Ah kids, these days. Don’t you hate it when they want to get a tattoo? How best to discourage them? I have some thoughts and I shared them with Lisa on The Today show this morning…..take a look.
As I wrote in this post about tattoos recently:
Bikies are really going to have to find a new way to look tough. When mothers groups and school canteens are hotbeds of ink? When tattoo parlours practically require a crèche? Dude, your street cred is getting seriously compromised.
Indeedy, it seems we’re on the cusp of a fascinating generational shift. If tattoos have traditionally been about rebellion, how will the kids of all these tattooed mothers rebel?
Maybe by doing charity work or something.
The reverse psychology approach is one I’ve adopted with my own children for years. To them, tattoos are as unremarkable as pierced ears. So many of the women in their life have them. Aunties, godmothers, babysitters, family friends… if pressed, they would probably say that tattoos and boobs are usually found on the same people (not tattoos ON boobs, that’s a different thing altogether).
Do you have a tatt and did anyone ever try to talk you out of it? What would you say to a teenager who wants to get one?
 on http://www.mamamia.com.au){kind=link}
Comments
277 Comments so far
i love tattoos and so does my mum! she took me to get my first for my 17th birthday, and i’ve just had my 9th finished, 10 years later, and it wont be my last.
Mum was with me when i was getting a large piece around my wrist finished so i surprised her, and we got matching stars on out feet.
being a parent now, i would let my kids get tattooed when they are adults, as long as i knew they had thought out the design and it wasnt on their neck or hands. oh, and they would have to pay for it themselves, cause they aint cheap!
also, i’ve only ever been tattooed during possitive times and for happy reasons, so while they may age, they are my history, and its not like i’ll be flaunting them when im saggy, more likely they’ll be hiding under my ‘spanks’.
loading...
I’ve never understood the baggy skin excuse. All skin looks old when you’re old, whether you have a tattoo or not. I can’t see how the absence of a tattoo makes this any more palatable. I don’t think anyone is really ready to age. So get a tattoo to remember your youthful self. Saving your skin for the future is like hoarding easter eggs til the next easter. Enjoy your body while it still works and if you like adorn it, or not. But don’t worry about what it will look like in the future, because you’ll look different too.
loading...
My only issue with the skin becoming wrinkly is losing the orginial shape of the artwork.
Being a perfectionist I would want to get surgery to stretch my skin back to where it’s meant to be so my tatt still looked right.
loading...
I think “sleeve” tattoos and women with colourful ones are very sexy…. but its very sexy in 2010.
I used to think “armbands” were the height of cool… now just trashy.
loading...
Here’s a question for you. I am training to be a priest and am considering getting a small cross on my inside wrist. I’m 29. Would that appeal or turn you off?
When I say considering, I’ve been considering it for over a year and if I do decide (which will not be based on what strangers think, I’m just curious) it won’t be until I’m ordained in 3 or 4 years time (God willing).
loading...
I think it’s fantastic that you’re training to be a priest! If I saw a priest with a cross tattoo, it wouldn’t really change my opinion of them. Good luck with your training!
loading...
I know ministers with tatts. No dramas at all!
loading...
The main thing that strikes me about people who have gotten tattoos I know is that it’s not enough. This is just in my experience and general observation of people who have gotten them, but they’ll get one, on their 18th etc and be excited for that. But one is not enough. Eventually they get another, then maybe 3 or 4 and then they realise their body is becoming more and more inked and they don’t like it. I find it interesting, almost like piercings or even new clothes too…it keeps you happy for a while, but not forever. I could never get a tat, I’ve never seen one I liked, I think the body and skin looks gorgeous as it is and I could never find something that I’d never get sick of and love forever.
loading...
…that Bradley,eh,he sure knows how to stir the ladies…;)
loading...
I have a tattoo and now I wish I didn’t. I remember at the time (I was 24) thinking it through and being absolutely sure (so I thought) I also chose a place that I thought would always be firm and easily hidden (my front right hipbone) but I still regret it. It’s small, it’s cute and I still like what it represents but I really don’t want it there anymore.
No one tried to talk me out of it at the time – I had a girlfriend with me who was very encouraging but I remember when I confessed to my Dad he muttered something about ‘self mutilation’ so I’ve never shown it around him and I’m kind of hoping he’s forgotten about it.
One day I might have the courage and spare cash to get it removed. Mainly because I don’t want to set a bad example for my girls.
I like the way you’re thinking though Mia – I hadn’t thought of the reverse psychology strategy before but you’re right – despite the fact they’re young enough to want to be just like Mummy now… by the time they’re teens they’re likely to think I’m very uncool and not want to do anything like me (sad but at least it might save them from a tattoo!).
If any of them ever suggests they want one I will still vehemently discourage them, or any young person that might suggest they’re considering it.
I guess because of my own experience with my tattoo and feelings of regret – I get a bit concerned when I see the likes of Ruby Rose who is a huge role model to the younger generation- are the kids that look up to her going to be inspired to cover their bodies in tattoos? I think it’s one thing to have a small symbol that can be easily hidden but quite another to have large parts of your body covered. I think Ruby is gorgeous – don’t get me wrong – but I do think it’s a shame that her beautiful young skin is covered in tatts. Now I’m sounding old!!
loading...
I have a tattoo on my foot and on the back of my neck. I love the one on my neck, but hate the one on my foot and would really like to get rid of it. At 23, I think I’m done getting inked.
loading...
Hi
I’m not against tattoos at all,but i would never,ever get one myself,simply for the fact that i couldn’t choose something and be confident in wanting it to adorn my skin FOREVER.I’m a Henna artist though,and i really enjoy wearing everchanging designs on my hands,arms or legs.For those not familiar with henna,or if anyone is interested in having a peek (and if i’m allowed to post that?),here’s a link to my work:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36261878@N08/sets/72157614974475473/
Henna is a natural and safe way to adorn your skin with beautiful,temporary art.It doesn’t come in different colours though,and almost all the pictures on my flickr page are with the paste still on.After it’s been scratched off,the stain develops from a bright orange into a nice,dark red/brown/maroon over 48 h or so and then stays for about 1-3 weeks.
loading...
Hi Anoushka
Love the pics…do you do wedding henna?
My cousin is looking for a henna artist for her wedding.
loading...
I’m 25 & have 2 tattoos – my first is ‘love’ on my shoulder blade & my most recent is my deceased first love’s name on my foot so he’s always with me… i have at least 4 more that i’ll be getting over the years, but they all have imense personal meaning…
I also have strict rules when it comes to tattoos – i need to be able to cover them if required [i.e. for work], they need to look good after 50yrs, stretch marks, etc & most importantly, i will not have one done in a place that i would be uncomfortable with a completely stranger seeing or touching – the tattoo artist has to touch all around the tattoo placement so no boobs, thighs, etc for me…
loading...
I don’t have any tattoos and don’t really like them but I think some of the comments on here are just vile. I run a business and I would never not employ someone because they have a tattoo. I think people should be allowed to do whatever they want to their bodies. My kids aren’t old enough yet but if they want one when they’re 18 I will trust their judgement.
It sounds like people who say, “you’ll regret it when you’re older” really mean “I think I would regret it when I was older”. How do you know what someone will think in the future? They might regret it, or they might love it forever. It’s their body and their life. Live and let live, I say.
loading...
believe it or not I don’t have any tattoos and I am not against them. But I have come across so many people espically woman who hate their tattoos and wish they never got them. So it has always made me think long and hard about it. Some are so tacky. Its forver.
I would get my childrens names but even then why bother.
All I think of how they will look when they get into their 60′s. With their faded, blurry interesting amount of ink on their bodies. That looked cool for a while.
loading...
For me, whether I like a tattoo is much like whether I admire what someone is wearing: it’s about what it looks like and whether I think it suits the wearer.
I’d definitely say the occasions on which I like a tattoo are few compared to the large amount I see, especially now they’re in fashion. I do love some that I see, but like all beauty, it is rare.
Tattoos are definitely not for me. They don’t
appeal aesthetically, and the permanent nature of them is very off-putting. I cringe at clothes I was wearing a few years ago-thank god I could take them off! I’d be very concerned at how difficult it would be to transcend the influence of fashion-no matter how individual a person believes they are-when choosing permanent ink as the more fahionable, the more it will date and take the wearer with it. I fear the full sleeves so trendy now It would be like never being able to grow out your 80s perm or take off your enormous 70s eyeglasses. Hey, at least you could wait a few decades and they’d be ironically retro!! And to those that say it shouldn’t matter-well, personally significant tatts aside, isn’t it a vain decision to get a tattoo? So my vanity would not want to look daggy ten years on!
I’d be interested to hear from anyone who feels they were motivated by insecurity when getting their tattoo. For a few people I know, whether consciously or unconsciously, that was a factor in their decision and I wonder if trying to adopt a look or convey an image was the best motivation for something so permanent.
It’s also striking to me how, given the scenes I spend time in-rockabilly, inner-city etc-to be cleanskin makes someone special and stand-out! It’s all relative, huh?
loading...
My husband and I have matching wedding ring tattoos. I am not a jewelery person and would hate the possibility of ever losing that symbol of our love and commitment.
We got them done on the one-year anniversary of his proposal, when I was nine months pregnant with our first child, and now I no longer feel the need to have a wedding. In our eyes we are married and the tattoos are our way of publicly declaring it.
It will probably be really daggy in our kids’ eyes when they are older, but I do hope it will show them our lifelong bond.
loading...
I actually really like the wedding ring tattoo idea. You want to be bloody sure of it, don’t you!
I too hate jewellery, and playing sport and working in environments where jewellery is a no go, I think a tattoo ring is a tops idea.
loading...
Cheers, Kris thanks
loading...
My dad has two big tattoos on either arm that he got when he was 16, and was subsequently over a few weeks later. Little help that the tattoos sport the name of his then girlfriend. I remember school events, like swimming carnivals when my dad would never go in the dad-daughter race with me despite constant nagging because of the fact that people would see the tattoos.
I agree that some tattoos have sentimental meaning, the name of a deceased love one etc etc, but then there are the tattoos that you get on schoolies or on a whim.
my suggestion? get a tattoo somewhere you can hide it.
loading...
I love tattoos! I have several, and am planning many more!! I think they can be beautiful and artistic.
My parents, bless their cotton socks, never discouraged us from expressing ourselves even if it included getting “inked”, but, I was still terrified to tell them! I went in one night when they were in bed and said “I have to tell you something”. Mum started crying and said “Oh my goodness, you’re pregnant!!” The sheer relief that I wasn’t pregnant made her not care so much about the tattoo! Haha!!
To teengaers wanting them, pay the money to get a nicely done one! My sister has some horrible tattoos because her mates did them for free! Honestly, just pay the $100 an hour and get them done properly!
(If anyone reading is considering getting a tattoo (and live in Melbourne), I highly recommend Evan at Dynamic Ink in Richmond. AMAZING!!)
loading...
I love tattoos, most especially when they mean something really special to the person sporting them.
I haven’t got one, mostly because I’ve never liked anything enough to want it on me permanently. I have the attention span of a breadcrumb and if I adore something today, odds are I’ll hate it three weeks later (cite my wardrobe as a classic example – I wear something to death for a month and then chuck it or sell it on ebay!)
I’m glad I resisted when I was a teenager, because I would have ended up with one of those chinese characters on my hip bone that meant ‘love’ or something. Remember that phase from the late 90s? A friend of mine got a wreath of flowers around her bellybutton from around the same era and she HATES it now.
loading...
My best friend has the chinese character for friendship at the very small of her back. This was the height of fashion when we were 19. Now, everytime I see it – usually peering out the back of her jeans – I laugh and laugh. And usually make some comment abou the fact it probably means ‘we put led in your childrens toys’ or soemthing like that.
loading...
i have a chinese character that means love on my right shoulderblade… I had it proofed by multiple chinese friends who had no idea what it was for to ensure it meant what i wanted it too – self sacrficing pure love…
loading...
I’ve got my Chinese star sign (Tiger) character on my shoulder, matched by my Virgo one on the other shoulder. I love them, but they are plain black and just the symbols. I was a bit surprised to find out how many of my friends from school have the Tiger one as well!
That is something that means something to me though, I love my Tiger and Virgo – ness.
loading...
While I personally would never get a tattoo I have friends that have several, some are ridiculously tacky, some are beautiful works of art with sentimental meaning.
My parents always told me it was my body and my choice what I did to it, and while I have choosen not to ink up I do not judge those that do.
As for the saggy skin and strech marks, we young people think we are invincible. Saggy skin seems a million years away and a problem we have years before we have to think about. In other words, not a huge deterrent. If your child is going to get a tattoo I believe the only role you can really play in that decision is encouraging them to wait, and ensure it is not a fad they will move on from.
When I asked one friend what she would do if she hated her tattoos in the future, she said “I’ll just look back, think I was a bloody dickhead when I was young, and laugh.”
loading...
I think tattoos are trashy and just plane fugly.
I don’t care what your tattoo is of, I hate it.
loading...
hahaha you said it so well
loading...
Well I guess it’s just as well they didn’t get it for you then…!
I don’t have any tattoos but I think this kind of comment is downright rude. Surely it’s a personal choice whether to get one?
loading...
Funnily enough…I feel the same way about rude people. What’s trashy and fugly really is in the eyes of the beholder! I’d much rather a symbol on my body than an immature attitude!
loading...
Thanks for the laugh!
*tattooed and not offended*
loading...
Fine when you’re young and perky but frickin stupid once you’re saggy.
Angelina is going to look WEIRD with all her ink once she’s driving a zimmer frame.
loading...
I love sleeves but would not get one at this point in time.
Something I thought was funny is a family friend who had a tatt on her lower pelvis/”bikini line” that was cut through when she had a caesarian. They didn’t sew it up so it matched, so it is chopped in half now!
loading...
D’Oh! I always ask young chicks with tatts around their belly buttons if they are planning on having kids. Really surprising how few people think that their skin might not be the same after having a couple of kids in there!
loading...
I have five tattoos done over the past eight years or so. The first one was my ‘divorce’ tatt but it was a design I’d had in mind for more than 10 years. It’s a very small and highly decorative fairy that represents my daughter. Every time she sees it she says ‘that’s me’. My mum nearly fainted (she can’t even watch me change earrings) but my grandma said ‘it should have been bigger, more visible (it’s on my hip) and in colour!’.
The next was my graduation tatt that my fiance bought for me. It’s a very colourful sun with kanji in the centre. Meaningful on a number of levels. The next three were gathered in quick succession – a cross outline and an angel, and a large stylised wing on my leg. That’s the only one which is visible to the world, and only when I’m in swimmers or short shorts therefore rarely
.
The best advice I would give to a teenager would be to make completely sure that the design is something you can live with forever. Laser removal may be an option, but I’d rather have the story of my designs, than the story of my scars when I’m hanging out in the nursing home…
loading...
Funny Story- I had a patient who had a skin graft on his face that was off a tattoo of a naked girl. He was an old Sailor. I asked him why they couldn´t use skin off his other arm( at 85 not much skin is great and he had cancer on his scalp and face he had removed) and it had a naked lady too!
loading...
oh my gosh that’s so fantastic but so awful (for him) at the same time!
loading...
Had one in the middle of my back as big as my hand. Totally embarassing lapse of judgement that I got removed 18 months later. It burt getting it and hut even more getting it removed!!! Personally I don like tattoos so I was an idiot getting one to impress a boy 10 years ago.
loading...
A friend of mine has a few small tattoos (ankle, wrists, shoulder) and then last year got a huge tattoo on her inner forearm. All I can think about when I see them is how they will look on her wedding day, holding her children, holding her grandchildren, celebrating her 50th birthday etc.
loading...
I personally think tattooed brides can look really beautiful! This is one of my favourite sites – http://www.offbeatbride.com
loading...
Yep, a friend of mine had the tattoo removed from her shoulder before her wedding because she wanted to wear a strapless wedding dress and after seeing it in the mirror with the dress on realised it wasnt a good look.
loading...
Loathe and detest them. I say that as someone with close relatives who have ink. I can’t help it, no amount of discussion will ever convince me it has merit or looks more beautiful than unadorned skin.
For any beautiful young person with a-MAY-zing skin asking about whether a tattoo would suit them, I ask them to consider that same tattoo stretched, faded and crinkled after 50 years of wear. And then I’ll ask them to start putting money aside for laser removal. Don’t say you won’t need it. Plenty do.
loading...
Can I just say that I find it particularly odious that people have referred to tattoos on women in the comments as “slut stamps” and “tramp stamps”. I would never look a person who doesn’t have a tattoo and say “frigid bitch” just because she doesn’t have a tattoo!
But then I suppose that those people who can’t look past the two 50c-sized tattoos on my wrist and inner elbow are not really the kinds of judgemental people I want to be around anyway!
At the end of the day, if I had kids who came home and wanted a tatt I would ask them to think about it, spend some time finding a design that was meaningful and finally…ask them to wait until they are 21. That’s how old I was when I got my first one.
Oh, and in terms of thinking about the future, I certainly did. I had a rule with both of mine. They had to go somewhere that wasn’t prone to stretch marks or lots of sagging. I don’t see many older women around with baggy skin around their wrists…trust me, I looked VERY closely when I was thinking about where to put mine!
loading...
Yes! I had my small ones on my shoulders as I was so worried about skin going all saggy baggy elephant too! Mine might sag a bit, but I think they’ll be OK as they’re both plain black symbols anyway. *Fingers crossed*. And if they don’t, oh well.
loading...
I thought long and hard about saggy skin when I got my tattoos because I have a history of putting on and taking off lots of weight. My first one (when I was 18) is on my shoulder, the 2nd on the outside of my left ankle (when I was 27) and the 3rd and 4th, which are both the same, are either side of my right ankle (when I was 33). All, except the first, I thought long and hard about what I wanted and have now been planning the next for quite a few years but haven’t decided yet. It will have to be right if I take the plunge again.
loading...
Tattoos were never really a taboo subject for me. I never really thought about them beyond what beautiful works of art they can be when done properly. When in my early twenties, I wanted an eyebrow piercing, long before they were trendy. I considered a tattoo for myself, but hubby wasn’t keen so I never had them done.
I let daughter #1 get her belly button pierced for her 13th birthday. It didn’t last long. Now 24, she has 3 tattoos, snake bites, a vertical labret, ears and her tongue pierced. She worked as a body piercer for a time.
Daughter #2 began spending a lot of time with teenagers who had piercings. At 15 she had her nose pierced. She got her tattoo at 16. Now 18, she doesn’t regret the tattoo and plans to get more. She would love to learn the art of tattooing for herself. She’s had her belly button pierced north, south, east and west. She’s had both nostrils done. Those piercings no longer exist. She has one belly button, snake bites, vertical labret, septum and ears stretched. She’d love to have more.
My sister was always wary of those with facial piercings and heavy tattoos, despite the fact she has two tattoos of her own. Now her attitude is very gradually changing. Not because of my daughters; more due to the fact that she’s spending time with people who look like that. And discovering that most of them are actually very nice people.
I guess it all depends on what you are used to.
loading...
#2 must be very talented if she’s thinking about becoming a tattoo artist! I’ve watched them work when I got my own tattoos and when I went with my friend for hers, and geez they are amazing!
loading...
#1 must think so! She wears a cartoon outline drawing on her bicep designed by #2.
loading...
That is a pretty bloody good recommendation. Wonder how you get into it? The girl who did my friend’s one was quite young. If you’re in Sydney, she should check out places like Platinum Ink at Petersham – all female tattoo artists!
loading...
Alas, they live in Queensland. I don’t know where they could go to learn, but if she’s really serious about it, I’m sure she’ll figure it out.
I’ve attached a pic of the tattoo. Very basic and drawn really quickly….
loading...
why are people ‘judging’ My mother delivers truck parts in a ute all day long, the only person that comes out to assist her is a 19 year old – you guessed it – with 7 peircings in his face and sleeve tatts. Always well mannnered and polite, I would hire this kid anyday. Don’t we promote ‘its not whats on the outside but whats on the inside that counts’????
I have 2 tattoos – small, I wouldnt want to work for anyone who couldn’t look past the tatts and look at my skills.
loading...
I have one tattoo, I got it 3 years ago (I was 21 at the time). I got it partly to signify turning 21, and partly as a tribute to my mother who I lost when I was a child. I wanted one for ages before I got it.
It’s on my hip so I don’t see it usually except when getting in/out of the shower and I don’t tend to notice it. But when I do notice it, what I notice is how beautiful the design is and how much I like it. I would be open to getting another one somewhere discreet if it was to signify something special (I was DYING to get another one straight after – so addictive – this subsided after a while though!)
In my opinion (and obviously there are many who feel differently!) someone who looks trampy is always going to look trampy, regardless of a tatt. And someone who looks classy still looks classy with a tatt. (Hopefully I’m in the latter category!)
As for the mother/daughter thing, my step-mum thought I was SO COOL when I showed her. With my dad, he had drilled into me my whole life how much he hates tattoos and how “only idiots get them” but he didn’t care when he found out either!
loading...
I think Lisa Wilkinson knows that people under the age of 25 know what “permanent” means. I thought the point she was trying to make was “yes, that tattoo looks cool now but will it still look cool when you’re trying to channel Audrey Hepburn or Carolyn Besette-Kennedy on your wedding day? Will it still look cool when you’re trying to get a job at Mac Bank? Will it still look cool when your shoulder tat is all wrinkled around your elbow when you’re ageing? Will it still look cool when you get pregnant with a 10 pound baby and it is destroyed by stretchmarks?”
That was what I understood she was saying – but then again, I’m well over 25. What would I know about anything?!
loading...
I was 21 working at Mac Bank with tatts =D
loading...
Getting a tattoo was quite possibly the biggest mistake I have made in my life. That’s not to say that tattoos per say are a mistake. On the contrary, I think some people wear them well. My advice is have a good hard look at your reasons BEFORE you head for the permanent ink, and perhaps wait a week (or four) to be absolutely certain.
So where exactly does my warning come from you might ask? Following the separation from my partner, I found myself in quite a state of flux, ending up as a self admitted patient in a psychiatric hospital. Not exactly the perfect time to get yourself a tattoo? At the time, I was dosed to the eyeballs on valium and I wanted something to signify “change” and growth – as opposed to the emotional heap I had found msyelf in. Not the right space in which to think “tattoo” is it!!
The tattoo artist even knew I was on day leave from a psychiatric hospital and on valium, yet he still proceeded. Hey – who can blame him – I was going for an enormous and decorative tattoo which was both challenging and creative – what tattoo artist woulnd’t want to give that a go? I remember the owner of the tattoo “parlour” (for want of a better word saying – “This is your first tattoo – are you sure you don’t want something smaller?” Well it was my first and last and thankfully, I had the common sense to ink my back – which means I can hide it from myself and the world!
So while my timing was less than ideal, I do think that sometimes the desire to permanently mark our bodies is not as well thought out as it should be. My advice to anyone is to wait for some time and start with something small!
loading...
OVER MY DEAD BODY is what I would tell my boys when they are teenagers – I think tattoos are hideous.
Or here’s hoping counting to 3 in a stern voice still works then, so I can do that!
loading...
With complete respect Mia, I disagree with your argument that if Mum/Dad has a tattoo, it makes them daggy and will encourage your children not to get one. By the time most teens get to the age they can legally get a tattoo without parental consent, they’re past the ‘oh my god my parents are such dags!’ stage. I’m 18 myself, and sure, I tease my parents about some of the music they listen to and some of the things they say. But by and large, I’m pretty cool with my parents. If my friends are over for a few drinks, I don’t mind if my parents have a drink with us – my siblings and all my friends are the same. Sure, they’re embarrassing and they irritate me a lot, but they’re not that bad.
Maybe my peer group or the area I live in is odd, but honestly, parents aren’t the enemy. Any of the nightclubs I frequent on weekends mix in 70s and 80s music with the current pop. Most people I socialise with, or even those I’m only sort of acquaintances with, consider their parents quite good value for a bit of a laugh and, to a certain degree, they respect and care about their opinions.
Much as the stereotype is that parents are total dags who their kids will never want to be like because, you know, they’re so totally uncool, I think it’s a huge generalisation to assume that’s actually what teenagers are like. I know of people in my year at school whose parents did go with them when they got their tattoo done. In fact, if anything, I think a parent having a tattoo would work the opposite way; ‘well, you have a tattoo so you can’t stop me getting one!’. My parents themselves do not have tattoos, and I know they dislike them and don’t want me to get one, and that is one of the big things that has stopped me – my father’s horror when I got my nose pierced was amusing, but I completely understand where they’re coming from in terms of tattoos and their open opinions on me getting a tattoo has made me far less likely to get an impulsive one that I’ll regret the next day.
loading...
Also, Lisa – I’m pretty good with the notion of something being permanent. Believe it or not, I do grasp the concept that a tattoo can’t be deleted as easily as a text message or email. I, and most people I know my age, are a bit more intelligent than you give us credit for.
loading...
Nice post, Caitlin! You’re definitely not the only people who don’t think their parents are total dags. I’m 36 and have never thought that way about my parents (well, Dad can be, with his country music) or my grandparents or uncles either, actually.
loading...
Me neither! My parents are great. I have always been proud to be related to them and never felt embarrassed by how daggy they are
loading...
I agree wholeheartedly with you. I’m 16, and would never not do something because my parents had done it. My parents and I are hugely similar, and I get along with them well, as do my friends. A few of my friends actually come over and spend more time with my 50 year old mother than myself. Because my mum works on my school campus (which is also a uni), I had coffee with her today, in front of my peers. I think it’s a gross generalisation to say that all teenagers are embarrassed by their parents, and would let their parents’ behaviour guide their own.
Also, I fully comprehend the idea of something being permanent. Most teenagers have a pretty good grip on how huge ‘the rest of your life’ is. Why do you think so many of us struggle to pick career paths? A lot of it comes down to fear of being forever ‘boxed in’. I think we’ve been given a little less credit than we deserve.
loading...
Agree agree agree! I have to say I felt insulted by the comment that young people don’t grasp that tattoo’s are forever. We also understand that things posted on the internet are also permanent… it’s quite frustrating when we, the younger generation, are talked about like we’re unintelligent and frivolous. As for the tattoos, I don’t know many people that have them, and I personally wouldn’t, but if you want one, get one
loading...
I got a tiny tattoo on the back of my neck last year and as I never see it I never even really think about it. I was 24 when I got and my mum was SO ANGRY! I think parents just hate the thought of their kids marking themselves. As for my tattoo, I love it and don’t have an opinion one way or another about other’s tatts- mainly because usually a lot of thought goes into getting a tattoo and therefore they mean a lot to the wearer. Clean skin or tattooed, I don’t care- it is still the same person.
I am also lucky that I work in the media where lots of people have tatts and as long as they are discreet no one really cares.
loading...
I have a tattoo on my left lower back and have often been asked would I le tmy daughter get one. I reply that I would, though I would stress the importance of having one in a discreet place, not to avoid showing it in public, but that can be covered if she wishes, when wearing formal gowns, wedding dresses, lawyers robes etc.
Altohugh having said that, I really admire my cousin’s tattoo, a big, bold Eye of Isis covering almost her entire back and shoulder blades. I guess it could be covered up, but she has such a strong, vibrant personality, she pulls of this ‘statement tattoo’ with panache.
I would also tell my daughter that I would support her getting a tattoo once she is 20 or older, and has chosen a design without changing her mind for a year or more. I’d also encourage her to get a tattoo that has real meaning for her.
loading...
I don’t really understand the tattoo thing but it’s just one of many things I don’t understand. If I loved something I would much prefer to have it nicely framed and give it a good prominent spot on my living room wall but thats just me.
Couldn’t give a rats if anyone else wanted to put a rose on their butt (its their butt).
If it were my kid I would tell them about my grandfather who had tattoos, one on each forearm and regretted them deeply. He got them while in the navy and he said thats what all the boys did. When asked if it was a bonding thing he said no just a stupid young kid thing.
Having said all that. No I wouldn’t let a teenager get a tattoo. They don’t need one and if they want one so bad they will want it when they turn 18 and can pay for it themselves.
loading...
My grandpa was exactly the same LJ! My parents were very against tattoos growing up (not using the reverse psychology above – they just actually told me they’d kill me or kick me out if i ever got one) but it worked. and i’m so glad i never got one, i think i would absolutely regret it now.
Not sure what approach i’d take as a parent… Mia’s idea is ok but i wouldn’t be prepared to go through with the threat! so i think i’ll just stick to the old-fashioned ‘NO WAY’ approach!
xx
loading...
My mother has said when she was little he was just very honest when explaining them to her. Telling her and her brother and sister that he regretted it and was embarrassed by them.
None of them and none of the grandchildren have tattoos. Looks like both our grandfathers approaches work!
loading...
My dad, now 80, was in the merchant navy and had his arms and legs tattooed. The style was thick black ink and the designs are very dated. He hates them, and when I was a child he told me that they were like a shirt that he could never take off. Every now and then I think about getting one then think about wearing a dress that I could never take off.
loading...
They are still a really big thing in the navy. As a cleanskin (until I got mine) I was definitely in a minority – among girls and in general.
I think with them becoming more popular in general and the whole military thing, they are just pretty much expected. Some of the kids I used to work with had some insane tattooing going on – they were spending crazy amounts on their tatts, and this is young guys (mostly, a few girls too) getting full sleeve tatts at 19, 20. Love to see the reactions when they went home for Xmas holidays…
One of my old supervisors used to call them Tough Stickers.
loading...
I have two tattoos. Love one, a bit meh about the other. My kids don’t think anything about them, they’re just there. In fact, their fairly new babysitter is covered in ink and none of the kids have ever commented. If they want them, fine. I love tattoos, as long as they’re a nice design. Wish my hubby would get one but he’s as likely to do that as wear two pigtails.
loading...
I have my children’s names tattooed on the inside of my left wrist. They are each small enough that I can wear a chunky watch and have them covered if need be. I didn’t get them to show to anybody, they are like my own little secret acknowledgement of my sons.
There were a number of tattoos that I wanted to get as a teenager, and I’m glad now that I didn’t. I don’t understand getting tatts done just because they look pretty, I think they need to be meaningful to the wearer.
loading...
I’m a clean skin, like pretty much everyone I’ve contemplated a tattoo, however I am a scaredy cat and I don’t want to go through the pain. I think tattoos are fine. However yeah if teenagers can hold out as long as possible to see how they feel great. Its amazing how much we change as individuals over the years.
Re: comments that non-tattooers are judging tattooed people, I don’t agree that everyone judges. I honestly don’t care that people get tattoes, however when I see them I find I just like gazing at them, they are interesting to look at. That doesn’t mean I have immediately formed an opinion in my head that that person is a bogan or whatever.
loading...
Bejazzled, they don’t hurt!!! It just feels like sunburn!!
loading...
I dont have any tattoos. Don’t really think I will, I go through phases way too fast! However if your thinking of getting one a friend once told me you should put a picture of it on your bedroom wall or mirror or something you see alot and if after a year if you still want it then it then you can make the call. 365 days is a long time to look at a picture. But at least you can take it down!
loading...
Woops sorry only just got home and managed to see the video attached. Mia basically said the exact same thing. Oh well, great minds
loading...
Dislike tattoo’s on males, hate them on women. End of story.
I’ve yet to look at a tattooed woman and think, “she’s attractive”, regardless of how pretty the face may be. I realise that I instantly judge the book by the cover, but as it’s the choice of the individual what is written, I alone choose what I select to read.
If you must invest your money in art…make it something that you can leave on the wall when you go out in public.
Have you ever noticed how many heavily tattooed females work at JB HI-FI ?
loading...
What if you didn’t realise until later on that the woman had tattoos? Would that then change your opinion of her?
This isn’t meant to be sarcastic or confrontational, I am genuinely interested in your response.
loading...
I have changed my attitude towards women when the “hidden” tattoo has been displayed many times, and I say that not wishing to appear sarcastic or confrontational.
I do not find tattoo’s on women interesting, quirky or a mark of individuality. They make me shudder. If you REALLY find it necessary to wear the names of your children on your person…have the names engraved on a piece of jewellery that you personally design. Never take it off ! Classy to the max and appropriate for any situation !
loading...
SO TRUE about JB hi-fi!
loading...
Understand what you mean but at least they work.
loading...
I have nothing against anyone who is gainfully employed, regardless of their tatts. My point is, would you see such heavily tattooed females in your local Woolies, waitressing at your favourite restaurant or representing you in court…or for that matter, sitting in judgement of you in court ?
loading...
Depends on the restaurant … where I’m from all the waiters have tats.
loading...
Evie….I’d find somewhere else to eat !
loading...
Seriously, Bradley? Irrespective of the quality of the food and service, the tattoos would make you leave?
Wow.
loading...
Any eating establishment that doesn’t have standards about the appearance of those at the front of the house doesn’t have standards regarding the food that is served or the image that it wishes to project.
The trouble with trying to appeal to the trendy crowd is that trends are shortlived. If you prefer to live according to what is trendy, then good on you.
So the answer is, I wouldn’t eat at any restaurant where the waitress looked as though she would rather put me in a headlock than feed me.
loading...
I think you’d be surprised at just how many people in all sorts of professions have tattoos, actually.
loading...
I was referring to heavily tattooed women.
loading...
Agreed – I have 16 tats and I work in a hatted restaurant and have worked for a law firm and a PR firm and all 3 have not had an issue with my tats. All have been able to be covered, but every single one of my employers have known about them and have not had an issue. I think it’s just the ‘norm’ these days.
And I have a piercing in my top lip…
loading...
How would you know if a judge had tattoos all over his or her arms if the had long sleeves on?
And how does “people in all sorts of professions” exclude heavily tattooed women???
loading...
Get the judge some gloves should the tattoo’s extend beyond the wristline.
loading...
Grace, do you work at the front of the house at this restaurant ?
I ask because a former flatmate who is in the industry had to remove a diamond stud from his earlobe to work on the floor. You indicate that you have a piercing in the top lip.
I am quite aware that what is acceptable in the kitchen is not necessarily accepted out front.
loading...
I’ve seen people with visible tattoos (no apostrophe needed, Bradley) serve dignitaries. No problems. What a shame that you would let yourself miss out on something that could be great by allowing something that someone you don’t know has done to and for themselves to turn you off it.
I used to teach swimming. Would you pull your kids out of my lessons because you found out I had tattoos?
loading...
Kris 2040, many thanks for correcting my spelling. I wasn’t sure if the apostrophe was necessary or not, but went with it just in case.
loading...
No problem.
loading...
Bradley, I work front of house and always have. I am on the floor quite frequently and no one has a problem. I present wines and I have 2 very visible tattoos on my wrists. I also have spacers in my ears which I don’t remove.
loading...
I have read and re-read this comment and can’t stop imagining you dating someone for a couple of weeks, you thinking she is amazing and beautiful and you really like her, so much so that you take her back to your place. Then she gets naked and OMG, she is hideous!! She has a tattoo!!! She must leave immediately and never contact you again!! Oh Bradley, you make me laugh!
loading...
Sara… I had the exact same thought!
loading...
In point of fact, my comment had nothing to do with getting someone back to my place and getting them naked. The tattoo has been seen in a social situation, thus the thought of extending such an invitation doesn’t cross my mind. Sorry to those offended, but I just don’t like tattoos on a woman. I find it a turn off in the same way that some people are turned off by anothers height, weight, muscular proportions, size of the feet, sound of the voice, colour of the hair etc.
If we all were attracted to absolutely everything about every other person on the planet…well, there wouldn’t be any single people. Everyone would be in a happy relationship.
loading...
I understand what you’re saying, I think good on you for being so honest. Sometimes when I’ve really liked a guy or something I find out he likes a certain type of music or sport or something and it can put me off him completely in the same way the tat on a girl does for you. It seems shallow and wrong etc but I can’t help it!
loading...
I was just having a laugh Bradley. That’s honestly the first thing that popped into my head when I was reading your comment! Each to their own and good on you! A male opinion is always welcome
loading...
I have three tattoos, all fairly small and in places that can be easily covered if need be.
My husband hates tattoos and has none. When our kids are old enough to decide whether to get a tattoo or not I would advise them to think very carefully about it first but I think my husband will try to talk them out of it any way he can.
loading...
You cover your tattoo’s when need be, and wish to remain anonymous.
Could it be that you are concerned that people’s opinions of you may change if you knew of your “secret” or have you reached the age when that great idea at the time has proved to not to be that great ?
loading...
Maybe its because people like you judge way to quickly and it’s just easier to cover them up than to deal with people like you. I have a small tattoo on the back of my neck which i thought about for years and got whilst overseas. it has significant meaning for me. i love it and have no problem with it being seen. that said, when i have job interviews etc i can and will cover it up. people unfortunately judge books by their cover way too much
loading...
LeilaK, get used to it. You will be judged by your appearance until the year Zot !
It is said that you have thirty seconds to create an impression of yourself when meeting new people. That impression lasts until you prove the person wrong.
loading...
I don’t know what you look like Bradley (& I don’t really care)but tattoo or no tattoo, once you open your mouth it won’t take me as long as 30 seconds to discern that you are a bigoted fool.
loading...
Weeze…you win ! My opinion differs from yours, therefore I must be a bigot.
Debate over ! I’ll even add my “thumbs up” to the current score of five, making it six !
loading...
Thanks Caitlin, the point I was making is that a bigot is a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion.
Bradley, you don’t know if my opinion differs from yours as I’ve not stated it, but I will take the win anyway.
loading...
Weeze, you are welcome to take that win. I’ll add another “thumbs up” to your orignal comment. Should take you up to nine.
Does this mean that I’m a bigot when it comes to all issues or just this one ?
loading...
Caitlin, if I was overstepping the mark the moderator would have not allowed any of my comments to be posted. It says so at the top of the page.
Are you trying to tell me that you have never judged someone based upon their appearance ? If so, you are the only one. Forget Mary McKillop.
loading...
Oh for pity’s sake. Sometimes people keep their tattoos in the clothed areas for the same reason they don’t wear their underwear on the outside of their clothing – some stuff is private.
loading...
When my 9 month old son is old enough to get a tattoo, i’ll encourage him to think carefully about what designs he wants, but i wont try and talk him out of it altogether.
I have 3 tattoos – one on my upper arm in Chinese script reading ” Have Faith In Yourself ” which i got during treatment for depression, a small crow on each shoulder blade representing two loved ones i have lost and the third, on my lower back, is a Native American bird of happiness.
They may appear trashy or cheap to some, but to me they are constant reminders of my past and the inner strength i know i have…
loading...
Isn’t that four tattoos?
loading...
I’m not really anti-tattoo, I do think that these days they are definitely over done though. You see so many people absolutely covered in tattoos.
I think that if you had one or two you probably won’t regret it but anymore and you definitely will.
In my late teens I had quite a few piercings, thankfully they could be easily removed. While I loved them at the time and for a few years after, I could not think of anything worse now.
I saw a very young girl on a bus (about 18) recently whose whole arms were covered in ink. I felt sad for her because I thought “In 10 years those tatts won’t seem so cool”. Yes, I’m showing my age, I know!
loading...
I’m 27 and I have 16 tattoos, I love them and I will continue to get them. My Mother on the other hand, doesn’t care for them much. But she does have 1, that she got for her 50th.
I have had plenty of people try and talk me out of it, but at the end of the day it’s what I want and I don’t care what other people will think of me – at the end of the day I’m not going to compromise my integrity for the sake of some people’s judgemental comments.
I think that if I had a teenager, I would probably tell them to think about what it was that they wanted and to sit with it for 9-12mths – if in that time, they still want it then if they are over 18, there really is nothing stopping them.
When I have kids, I won’t be opposed to them wanting to get a tattoo as long as they have thought it through.
It’s not hurting anyone.
loading...
At the risk of offending some, the only ‘public’ tattoos I find appealing are:
1 tattoos on men
2 authentic tribal tattoos
3 tattoos on beautiful, fit, young women
Unfortunately with tattoos, age is the enemy. Although I have fond memories of my sailor grandfather with fading seaship across his grey-haired chest I just don’t know that screen sirens will be able to rock the look of exposed tattoos in their 50′s.
I think young kids of today will make up their own minds once they see for themselves whether the tattoos of Megan Fox, Ruby Rose (whom I adore) and Pink will hold up in years to come. They’ll be pioneering the way for the first real wave of openly tattooed seniors!
loading...
Hey there,
I’m 37 and have been thinking about getting a tattoo on and off since I was 14. I kind of wish I had because what I wanted back then is still what I love and enjoy remaining loyal to now. Of course, they are in the main musically oriented (okay – AC/DC related if you want the truth) and I love the fact that it’s so distant and at odds with my place in society now (married, mother of one, full time communications consultant).
There’s an anchoring to honesty and to a “fuck it”attitude that I like. That said, I haven’t done any of the ones I’ve thought about. Mostly out of vanity. What the hell will my tatt look like on my hip/thigh/arm when I’m 70? Probably kind a stretched and very un-rock n roll.
Still, I reckon that I would be proud of myself if I could get over that. Bugger it all! Maybe I just damn well will!
loading...
I didn’t get one until I was 33, Gloryfox, and I had been toying with the idea on and off since I was a teenager too. Finally bit the bullet and got my Chinese star sign character on my shoulder.
I do know a dude who has Green Day tatts all over his arms. Don’t know how well they’ll age. I love Green Day, and I actually really want to get some of the words to Everlong by the Foo Fighters tattooed, but I look at that as the same as poetry or literary quotes, not the band logo when you’re 19!
You’re a big girl now, do it if you want!
loading...
Go for it Gloryfox!! Unless you are going to be wearing midriff bearing tops, or mini skirts when you’re 70, it doesn’t matter what they look like!! Haha!!
loading...
I would say “WAIT” Just a little while and if you can’t, get it somewhere discrete.
loading...
I really don’t think it matters either way. It’s just skin. Really not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things..
I have one that I designed myself on my hip where it’s not visible. I think my advice for getting a tattoo would be not until you’re 18, and only get one if it has actual meaning and feels right to you, so 40 years from now you will look at it and see meaning, not just a random tattoo you got for no real reason other than you wanted a tattoo.
In my experience a lot of people who have tattoo’s are a bit more relaxed and easy going than people who are ‘anti-tattoo’, maybe because those who do are less uptight or concerned with long term consequences.
People who say those with tattoo’s are ‘cheap/lame/tacky’ are obviously just judging others based on appearance.
Let and let live I say, if you like it that’s all that matters. Frankly I would not be keen to work for people who had a ‘no visible tattoo’s’ rule anyway, doesn’t sound like a fun work place.
loading...
Like your style.
loading...
thanks
loading...
Unfortunately Mel, you are judged on your appearance whether you like it or not.
Don’t dare expect me to believe that you have never once judged an individual based upon how they look. I’ve yet to meet anyone who has dated, lived with or married someone because they had great personality, an endearing lisp or an ability to cook a really mean steak and eggs !
As for tattooed people being less concerned for long term consequences, it probably explains why most so prison inmates appreciate skin illustrations.
loading...
I actually think you’ll find that a lot of people married their spouse because they have a great personality.
loading...
Ah….but I’m sure that physical attraction was a part of the mix.
A great personality is the added bonus that clinches the deal !
loading...
Well there is judging what kind of person someone is based on how they present themselves, then there is thinking people are worth more or less based on what they look like.
I agree that physical attraction is part of liking someone, but I wouldn’t called personality the ‘bonus’ that seals the deal.
You don’t fall in love with someone because they look good.
loading...
I would call personality the bonus that seals the deal. A person can physically be everything that you look for in a potential partner. But if they have the personality of a house plant you lose interest fairly quickly and move on.
loading...
Again….I feel like I’m being the Devil’s advocate by agreeing with you Bradley, but I kind of do.For guys anyway, I’ve come to believe they do go after the looks, and the personality seals the deal.
loading...
“I think my advice for getting a tattoo would be not until you’re 18, and only get one if it has actual meaning and feels right to you, so 40 years from now you will look at it and see meaning”
I’m guessing you’re probably not much older than 18 yourself. I’m 40, & I know for certain that what felt right & had meaning for me at 18 doesn’t necessarily do it for me now.
loading...
Mid-twenties. It is a picture that my mother drew, I am pretty certain that I will always love it. But I’ll let you know for sure in 40 years.
loading...
According to Mel, I’m totally uptight and not at all relaxed and easygoing, because I loathe tattoos, and as Bradley states, most peoples’ first impressions of others is how they look. I think it makes people look cheap and tacky. Unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be around when the likes of Ruby Rose are old enough to watch their skin sag and the tattoos fade. She’s a gorgeous looking girl with lovely skin, which in my opinion she’s totally messed up.
Conversely (& strangely) a full sleeve doesn’t look as bad as a myriad individual tatts dotted all over the body.
I wonder what will happen when the fad changes to something else and millions all over the world will be stuck with their ugly body ‘art’.
loading...
Ruby Rose….currently celebrated because she is a heavily tattooed, lipstick lesbian.
Give her twenty five years and she will be a heavily tattoed lesbian whose was once a celebrity.
I’m in no way offended by her sexuality, but put off by her tattoo’s and left scratching my head trying to work out why she is a celebrity. Does she sing ? Does she act ? Does she juggle bowling pins ? Someone tell me, please !
loading...
That’s not what she said, Anonymous. It wasn’t about you. She said that in her experience “a lot of people with tats are a BIT more relaxed.” She did not say that people without tats are “totally uptight.”
loading...
Yes that is what I meant, thanks.
I think people who are willing to get something on their skin that lasts forever and may result in them regretting it later, or being looked down upon by certain people as being lame/tacky/whatever then they probably have a pretty relaxed outlook on life in general.
I don’t think NOT having a tattoo means anything.
loading...