Anonymous wrote:Sorry OP, tell them it's not a good idea and if they insist, get one where the tattoo won't show under most standard work type clothing.

Tattoos you get a 18 are usually regretted by 30. It's worse if they are visible locations. A friend of mine got Tinkerbell tattooed on her chest freshman year, she regretted that tattoo by senior year and dressed to cover it up.

Oh my.

My husband has one in honor of his father who died when he was in high school. It is on his ankle. He regrets it. People see it when he golfs and ask about it. Then he has to tell them about his dead father and it’s awkward. This situation might apply to your son in a number of years.

Sorry OP, tell them it's not a good idea and if they insist, get one where the tattoo won't show under most standard work type clothing.

Tattoos you get a 18 are usually regretted by 30. It's worse if they are visible locations. A friend of mine got Tinkerbell tattooed on her chest freshman year, she regretted that tattoo by senior year and dressed to cover it up.

My husband has one in honor of his father who died when he was in high school. It is on his ankle. He regrets it. People see it when he golfs and ask about it. Then he has to tell them about his dead father and it’s awkward. This sitúa might apply to your son in a number of years.

All you can do is recommend a hygiene respecting place but do show them pics of how bad tattoos look when skin sags and wrinkles.

I wouldn't want them to get any but since my opinion doesn't hold as much weight as it did until they became adult, i would request keeping it small and getting it at a part which is covered with clothing in a professional setting.

Not only does my kid have tattoos, but he's looking for an apprenticeship to become a tattoo artist. I have asked him not to get any above the neck, please.

My 20 year old has two. One he got as soon as he turned 18, while still in high school. The other is on his ribs, so I rarely see it. I just asked that he not tattoo his hands, face and neck. To keep it professional so that it doesn’t effect any future job prospects.

My 20 yr old has been talking about it for awhile, hasn’t done it yet. I have one small one that I love and am glad to have, I got it at age 32. It’s not hidden but also not obvious and most people would be surprised I have one. I do think that the (basically) irreversible types of choices we make about our body are best not to rush. I would have chosen something very different from the one I have at age 18 and I suspect would have later regretted. So when my kid asked my advice I definitely suggested giving it time to make sure she really wanted it, that the location would make sense given her career interests, and that she could imagine looking at it for the rest of her life.

You can't do anything about this, OP and PP who cried and begged. Pushing back on them isn't going to work and might only make them more determined.

My DD got a tattoo as soon as she turned 18 and got another one about 6 months later. She's constantly telling me about the next tattoos she wants and while I don't hate tattoos, I wish my kid would take it much more slowly and think it through. She wants a career in public policy or law and I feel like she may regret having a lot of visible tattoos.

All you can do is share your opinion on it and make sure they know you won't pay for it -- tattoos are expensive. I also told her I wouldn't help her make the appointments -- she's pretty disorganized and good tattoo artists have wait lists, so this has slowed her pace down more than anything.

Why not be honest with him and tell him your actual opinion? He’s asking you, so tell him. Ask him if there’s another way you can honor his grandmother.

Freshman got one last year without asking. I cried, and begged them not to get another. 18 months later so far, so good. But, I suspect another one will be coming eventually. Makes me sad, as I hate them and think they are trashy (which is against current trends, but its my opinion and I'm sticking with it).

No, but my DD went off and got her nose pierced. It actually looks really cute. I seriously thought my son would wind up with a tattoo - he plays drums and keys in a band - but when I mentioned that in passing he was really offended. Whoops.

Yes. Both my college kids and all their friends have them.

College freshman is getting a tattoo over winter break. He is at least asking my opinion about it so I am giving it but I would rather he not get one at all, which I am not telling him. Do your college dcs have tattoos? Where are they? I told him to get it in a place that isn't so noticeable first. It is going to honor his grandmother. He was really close to her and she died last year.