If you’re reading this in regard to your child’s new tattoo it’s likely a day late. Odds are you may not even have known your child was getting a tattoo. Despite most state age restrictions and tattoo laws, there are many kids getting tattooed without proper parental consent. Even if your child is of age, that first tattoo can still be a shock. This is how you can deal with your kids’s tattoo.
Deal with Emotion
First off, it’s OK to cry. You don’t have to do it front of them and you shouldn’t yell, but don’t feel bad if you let an earnest tear slip. A tattoo is a branding and your child is your creation. A branding changes that a bit and it might have been unexpected. With unexpected change comes the onset of loss and of course you’ll need to grieve a bit.
Understand
Next try to understand the tattoo choice. Hopefully at this point your child has invested enough thought into their tattoo design that it makes a likely choice for them. If not, there’s not much you can do but accept it, as it is now part of your child’s appearance.
Talk with your child about their tattoo design. Discuss it. Find out about the artist , where they had it done (pray it was a at a professional tattoo studio) and then make sure it’s not oozing, bleeding, or looks otherwise infected.
Accept
Once you’ve come to understand your child’s first tattoo, you’ll feel a bit closer to them and their decision to get one. That’s the first step in the communication process. Understanding some of your child’s individual characteristics, interests and traits will help you parent with more approval and acceptance methods which will bring you both to a level of respect and understanding.
How does this work?
The next time your child decides to get a tattoo they might take a moment to consider your thoughts, ideas and overall wishes.
Not because they are being enforced to or asked to, but because you have earned their genuine trust and they feel accepted by you. If your desire is to have a child free of body art, perhaps your open acceptance will sway them to stay away from any tattoo trends.
If you really hope they’d shy away from a certain placement, they might grant you that final wish before they ink. Don’t expect that they will, just hope that they might.
Let Go
If your child continues to tattoo himself, then respect him for his individuality and expressive side. Tattoos are art forms and they can hold valuable and rich meaning to the people who wear them.
If your child is the type to start collecting tattoos, remember to have all the responsible parent-child talks you’ll need to have anyway. Tattoos can interfere in the workplace and really change your place within society. Take the time to discuss all the potential risks of a tattoo with your kids so they feel your interest, feel cared for, and hopefully put your advice to the best use.
If you are dealing with your kid’s tattoo, remember it’s permanent and work straight towards acceptance as quickly as possible. Then educate yourself and open the lines of communication between parent and child so that you can hopefully be aware of their body art decisions before they make them.
Once she’s an adult she will continue to tattoo herself if it’s a marking she’s comfortable wearing and a pain she’s willing to tolerate and pay for. With your guidance, you can help her find a meaningful tattoo design that suits her traits and personality and you can be part of her body art process in that way.