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My friend allowed her daughter to get a tatoo at 16 because she felt it was better she indulged her daughter while she was young enough to be part of the decision making process. As a result, her daughter got a small tattoo somewhere it wouldn't cause problems for her later in life. She's an adult---well into her 20s now---and never got another tatoo.
On the other hand, my sister forbid her daughter to get a body piercing. On my nieces 18th birthday, she got her tongue peirced. If my sister had been willing to allow a body piercing while she was a minor, my niece would have had a bellybutton peircing---which is less offensive and less obvious. My sister really regrets her decision.
I personally don't like tatoos and piercings. I'm glad my children didn't want any; however, I have also dealt with some pretty difficult issues as a mother that make tatoos and peircings minor in comparison. It's all a matter of perspective.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stranded and Lonely
Lets not have a debate about the pros and cons of tattoos. That subject has been talked to death. Instead, do you think kids under 18 should get tattoos to please their parents? Should parents have the right to give their underage kids tattoos?
I just read the article and your entire post. I'm a little shocked these parents did the tatoos themselves. I do think that parents shouldn't be permitted to tatoo their children if they're not licensed to give tatoos. I also think it would be a bad idea for a parent to do it if they were licensed. Doctors aren't supposed to treat their own family members for good reason. I rank this tatooing of family members right up there because there could be negative consquences later in life. A child could really end up resenting parents for doing it. Whereas, a professional artist who is unrelated would likley make sure a tatoo was the child's decision. Afterall, the child could sue after they turned 18 if it was against their will. No professional would want that liability.
. . . but living in an extended family, with grandparents present to make mature household decisions.
Not necessarily. Maturity happens when it has to for most of us. Thats why we see 30 year old children today & saw 15 year old men 100 years ago.
Somehow after a few million years of evolution we started going backwards at some point in recent history. We now consider 18 to be the age of majority but still cant have those tax paying adults drinking or smoking, just voteing & dieing for the country.
I was made to go out & get a job at 13. Today thats almost unheard of, I didn't like it but it was a responsibility required of me so I did it and learned how to make my way in the world. Took awhile but I now understand it to have been one of the best things my dad could have done for me.
I'v long held that age has much less to do with maturity than upbringing.
As a woman with close to 250 hours of ink done on her body I say that any parent who let's their under 18 kid get a tattoo (OR does it themselves) is an idiot. I got my first tattoo when I was 1 week into my 18th year, but I had also had it drawn up and planned since I was 13. That's 5 long years of thought that went into it.
A tattoo should be a long, drawn out experience which involves interviewing artists, perusing profiles, meeting clients of the artists to look at their ink in person, asking for spore tests, references, licenses, inspecting the premises etc etc etc. It took me 3 years (and countless miles of driving, hours of interviewing and lots of convention attending) to find my artist....
People like this give tattooed people a really bad name.
A tattoo should be a long, drawn out experience which involves interviewing artists, perusing profiles, meeting clients of the artists to look at their ink in person, asking for spore tests, references, licenses, inspecting the premises etc etc etc. It took me 3 years (and countless miles of driving, hours of interviewing and lots of convention attending) to find my artist....
Historically, sailors got tatoos while on a drunken binges while the ship was in port. Not much thought involved in that! And I bet many didn't even remember the experience!
Historically, sailors got tatoos while on a drunken binges while the ship was in port. Not much thought involved in that! And I bet many didn't even remember the experience!
Hell, college students still do that!
There are 4 tattoo parlors in my area, and 2 have a great reputation and are very strict with their artists. My artist, for example, will refuse to do a tattoo below the elbow or above the collarbone unless that person has extensive tattoos already. He said he's seen far too may people regret a tattoo in an obvious, hard to hide place so he simply won't do it anymore.
On the other hand, there are 2 in the area that will tattoo anyone who walks in as long as they're 18. Drunk, stoned, half asleep, it doesn't matter. Hell, they'll tattoo a picture of hitler on a girls forehead while she's ****-faced drunk and won't think twice about it as long as they get paid.
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