40 Meaningful Tattoos Parents Got To Honor Their Kids
The love between a parent and child may get complicated over time, but typically it is a forever thing. So getting some ink to honor one's kid -- or kids -- is a beautiful way to celebrate that special bond. After all, once a person becomes a parent, it is a role they'll have for life. Plus, it is essentially risk-free unless one ends up with an evil little bugger, in which case the tattoo will serve as a reminder of a time LO was a sweet child o' mine. But honestly, getting a tattoo in honor of our children is something that we think is pretty safe to say one won't regret. So why not get a piece that will last as long as that special love does?
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Even if it's a parent's first tattoo, there are plenty of ways to get inspired. Whether one likes a lot of color, or black and white, or if one has a lot of kids, or just one -- there are so many options. The hard part will be picking just one.
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These moms and dads went under the needle to get something to honor their child. Some are sweet and simple, some intricate, all symbolic.
Here are 40 meaningful parent tattoos that will probably make others consider getting their own.
Elephants
Elephants have the longest gestation period of any mammal -- an unbelievable 95 months long! So, in some ways, what better animal to represent the journey of motherhood? This parent elephant and baby elephant are a cute way to show a parent-child relationship in ink form. The design has a fun carnival vibe.
Birds of a Feather
Attention mama birds! This is a great way to show the love for all the little birds in mama's nest. This little bird family is a sweet sentiment. The branches and red hearts add a sense of movement and more birds and branches can always be added later.
Great Script
Our kids are our heart, and what a beautiful way to honor that bond than with a name tattoo in a great script with a heartbeat line. There is a saying that having kids means a mom's heart walks around outside her body, so we love this as a nod to that idea.
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Rocket Boys
Here's one perfect formula for getting a tattoo to honor a child. Pick something the kid loves. Tattoo his or her name with it. It's that simple and that wonderful -- just like this mom did when she got her sons' names tattoos with a rocket. Really rad work by tattoo artist Andy Beswick.
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Name in Blocks
Take a look at some of the child's favorite things to play with and that may bring some tattoo inspiration. Tim is a father to two boys. He got these blocks for his son, Aidan.
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For the Sweetheart
Seeing this tattoo gives us all the heartfelt feelings. It perfectly shows the sweetness of a little girl, her love of Cinderella, and the love a mom has for her little one to capture this in a tattoo. The skirt detail captures that feeling of twirling in our favorite dress.
Memories
Another sweet elephant tattoo! We love the typewriter font on this tattoo done by Sweety of Rivington Tattoo, and using something that reminds us of our kids when they were just babies is the perfect imagery.
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Butterflies
Nature is always a good choice in a tattoo, especially when it comes to a tattoo to honor our little ones. Joye chose sweet butterflies to honor each of her kids.
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Old-Timey Look
Absolutely adorable and so unusual, these tattoos by Uncle Josh of Lost Dutchmann Tattoo perfectly capture the sweetness of being a kid and the love of motherhood.
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Favorite Things
Ahh! This one is so cute! Getting the kids' favorite characters tattooed along with their names is another way to make sure the tattoo truly represents the family members.
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Kid's Signature
Learning how to write one's name is a major childhood milestone, and this is a perfect way to honor that. We love the idea of having the kiddo "sign" her name and then getting that as a tattoo. We love this added element of the different colored letters as well.