# Do people tattoo their children? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 12, 2008, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847 "2008-12-12T05:35:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/1 "2008-12-12T05:35:01Z")
I saw a little kid at the grocery store just now with a fake tattoo, and it made me ask myself why I’ve never seen a child with a real tattoo. Given the abysmal depths at which the human intellect can and does exist, there must be people out there who want to tattoo their small children and even their babies. Is it done? Is it illegal? I’m sure hopped-up tweakers have given children homemade thunderbolt tats, but is this ever done at a legitimate tattoo parlor? ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/2 "2008-12-12T06:40:53Z")
If they were hopped-up, they’d be junkies. I’m just sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/3 "2008-12-12T06:48:48Z")
I’ve heard that the parents of twins may get a small, indiscreet tattoo (on the bottom of the foot, for example) on one of the kids to tell them apart. Aside from that, I doubt a parlor would be willing to do anything. I’d think there would be some kind of minimum age. ---
**Author:** ![mrpayday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@mrpayday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrpayday)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/4 "2008-12-12T07:14:20Z")
indiscreet? ---
**Author:** ![Mesquite-oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Mesquite-oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mesquite-oh)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/5 "2008-12-12T07:18:50Z")
In the past few years of working with Child Protective kids, I have come across 3 cases where the parent and the child got tattoos together by a professional. Two kids were about 10, one was about 16. In my state I believe you have to be 18 to get a tattoo, even with consent, so they went with someone that was willing to do it illegally. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/6 "2008-12-12T07:22:36Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > I’ve heard that the parents of twins may get a **small, indiscreet** tattoo (on the bottom of the foot, for example) on one of the kids to tell them apart. What, is it a tiny flaming skull? ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/7 "2008-12-12T08:19:59Z")
I reckon branding them is a lot more painful ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/8 "2008-12-12T09:39:06Z")
In northern Cameroon, ritual scarification is considered quite beautiful and just about everyone has it. Usually this is a pair of subtle lines just to the side of the eyes, and some patterns on the chest. The effect is usually quite beautiful. Anyway, this is done when people are small children. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/9 "2008-12-12T09:43:02Z")
> [@Mesquite-oh](#): > > In my state I believe you have to be 18 to get a tattoo, even with consent, so they went with someone that was willing to do it illegally. Half an hour of cursory Googling seems to indicate that this is the case in many states. So far though, I haven’t able to find a comprehensive list. It would also be interesting to see what the typical penalties are for tattooing a minor. ---
**Author:** ![Meyer6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Meyer6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meyer6)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/10 "2008-12-12T11:33:16Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > I’ve heard that the parents of twins may get a small, indiscreet tattoo (on the bottom of the foot, for example) on one of the kids to tell them apart. Aside from that, I doubt a parlor would be willing to do anything. I’d think there would be some kind of minimum age. I went to high school with identical triplets who each had their initial tattooed onto the bottom of their right foot. I didn’t know them well enough to know how the parents convinced a tattoo artist to do that (I believe it would be illegal?). The tattoos were all stretched out and weird looking by high school, of course. They were not particularly indiscreet though. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/11 "2008-12-12T13:52:39Z")
> [@brujaja](#): > > If they were hopped-up, they’d be junkies. > > I’m just sayin’. Eh? “Junkie” assumes heroin usually. “Hopped-up” would seem to indicate a stimulant such as methamphetamine, users of which are called “tweakers.” IOW, the sentence looked fine to me. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/12 "2008-12-12T15:41:48Z")
> [@mrpayday](#): > > indiscreet? I actually meant discreet. I am an ass. ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/13 "2008-12-12T15:50:29Z")
My cousin’s ~10yr old daughter has a tattoo on her arm. (we all live in PA) It’s a medic alert tattoo. She has a seizure disorder and is mentally disabled. They don’t trust her to keep a bracelet or necklace on, and the information could be life saving. I assume there is a legal allowance for medical as opposed to recreational ink for minors. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/14 "2008-12-12T17:34:28Z")
I see teens all the time with Tattoos. I asked one about it and he said it was real. When I said “How did you do it, when it’s against the law?” He just rolled his eyes and smirked at me, as if to say “Oh right, that’d stop me.” I used to hear the same argument when I was young about babies and pierced ears. I would say “How can you pierce your baby’s ears? Maybe they don’t want pierced ears?.” The reply was always, “it’ll close up if they don’t want it.” ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/15 "2008-12-12T17:40:33Z")
> [@Meyer6](#): > > I went to high school with identical triplets who each had their initial tattooed onto the bottom of their right foot. I didn’t know them well enough to know how the parents convinced a tattoo artist to do that (I believe it would be illegal?). The tattoos were all stretched out and weird looking by high school, of course. > > They were not particularly indiscreet though. It may have been done by a doctor and/or the tattooing age restrictions might not have been in place that many years ago. Back when “only sailors got tattoos” I don’t think most municipalities even considered needing age restrictions for them. With the rise in popularity of inking, legislation happened. ---
**Author:** ![fandango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5ac83/32.png) [@fandango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fandango)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/16 "2008-12-12T17:42:49Z")
In Seattle, there are many immigrants from Ethiopia. A lot of the women and girls have what looks like a Maltese cross tattooed an the center of their forehead. It’s to identify them as Christian. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/17 "2008-12-12T20:22:46Z")
A medic alert tattoo? Fascinating. What if the emergency contact # changes? ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/18 "2008-12-12T20:38:20Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > A medic alert tattoo? Fascinating. What if the emergency contact # changes? It becomes a Medic Alert Flamking snake on a knife, after the cover up. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/19 "2008-12-12T20:50:57Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > I’ve heard that the parents of twins may get a small, indiscreet tattoo (on the bottom of the foot, for example) on one of the kids to tell them apart. Aside from that, I doubt a parlor would be willing to do anything. I’d think there would be some kind of minimum age. I don’t get this. Firstly, of all the parents I know that actually have twins, they have never had any trouble telling which was which from the day they were born. Secondly, does it really matter which one has which name? ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847/20 "2008-12-12T20:54:49Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > A medic alert tattoo? Fascinating. What if the emergency contact # changes? I don’t believe there is one, but it has information regarding her seizure disorder (which will not change in her lifetime). > [@Tristan](#): > > It becomes a Medic Alert Flamking snake on a knife, after the cover up. There’s probably a market for hardcore looking medic alert tattoos. If there isn’t, there should be. “Diabetic without a cause” “Asthma takes my breath away” “Mom (was also allergic to latex)” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-tattoo-their-children/476847.md?page=2)