’t want one) however my friends explained it to me like this: as long as it’s tastefully done, and nothing that’s a “trend” (yolo, grumpy cat, etc) it doesn’t matter if it “goes out of style” because in the end, it’s a reflection of who you were at the time you got it. It was explained that it’s like wearing the story of your life, and who you were at different times. That being said, trends can be a part of your life and if you’re willing to have it in 20 years, I say go for it. In he end, just because it doesn’t represent them anymore (which is what I was afraid of) doesn’t mean it never did, and that’s not something you should be ashamed of. Not trying to tell you you’re wrong or saying you have to agree, just giving you another perspective 🙂
I am still wearing the same clothes as I was 20 years ago, those that still fit me at least!
Well… that’s where touch up and cover up comes to play…..
oh and those who usually end up regretting their tats. most likely didnt think it through when they first got it… Like it or not, there’s a chance that the “Most People” you know… were just getting one to get one… (which in my opinion is stupid) I will never get a tattoo without a meaning behind it.
Well we may not know each other but consider this meeting a person who absolutely does not regret my tattoo, 6 years and counting. I’m not at all the “same” person I was 6 years ago; I’ve grown up as one tends to do in their late 20s, I’ve changed jobs and expanded career goals, I even live 1700 miles from the city I lived in where my tattoo was done, and I’ve started and ended a long-term relationship. While I was at it – all my friends did the same, even marrying and having children, so now our relationships are different as well.
The one thing that holds true through all those changes? How much I value my tattoo. It’s no less important to me than the day I decided to put it on my body, it will always mean what it means but it transcends just one moment or signifier in my life, it’s a part of who I am and that I would never want to change. Some things are steadfast no matter how much time may pass or how many changes one goes through. Oddly enough – I still wear the same “type” of clothes I wore 15 years ago… Jeans and t-shirts never go out of style. I’ve added styles to my clothing for professional purposes but I never stopped wearing the types I love most, even if it’s just weekends and after work.
“Never met a kid I liked. Seriously, I hate kids.”
I could almost say that… if I was close minded. Truth be told, the same rule applies to kids and tattoos : Get one too young or without thinking about it and you will probably end up regretting it. I started getting tattoos at 27 and I had though of it a lot time before I got my first. Today, I have over 3000$ worth of tattoos and I couldn’t be happier about them. I would never get a kid. I’m a single kid and my mom is very sad about it, but I wouldn’t get a kid to please someone. (as a note, I am a woman) I love sports and traveling. To have a kid, I would need to cut big parts of who I am to make room for something I do not like. Sorry, mom, but you will never be a grand-mother.
Probably the best thing I’ve ever read on the internet; and I’m a big, creepy, tattooed biker. For real.
Oh man, my whole goal for this mom blog has been the self-identifying big creepy tattooed biker demographic. This is the best. 🙂
People sure like to shoot people down who have a different opinion. Wow. It’s a tattoo. If you want one, get it. If you think they are ugly, don’t. Its okay if you like tattoos, it’s your business. Its also okay if you find them unattractive… Then don’t get one, and maybe don’t marry someone that has one. Babies are great. And not easy. And giving birth hurts like a bugger. And kids can drive you foolish and make you want to pull your hair out of your head. Your body is different, you can’t sleep in anymore, you no longer can spend your money on you anymore, but they are worth it. Getting a tattoo is okay, I have one myself, but it can In no way compare to bringing a life into this world. The article was funny and I liked it, but some of the comments made me realize how selfish people are not wanting to have kids because they are such an inconvenience… Glad those people are sticking with their tattoos and not having babies!
its funny, because no one i know regrets their tattoos! probably because theyve continued to get them the older they’ve gotten. sometimes i look at other peoples clothes, and im like meh why would you wear that?! and then i think wait a second, its nothing to do with me. as for the ‘out of style’ thing, i find that once you have a tattoo, you stop thinking of yourself as having a tattoo. for example, oh, thats my arm. ive had the same tattoos (omg!) for over ten years, and every day someone compliments me on how good they are. i dont notice them that much now because i dont wake up and see a tattoo on my arm, i wake up and see my arm, and use my arm, i dont get stuck thinking oh man! i totally forgot i had a tattoo! now my life is ruined. i have always been very careful about who i let tattoo me, and the tattoos i have don’t represent me, i just have some nice patterns on my arms. so you could say they represent me by saying that im not afraid to make long term choices, im conscientious about my body, and i like art. pretty sure none of that will change as i age.
Great points. I really enjoyed that, thanks. I have one tattoo and plan on another. I have two children . Children are a life sentence , tattoos are not. Children will bring you both joys and sorrows that a tattoo will not. I am currently 45 years old.
This was absolutely hilarious, thanks for sharing it! I’ve heard “you’ll regret those tattoos!” about as often as I’ve heard “you’ll change your mind one day about having kids!” Since that “advice” usually comes from strangers who don’t know a thing about me, it’s probably no surprise that I still love the tattoos, and I still don’t plan to have kids. 😀
http://bibleresources.org/tattoos/ and Leviticus 19:28
What does the bible’s opinion on the matter have to do with anything?
But do you follow every rule in Leviticus? Eat shellfish…Wear mixed clothes…?
19:27 says don’t cut the hair on the side of your head, have you ever done that? Why do people try and take half a verse of a law that is no longer binding (if you are a Christian) and hold it over everyone else in the world. One of my biggest frustrations is how “Religious” people will hold the standards they ascribe to over the heads of people who may or may not be of the same faith. You can not do that. You can’t bring down judgment on someone who hasn’t bought in to your system of beliefs…doing that is the same as placing yourself on the throne of God, no one can do that, because NO ONE has the authority to hold people to their sins except God.
Besides verse 28 was talking about marking your body as a memorial to the dead; the reason for this was that often times the dead were prayed to as if they had some post-life, immortal abilities that were bordering on divine. It was about making sure you know who your God is. In fact, a large portion of the OT Law was geared to knowing who your God is and not doing anything to compromise that. Getting a tattoo is not a sin unless it is something that hinders your faith; as is the truth about doing anything. Anything that hinders your faith is sinful. 1 Corinthians 10:23 and following talks about the freedom of the believer; that everything is permissible; but also to judge if this thing is beneficial. Don’t use OT Law as way to hammer someone down. This was a funny article; enjoy it and laugh a little.
And Islam says you should cover yourself from head to toe. So, why aren’t you doing that, random-Christian-scripture-sniper?
hahah loved it! made me laugh! some facts are completely true! Nice comparissons! Thanks x sharing and for everyone else, just try
to take it with mood!
The only difference between people who have tattoos and people who don’t, is that people who have tattoos don’t care if you have them. Fuck you ignorance.
Unfortunately now you’re demonstrating ignorance by generalizing….not all Non-tattoo people are the same. I have 2 kids, no tats, 1 piercing (in addition to ear piercings ) but I don’t care if a person has tattoos or not. (my BIL & SIL both do, my daycare provider has an awesome full back piece, & I have several close friends with tattoos) Will I ever get a tattoo? -at this point probably not but that’s MY choice.
Reblogged this on The Planned Nanny.
I like tattoos, and kids, generally speaking, although some are preferable to others 🙂
I’m sure tattoo removal can be more complicated than you made it sound. Some inks, particularly the red ones can irritate the immune system big time, making you itch terribly, because the ink chemicals haven’t been well regulated.
But you’re right about all these claimed tattoo downsides can pale compared to having children 🙂 and people will judge you about almost anything if they’re so inclined. Personally, I’d think twice about employing someone with facial tattoos, except maybe traditional ones like in NZ, but otherwise, who cares, if they can do the job and get on well with your customers.
Don’t have any tattoos because of cost, not having a particularly strong desire for a particular design (I ignore posters on my room’s walls, so I’d probably do the same for any tattoos I got), potential risk of getting hepatitis – at least from a dodgy operator or just bad luck, and likely pain. But I admire pictures of people with artistic or meaningful tattoos, just not the ones that look like the owner got someone to tattoo an image from his favourite childhood cartoon, or look like a graffiti scrawl used to mark a gang’s territory.
I have tattoos and kids and found this in good humour and I got a great chuckle having heard ALL of those myself about kids and tattoos!
Kids are the greatest thing in my life but yes often think another tattoo would have been easier sometimes!
And dont regret my tattoos one iota. They meant something to me then and so are a part of who I have become as much as my body tells the story of everything else I have been through. My tattoos are just like my stretchmarks, a badge of honor for a period of my life I was tested and came out the other side.
Only laser-sensitive ink can be dissolved by a laser. I have kids and boy, I understand your humorous piece…I laughed straight through…am going to be inked now, as I have always wanted. Thanks for your wonderful piece.
So good! Hahahaha. I have tattoos and each one of these made me laugh.
I have six I love them no one can see then they are for my eyes only, and believe me I am a big Christian so don’t give me the bible says not to.
if you’re a ” big Christian” you could probably get LOTS more of them! 😉
[…] I was drawn to this list because I am currently considering getting my first tattoo and because my ovaries are pulsing […]
This. Was. Amazing.
Thank you.
I have chosen the tattoo.
I’m deciding against babies.
I can only afford tuition for one tattoo. 🙂
LMFAOOOOOO @HEZETT
Geez, thank you for this! I will translate it and give it to my mom who wants me to have kids so badly but doesn’t quite brim over with enthusiasm for my tattoos.
My twin and I have matching tattoos on our shoulders- a symbol for twin. She has several others, I have only the one. I am a lawyer and am now a SAHM. I love my children far more than I love my tattoo, but I have never looked at my body art in the mirror and though, “What the hell have I done?” However, I have looked at my children on several occasions (the time my toddler daughter covered an entire television in a tube of Desitin comes to mind) and had that thought.
… i have tattoos, i am a female senior manager in a university (working in arts management). my tattoos are a normal part of my body, people have never reacted negatively to my tattoos, i don’t cover them up … lots of people compliment them. just saying.
Brilliant! and appreciated, as I have both the tattoos and the child… Love your writing.
Oh I think I lost you at birth. I ‘m a child free zone but also a tatt free zone due to having a husband your mum’s generation. You made me spit coffee on the keyboard; loved it.
I have tattoos and kids. I would never judge anyone on whatever they choose to do in life (walk a mile in my shoes..) but what I seem to be finding more and more all over the web, is not so much anti-tattoos as it is anti-kids. In my personal experience everyone’s got something to say about people who have children. So while I know that this is a tongue-in-cheek blog, as people hate being judged about getting tats or piercing, people also hate being judged for doing the most natural thing in the world and procreating (which as I’m sure you are aware, is what needed to happen for people to write blogs about how much having a child is a huge problem). I would never think to post constantly about how much people who didn’t want children irritated me (mainly because I couldn’t give to shade of s*#t what other people do), but I have tonnes of people in my news feed writing offensive posts about how much they hate people with kids, as if its some new an disgusting thing. My personal opinion is that everyone just needs to stop hating for whatever reason and let other people live there lives in whichever way they so choose. But it works both ways. Don’t want kids, fine, great, sweet! Want tattoos, fine, great, sweet! Just stop bitching!! That’s said, I have got a sense of humor and know that this blog was written in humor. Just sayin 🙂
That happens because these women are likely getting a huge amount of negative reaction from family and the general pubic about their decision not to have children. So they become angry and flock to the internet to vent. I don’t let any of it bother me, since ultimately it comes off as insecurity.
Reblogged this on Dann Russo's Blog and commented:
i have tattoos and kids – this is pretty accurate.
Reblogged this on O2B heavenly minded: One choice at a time and commented:
Oh boy. The tattoo issue. You HAVE to read this post! It made my day.
Great post. I have three kids (15, 14, 10) and three tattoos (all of which I’ve gotten since they were born). I’m going for a fourth. Ink, not kid. No regrets on any of my permanent marks. And when I’m 85, I’m pretty sure I’m not going to care that I have saggy boobs OR tattoos. Because I’ll be EIGHTY FIVE, happy to be alive and able to look back on all of the life I’ve lived. Regret is a waste of time. Keep up the great writing!
I, too, have kiddos & tattoos. I truly believe that when I’m 85, my skin will definitely be more interesting to look at than non-inked skin! lol maybe people will try to figure out what it used to be… 🙂
Lol I always say that if im lucky enough to live to be 85, Then chances are im not going to care that my tattoos dont look the same anymore ill just be happy to be breathing by that point
I actually had a tattoo as part of training myself up to have a baby! I was scared that having a baby would hurt, would change my body forever and would be a decision I couldn’t change so I had a tattoo first to see how I dealt with that. It went fine so I decided to have a baby (which was more painful;, more body and life changing).
I just have to say I loved the artical! I am a mom of 2 girls and my husband and I are both heavily tattooed I do mine for different reasons then most I do mine for a type of theropy here’s a link to a video that can enlighten some of you on why someone may feel the need to do this http://youtu.be/kA9dJhhPpSk
I hope this may change some minds on people with tattoos and if not to be honest no one really cares if someone else likes their body art we do it for ourselves and no one else 🙂 Again thank you for the great article
Can I just say that this made me laugh out loud. Loved it.
I hear you. But as you and baby progress, you will (hopefully) have incredible influences, for the rest of your lives, on baby. Baby and you will constantly change and adapt to your new lives each day. Baby might play soccer one day… (you get the jist) Tattoo – mot so much – it will remain quite static – revealing a mindset of a specific period in your life that – of course, you will ALWAYS maintain (LMAO – yeaaah)
So no one should ever keep mementos of important times in their lives, because they’ll change and become different than they were in that moment. Makes sense. Only not.
The majority of tattoos (those not chosen because ‘everyone else had one’ or ‘because it seemed like a good idea at the time’) are representative of an important moment/person/thing in a person’s life. Even if ten, fifteen, whatever years down the road they’re still not in that mindset, that memento still means something to them.
Ever watch that tattoo show where the people REGRET their tattoo? Because while it seemed a good idea at the time, it really wasn’t? Yeah, there’s that.
Ever read those articles about people who regret having kids? Yeah there’s those too.
This is why I don’t judge people for having kids, and people shouldn’t judge anyone else for what they put on (or in) their body.
I’ve seen thousands of tats, so I guess Mickey Mouse, Rambo, Freddie Krueger and My Little Pony are important persons in the lives of those wearing them????? And flowers and Chinese letters are important things???? Believe me, ten, fifteen, whatever years down the road when the “love of your life” runs off with a new love, that permanent memento of him/her won’t seem like such a good idea.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. May God Bless you. (I don’t know if you believe in God but either way, I hope he blesses you today.) Also, to quote an overrated movie from the 90’s I think “You complete me.” Now that I’ve creeped you out, I have to tell you a friend on Facebook shared this and I SO NEEDED THIS TODAY. Especially #2. It’s good to feel like someone else understands what it’s like. I have a 13 month old and my biggest regret at this exact moment is that I only found your blog today. I am an instant fan.
I also have a 13 month old so AAAGGGGHHHHH, and also they are so freaking adorable and also AARRRGGHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGG.
Mc Donald’s is an extremely large and reputable company. You don’t have to take out your piercings or cover your tattoos. You’re absolutely right. HAH!
Actually, I used to work in crappy retail as a young adult, and yes they used to make me take out my piercings and cover my tattoos because god forbid the customers be offended. Now I have a high paying respectful job as an assistant director of a teaching excellence program at a reputable graduate business school at a major university. My tattoos and piercings are out for all to see and I am praised for the quality of the work I do, not judged by people who think appearance says anything about what goes on inside a person.
So far I’ve read 10 lame reason to not get a tattoo…
All reason which would have been valid in the 90’s but have expired with our new generation. For example, a friend of mime works for APPLE with customers all the time and is blasted both arms, customers even start the conversations with him about them.. His brother works at the APPLE CORP in San Fransico and has two sleeves… I have a job and a daughter who loves my tats… Really question is WHY NOT!?
I guess you didn’t realize that the writing is satirical.