Tattoos and piercings

olderthandirt

New Member
What are your rules on these two things? My girls complain that I'm mean and far too old-fashioned (but I can live with that). I allowed ears to be pierced, but that's it until they're 18. I don't allow tattoos, either. Of course, one child has gone out behind my back and had her belly button pierced, and another got a tattoo on her shoulder. Both were grounded for going against my rules, but of course, now the others are jealous.
 

jason

Administrator
Staff member
At 18 they can get what they want. Until then I'm old fashioned like yourself. Ears only. Especially for tattoos, if it is something they really want they can wait.
 

yabadoo

New Member
I have no restrictions. If she wants to pierce every part of her body or get a billion tattoos then she can go ahead and do it. I feel like kids take the piercings and tattoos to an extreme if they think it serves as an act of rebellion. Don't be a dictator. Let your child develop his or her own identity.
 

Andersson

New Member
No tattoos and ears are okay here too. The thing that bothers me is when I see a parent out with their infant who has their ears done. I do not even understand this. What is wrong with these parents?
 

DeputyDad

New Member
Most states have laws about piercing and tattooing of minors. So, if they are having this done somewhere in a licensed shop, that person risks a lawsuit. If they are having a friend do it for them, that's just plain stupid.
 

Timothy

New Member
I don't have anything against piercings or tattoos, but piercings are the only one of those two that I would willingly agree to before age 18, because piercings can always come out later and heal if you change your mind and decide you don't want it anymore. The tats are forever though, so I would insist on seeing a certain level of maturity first before I consented to one of those before age 18.
 

olderthandirt

New Member
That's how I feel about it, Timothy. The piercings bother me more because many can lead to infections, but the tattoos I try to forbid because I think they're too young for the decision. What looks good at 15 won't look nearly as good at 50, but they don't get that their minds will change 100 times by then. I think anything permanent should be decided on after they are adults.
 

Timothy

New Member
It's true that the piercings can lead to infections, and that's something I would definitely point out to a teenager wanting one. They have to take care with them, much more so than if just the ears are pierced. You also have to take care with choosing a professional tattoo/piercing parlor. I don't know what conditions are like where you live, but around here, a multitude of those parlors have popped up and most of them are very ... shabby, shall we say?
 
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