Lifestyle

40 Meaningful Tattoos Parents Got To Honor Their Kids

LifestylePublished Dec 10, 2019
By Michele Zipp
mother and daughters tattoorockrosetattoo/Instagram

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?

More from CafeMom: 40 Epic Best Friend Tattoos for Women & Their Soul Sisters

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.

More from CafeMom: 20 Gorgeous Cover-Up Tattoos Even Better Than the Original

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.

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A Blooming Bond-placeholder
A Blooming Bond
ruiz_leopoldo/Instagram

A Blooming Bond

Becoming a mother is the ultimate growing and blossoming experience. The vibrant colors in this beautiful motherhood tattoo are stunning and celebrate that growth. The many different flower designs are a really pretty and feminine combination.

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Sweet Baby-placeholder
Sweet Baby
inkmanb/Instagram

Sweet Baby

This sentimental parent tattoo shows a detailed line drawing of a mother and her baby. And the small heart and name just make it that much sweeter. We love the red heart with the black lines of the drawing.

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Mother & Daughters-placeholder
Mother & Daughters
rockrosetattoo/Instagram

Mother & Daughters

This mother and daughters tattoo is so cutesy and feminine. The sketchbook style and watercolors add a fun touch and remind us that there is no reason to be afraid to color outside the lines, even on a tattoo!

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Elephants-placeholder
Elephants
natta.sza/Instagram

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.

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Footprint-placeholder
Footprint
uglyducklingsendlessink/Instagram

Footprint

This baby's footprint is personal and special. We like how they incorporated the name and birthday of the child. This design is easy to add to if brothers or sisters enter the picture. Just select a space with room for more tiny footprints!

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Symbolic-placeholder
Symbolic
nik_ink__/Instagram

Symbolic

At their best, tattoos are both beautiful and personal. A symbolic tattoo is deeply meaningful and can be a real conversation starter. This tattoo artist wrote: "A mother's love surpasses all logic." We couldn't have said it better!

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Butterfly-placeholder
Butterfly
mayhemtatts/Instagram

Butterfly

Butterflies are a classic idea for a tattoo but this one avoids being cliche. This butterfly design is simple and beautiful. The curvy lines and hearts give it a whimsical feel and the kids' names are a nice touch.

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Traditional Mermaid
wizard_of_whipshade/Instagram

Traditional Mermaid

For any mom who loves mermaids, this black-and-white tattoo can serve as pretty awesome inspiration. It has so much detail and it looks gorgeous.

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Mother Knot-placeholder
Mother Knot
richardp562/Instagram

Mother Knot

This knot symbolizing the love between a mother and child is a great way to show the strong bond. The pink and blue colors are a nice complement as well. This could also look great in black and white for those who prefer a monochrome graphic look.

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Birds of a Feather
damarisarguelles.tattoo/Instagram

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.

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'The Giving Tree'
Nina Himes/Instagram

'The Giving Tree'

This sweet tattoo by Nina Himes is a stylized version of a picture of a daughter sitting on the stump from the book The Giving Tree. The tattoo uses black lines and that red dress and bow, and we find it so darling.

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Great Script-placeholder
Great Script
Gervo's Ink Tattooing/Instagram

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. 

More from CafeMom: 27 Tattoos That All '90s Kids Will Love

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Flower Children-placeholder
Flower Children
carrie_metz_caporusso/Instagram

Flower Children

In some ways, children are the flowers on a growing family tree. Simply beautiful, this tattoo by Carrie Metz Caporusso features great script and a sweet flower.

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Rocket Boys
andybeswick/Instagram

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.

More from CafeMom: 20 Inked Moms on Instagram Who Give Us #TattooGoals

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Name in Blocks
Tim Lingle

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.

More from CafeMom: 19 Awesome Pieces of Kid Art Parents Have Tattooed on Their Bodies

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Beloved Trains
Tim Lingle

Beloved Trains

Choo choo! Dad Tim also got a train with his son Samuel's name spelled out in the cars. This is a great way to remember that train phase that it seems like so many kids go through.

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Three Hearts-placeholder
Three Hearts
Ginger Summerford Gorrell

Three Hearts

Not everyone wants to have a large or elaborate tattoo. This design is sweet and simple but still totally filled with meaning. Ginger has three hearts for the three babies who own hers.

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For the Sweetheart
marcicochran345/Instagram

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.

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Classic Handprint
Art Santana

Classic Handprint

How sweet that the kids can see their little handprint on dad Art's arm -- it's like they will always be daddy's little girls to him. This is a handprint on the arm that really represents the handprint a child makes on one's heart.

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Favorite Things
dropdeadtattoo.kristian/Instagram

Favorite Things

Artist Kristian H. Alexander of Drop Dead Tattoo in Staffanstorp, Sweden, made this great tattoo featuring a few of Julia's favorite things. That kitten is just adorable and this is a great snapshot of who Julia is as a child.

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Hidden Meanings-placeholder
Hidden Meanings
Paul Schembri

Hidden Meanings

Sometimes we look beyond the obvious. This mockingbird is the logo for a company called Atticus, and so this dad got that to honor his son, named Atticus. His daughter's middle name is Rose, and a tattoo design was born.

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Memories-placeholder
Memories
Erika Waxman

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.

More from CafeMom: 50 Brilliant Tattoo Ideas for Moms Who Want to Get Inked (PHOTOS)

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Horoscope Inspired
Andrea DiDonato

Horoscope Inspired

This symbol is a twist on Andrea's son Tyler's horoscope sign -- Capricorn -- which he shares with his mom. Tyler's middle name, Frederick, is also the name of Andrea's dad, who passed away when she was 13. Very meaningful.

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Peas in a Pod
Tiffany Kelly

Peas in a Pod

A mom and her baby are close as ... well, peas in a pod! If a person can think of it, it can be a tattoo. We love the vibrant green of these peas in a pod.

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First Born
Christina Watson

First Born

When one thinks of tribal tattoos, don't just picture the traditional armband! Christina got this for her son Mikael, and the design is tribal for "first born."

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Butterflies-placeholder
Butterflies
Joye Prue

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.

More from CafeMom: 31 Meaningful Quotes That Look Lovely as Tattoos (PHOTOS)

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Family Banner-placeholder
Family Banner
Hans Gutknecht

Family Banner

A name in a banner is a classic way to honor someone -- this one is in really great script and wraps around with the names of his children. This is a large tattoo, which makes it a bold and distinctive choice.

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Pops of Color
Christina Watson

Pops of Color

For her son who is a Taurus, Christina got this tattoo with his name as well. The font choice for this tattoo makes it really pop!

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Initial-placeholder
Initial
Michele Zipp

Initial

Getting a child's initial is another way to honor motherhood or fatherhood. Consider putting that initial in something representative ... like a heart. This is simple but meaningful and can be placed almost anywhere on the body.

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Old-Timey Look
unclejosh13/Instagram

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. 

More from CafeMom: 15 Tattoos That Pay Homage to the Beauty & Bonding of Breastfeeding (PHOTOS)

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Named Arrows
jjparks_tattooer/Instagram

Named Arrows

Motherhood can change really change a woman's direction in life, so why not get a tattoo that shows a sense of direction? We love this idea. Arrows are always a cool design to get tattooed, and adding the kids' names to them makes it even more amazing.

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Floral-placeholder
Floral
porky1120/Instagram

Floral

Flowers, especially roses, are a classic tattoo design. We love the black and gray in this timeless rose tattoo featuring a child's name. This is another option that works well for almost any body part and at almost any size.

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Favorite Things-placeholder
Favorite Things
tattooartist_dano/Instagram

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.

More from CafeMom: My First Tattoo: 16 Women Share Their Stories

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Kids as Artists
foxtrotmraztattooer/Instagram

Kids as Artists

We love a tattoo that is drawn by hand, especially when the drawing is from a child. This is a sweet tattoo featuring two mini drawings done by this woman's child. This is one to truly cherish forever.

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Kid's Signature
5thelementtattooparlor/Instagram

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.

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Honoring the Bond
studio316piercing/Instagram

Honoring the Bond

This gorgeous tattoo truly honors the bond of mother and child. And the word "forever" is so simple and powerful, just like a mother's love.

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Stick Figure Family
stifftattoo/Instagram

Stick Figure Family

Forget getting a stick figure family sticker for the family car -- go permanent and get one tattooed! This is clever and adds a dash of humor.

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Matching Family Ink
stifftattoo/Instagram

Matching Family Ink

Parenting is a team effort, so why not get a team tattoo? This loving mom and dad got matching family tattoos to represent their whole family. Too cute!

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Unconditional Love-placeholder
Unconditional Love
bennymac_tattoos/Instagram

Unconditional Love

The words are perfect and exactly how a mother feels. The image is bold, striking, and beautiful. Adding the names takes it to a whole other level of love.

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Family Tree-placeholder
Family Tree
vintageinktattoo/Instagram

Family Tree

This is not just the tree of life, but of this mother's life. It beautifully captures her silhouette as well as that of her child's within the trees. This one is so striking in black and white.

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