1. pashan's Avatar
    I think this is the MOST off topic thing I've seen on CB, but I trust the group here and know that I will get all kinds of opinions from adults, parents, professionals, etc...

    My 16 year old daughter asked tonight if she could get a tatoo... I immediately said, "No" but then we talked about it and I am kind of wavering. Here is the situation:

    • She gets good grades and is a responsible kid.
    • She is VERY mature for her age, usually is mistaken for 22 or 23. My mom says, "She is 16, acts 19 and looks 25." Which is quite true!!
    • She has a job and will pay for it herself.
    • She is NEVER late coming home and always lets me know who she is with and where she is.
    • She is very involved in a group called "Young Life" which is a religious based non-profit organization for students. This group is PHENOMENAL and has been great for her.
    • She knows exactly what she wants (a religious cross, with Proverbs 4:23 written beneath), and she wants this because it is very meaningful in her life and she feels quite strongly about this scripture.
    • She wants it on her shoulder, small, and inconspicuous so that it isn't noticable in a professional setting when she is older.
    • She will let me help her find the person/place to do it
    • She has agreed to wait until she is 17 (in December) so that we all know she has had time to contemplate her decision to be sure it is the right one.


    I do not have any tatoos, nor does my husband. I would get one myself, but my husband does not like them at all and out of respect for him I abandoned my "want" to be inked! About 5 years ago my mom and I were going to go get matching tatoos, but my husband threw a fit so we didn't do it.

    I told her, after discussing it with her, that I would be okay with it if her dad was. I am pretty sure that he will just say "No!!" and not discuss it further at all.

    I would love to hear what everyone else thinks... am I crazy? Have I lost my everloving mind? Talk me in to or out of this...
    Last edited by pashan; 05-06-08 at 11:22 PM.
    05-06-08 10:53 PM
  2. editionfws's Avatar
    Let her get it! She's a good kid and it means a lot to her. Atleast she's not getting a half nekid mermaid with a heroin needle on her leg ( just thinking of a bad tattoo haha ). And atleast she's responsiable not out stealing and doing drugs... I say let her go for it!

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    05-06-08 11:09 PM
  3. pashan's Avatar
    a half nekid mermaid with a heroine needle
    SHUDDERS
    05-06-08 11:22 PM
  4. crashovrride's Avatar
    I say let her get it. I was a pretty good kid and my parents let me get one when I was 17.
    05-06-08 11:35 PM
  5. Dr. Newport's Avatar
    Shoot, she is wayyyy better behaved than I was at that age. Or anyone else that I know for that matter.

    And the homes is right, it isn't a half-chewed corpse surrounded by naked women and satyrs.

    Plus she is willing to wait till she is 17?
    She is willing to talk to you first?

    If every kid was like this, America would be a better place. Most kids would just get it done and Mom would never know...especially is it is inconspicuous.
    05-06-08 11:54 PM
  6. Baroness110902's Avatar
    My mom made me wait until 18--that said, you are the best judge of her character. Which has nothing to do with skin art. I say let her get it. I love my first tattoo (pick it and stick it rose on ankle) and I thought about it for a long time before getting it.

    I currently have four tats 18yo, 21yo, 30 yo and 32 yo--all were done after major "growing up" periods.

    Its really nice to see that she's talking to you about it. Your approval is obviously very important to her.
    05-07-08 12:01 AM
  7. floridaboy's Avatar
    I've got three myself with my first when I was 17. As long as it has meaning then I wouldn't see the problem

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    05-07-08 12:04 AM
  8. amazinglygraceless's Avatar
    Not to be a wet blanket here ( or start a religious, philosophical debate), but considering your daughters obvious affinity for her faith wouldn't Leviticus 19:28 make this a no-no

    Leviticus 19:28 KJV - Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD
    Last edited by amazinglygraceless; 05-07-08 at 04:14 AM.
    05-07-08 04:08 AM
  9. username's Avatar
    I think her tatt will be fine. To me as long as it means something to her deeply, then it wouldn't be a negative thing like a tramp stamp.

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    05-07-08 04:28 AM
  10. gdasilva16's Avatar
    This is a very good debate. In my opinion, I say let her get it. She's responsible, has a job, she's a good kid. But you also have to discuss it with your husband. Think about it. If you said yes to her, without your husband knowing. When your daughter would step in that house with a tattoo, he would flip. But all in all I say, let her get it. Just my .02.

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    05-07-08 05:32 AM
  11. antiandy's Avatar
    Well I don't know about Ohio, but here you can't get a tattoo unless you're 18, even with parental consent, so that would pretty much nip that in the bud...
    That said, she sounds like a pretty responsible girl...I sure wasn't at that age and already had quite a few BAD tattoos...
    I say let her get it if she still wants it when she turns 17..

    And for the record,(and my peace of mind), it's TATTOOS, not tats, or tatts, etc.
    05-07-08 05:35 AM
  12. BB7290grl74's Avatar
    I agree with the majority here. If she keeps up her grades, is sure of what she wants even when she turns 17 and was considerate enough to discuss the issue with you like an adult, I would allow it. I would have her do her homework on the risks of putting ink in her body, find where the most sterile tattoo artist is in your area and make sure that she knows unlike piercings, tats are a lifetime commitment. Well unless you like skin grafting.

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    05-07-08 05:51 AM
  13. username's Avatar
    And I bet there's a lot of people who likes skin grafting hehe.

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    05-07-08 06:01 AM
  14. amazinglygraceless's Avatar
    Here's an alternate idea. Go to a Things Remembered shop or if you can't find one locally Things Remembered - Home
    (No I do not work for them )
    Have a pendant engraved with the cross on the front and the scripture on the back. That way, it will always be with her and she'll have a keepsake she can pass down to later generations.
    05-07-08 06:44 AM
  15. JRussett's Avatar
    i say let her get it...when she's 18. would you by her cigarettes? i wanted a car really bad when i was 14, but had to wait...and i'm not anti-tatoo either, i have 2 myself...
    05-07-08 06:49 AM
  16. chaz_cb's Avatar
    Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.


    Ohio Tattoo Laws

    3730.06 Consent for performing procedures on persons under age eighteen
    (A) No person shall perform a tattooing procedure, body piercing procedure, or ear piercing procedure with an ear piercing gun on an individual who is under eighteen years of age unless consent has been given by the individual's parent, guardian, or custodian in accordance with division (B) of this section.

    (B) A parent, guardian, or custodian of an individual under age eighteen who desires to give consent to a business to perform on the individual under age eighteen a tattooing procedure, body piercing procedure, or ear piercing procedure performed with an ear piercing gun shall do both of the following:

    (1) Appear in person at the business at the time the procedure is performed;

    (2) Sign a document provided by the business that explains the manner in which the procedure will be performed and methods for proper care of the affected body area following performance of the procedure.


    So it's legal - and I like the idea. She sounds like a great kid, she came to you instead of just sneaking (if she looks 25, she could probably get away with it), and it sounds like a very tasteful tat.

    I vote yes
    Last edited by Chaz; 05-07-08 at 06:58 AM.
    05-07-08 06:53 AM
  17. pashan's Avatar
    Wow! This really is a good debate. Thank you so very much for all of the input and comments! Everyone here has given me so much to think about!

    Chaz - thanks for the law, you're just a fountain of knowledge! I *thought* that was the law, good to know for sure!

    JRussett - No, I would not buy her cigarettes. She doesn't want to smoke so that would be a waste of money! Remember, once she turns 18 it won't be me "letting" her get a tatoo - she will be an adult in the eyes of the law and will get one if she wants it. I have some control at this point over what it is, where she gets it done, etc, etc. It won't be some spur of the moment, fly by night dirty needled guy in the back room of a bar!!

    Amazinglygraceless - I really appreciate your point of view, it is quite interesting and the scripture is very apt! I suspect my husband will greatly appreciate your comments! I like the idea of a pendant, btw!!

    ej25sti - I wouldn't think of doing this behind my husband's back and I'm sure she wouldn't either. (Although the thought might cross her mind, the loss of driving privledges, extracurricular activites and her part time job wouldn't be worth lying and sneaking around behind our backs!)
    05-07-08 08:34 AM
  18. bigdaddymring's Avatar
    I think that you should BOTH get one!!!
    05-07-08 08:38 AM
  19. ShortStop51001's Avatar
    I say definately let her get it! I am 24 and i got my first tattoo at 16. My brothers had tattoos and i wanted a butterfly. I talked about it with my parents who said no for months. Finally they sat me down, i too was a good kid and never got bad grades. They decided to let me do it. I had to show them where i wanted and how big. I also had to pay for it myself. I came home and showed them and i think they were surprised i went through with it. (my brother took me to his tattoo guy.).

    I have only gotten one more tattoo since...and it is very small. I think as long as shes a good kid and she talked to you about it you should defintely let her do it.
    05-07-08 08:41 AM
  20. pashan's Avatar
    I think that you should BOTH get one!!!
    Yeah, I've thought that too... (We will see how that works out.!!)
    05-07-08 09:00 AM
  21. rameal999's Avatar
    There are two ways of looking at this, one is that if you don't let her get it now she is probably gonna get one later on like when she is 18 or out of the house and maybe heaven forbid she starts doing other things. I was part of younglife when I was younger, I speak like I'm old but I'm only 20 haha. If you let her get it then she might think that she will be able to do anything but these traits take time and how you describe her characteristics I doubt that she will be a bad seed. I wanted a tattoo when I turned 18 I think I might get it but after a couple years I got over it. So I would say wait until she is 18 because it could be more meaningful if she still wants one and if she doesn't well that's that

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    05-07-08 01:56 PM
  22. Adlen's Avatar
    I say let her do it...
    05-08-08 10:50 AM
  23. pashan's Avatar
    UPDATE!! She got herself all psyched up yesterday, sat down with her dad and very seriously started her discussion. She asked him to completely hear what she had to say and listen to her.

    When she was done he simply said, "Whatever... It's your body."

    Is took like 5 minutes!!!

    So in 7 months she will be tatoo-ed, assuming she doesn't change her mind!!

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    05-11-08 12:45 AM
  24. chaz_cb's Avatar
    omg.... that's too funny. All that worry... and I'm glad he was cool about it.

    (when do you get yours?) lol
    05-11-08 12:53 AM
  25. amazinglygraceless's Avatar
    Well, didn't see that comin'
    Glad it all worked out for all of you.
    05-11-08 01:45 AM
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