Tattoo Johnny Tattoos & Tattoo Design Guide: Getting Tattoos and Tattoo Designs as a Family

Getting Tattoos and Tattoo Designs as a Family

Thursday 26th of February 2009 04:43:47 AM [Add To This Article]

If you have tattoos, then it is likely that at some point in their lives, your children will also be interested in getting tattoos. In fact, many people recall their mother or father taking them to get their first tattoo with intense nostalgia and fondness for that parent. It can be an extremely memorable occasion and a deeply treasured memory that the two of you can share for the rest of your lives. However, one of the other sides of this can be that you have an over-eager teenager or even a tween that is pressuring you to let them get their own body art or even engage in body piercing, using your own personal body art as justification for this body alteration. Before you endorse any type of juvenile body art or decoration, make sure that you and your offspring understand the permanent ramifications of tattooing and are aware of the lifelong physical commitment that you are making.

Here are some ways to deal with tattooing in a family oriented way:

â€¢    Getting a tattoo can be a rite of passage.

Many people treasure the memory of walking into a tattoo parlor and getting tattooed for the first time. For most of us, it occurred after the age of 18, and we did not have to get permission from our parents. If you have an eager teenager who wants to get tattooed before he or she is old enough to go by themselves, then point out that getting a tattoo is a good way to mark the entrance to adulthood, and remind them that underage tattooing is a good way to land themselves and a tattoo artist in legal trouble. Instead of fighting the tattoo, however, you will get farther if you show them ways to explore and investigate tattoo options before they turn 18, such as trying out different designs or working on a variety of custom artwork. As they explore their options, it will become clearer to them that there are many types of tattoos and they may not want to hurry into a decision.

â€¢    Tattoos can be used to mark landmark occasions.

If you are thinking of getting tattooed as a family and everyone is old enough to do so, then consider making sure that your younger family members who may still be more impulsive than you understand the gravity of getting a tattoo by using the process to commemorate a landmark occasion, such as accomplishing a family goal. Even if you already have lots of tattoos, associating getting a tattoo with a big event can help you encourage your younger children to make a careful decision about what kind of tattoo to get and where to get their tattoo design.

â€¢    Try out a variety of tattoo options together before making a commitment.

Trying out tattoos before you buy is one of the best ways to test out whether or not you will like the look of your tattoo once it is permanent. In fact, that is why it is called a â€œtattoo test drive.â€ You can print multiple copies of your tattoo in various sizes onto transfer paper, then see what it will look like in various forms all over your body.

â€¢    Explain the tattoo process in a way that encourages younger children to admire them, but prohibits them from imitating them before they are old enough to make a mature decision.

If you have young children who admire your tattoos, there is no reason to discourage them from doing so, nor should you discourage them from expressing themselves via a tattoo later in their life. However, you can emphasize that getting tattooed is an adult decision, and that you need to be sure to get tattooed in a safe environment by an experienced tattoo artist.

Getting tattoos can be a family experience even if only one member of the family is actually getting a tattoo design. Many people get portrait tattoos of their children and loved ones to show their devotion to their family, and a large number of other tattoo designs also are symbolic family tattoos or devotional tattoos that express love for God, family or friends through religious tattoos or other symbolic image tattoo designs. Whatever tattoo you get, remember that your children and your family will be affected by that tattoo because it is a part of you, just like they are. Be sure to get a tattoo that will be meaningful to you and your loved ones for years to come.