Parents With Tattoos: 'Lagi Kaming Jina-Judge Kesyo We Won't Be Good Role Models'

How do kids perceive their parents who have tattoos? Not just the subtle, minimalist I-got-this-as-a-souvenir-from-a-vacation kind. We mean half-sleeve, full-sleeve, or 37 tattoos on their bodies!

It's a curious question we asked four parents with big kids in the Smart Parenting community. From their responses, it's not as bad as society sees them.

Parents with tattoos share how kids perceive them

'They don't see me as a bad parent'

Dad of two, Kino Constantino, shared with Smart Parenting what inspired him to get his first tattoo, "Wifey wanted me to get one [when I had a] battle with depression." 

The 42-year-old dad from Talamban, Cebu has three tattoos that might throw you off at first if you don't know the meaning behind them. 

"My wolf tattoo on my left arm signifies protection, warding anything negative and protecting one's family. [My] right arm tattoo is a Play Station 1 controller. I got this last year with one of my best friends. It signifies how old our friendship is. Then, a One Piece anime right leg tattoo—this is the anime that saved me from my troubling mind," he explained.

He shared how his kids ages 15 and 6 reacted when they first saw his tats, "Well, they are cool about it. When my son first saw my tattoo in 2015, he asked me, "When can I get a tattoo?" I just told him that once you reach 35 years old. That was the first time I had mine."

"With my One Piece tattoo, I got them to watch great animes that teach great values! It's a great conversation starter." —Kino Constantino

"As for my daughter, she still keeps asking me from time to time when I will put them on my right arm with the wolf," he added.

Kino is confident that his kids do not view him negatively due to his body art. "They see my tattoos as art and how much they give meaning to who I am. Good thing, they don't see me as a bad parent just because I have tattoos," he said.

He maintains, "Most people I know have tattoos, and they don't define who they are. They are amazing people! Kind-hearted and mostly battling something within."

"As for my kids, I always explain to them why I got these designs because they are very curious. With my One Piece tattoo, I got them to watch great animes that teach great values! It's a great conversation starter," he said.

READ ALSO: Bianca Gonzalez Gets Tattoos Of Daughters' Names: Their Names On My Skin 'Feels Magical’

'Having the freedom to do what you love'

Meanwhile, Erin Santiago, said that she had undergone six tattoo sessions. She had always wanted a tattoo when she was younger but only got her first while she embarked on a weight loss journey 6 years ago. "Initially, I liked it because I thought it made a person unique. A form of self-expression I wanted," the 37-year-old mom from Paranaque City told Smart Parenting.

Erin's first tattoo was a feather and bird design she found on Google. She had it when she was having self-esteem issues. The others were about family. "My favorite tattoos would be my son's name on my right arm and an elephant on my upper arm that symbolizes me as a parent. My most recent one is a flower bouquet outer full-sleeve for my family members who have passed. It has four mahjong tiles, which represent my four sisters."

"I want my children to grow up not judging others based on external appearance and hopefully be more accepting of differences." —Erin Santiago

Her kids were aged 14 and 6 when she had the largest tattoo piece done, and they thought it was pretty cool. "They think I liked having them so I keep doing it. That's the point, right? Having the freedom to do what you love," she said.

Erin doesn't mind attending school events with her tattoos for the world to see. "I try and teach my children to be kind and not be judgmental of other people just because they have tattoos or they do not look like them. I want my children to grow up not judging others based on external appearance and hopefully be more accepting of differences."

'3 out of my four kids have tattoos' 

Yvette Yntig, 48, from Cebu City, has four adult kids. Her eldest is 26, and her youngest is 19. Since she was a kid, she had loved and longed for tattoos, but growing up in a conservative environment kept her from getting inked.

"They know me inside and out, that when I decide over something, it's a holistic matter of choices, thought over time." —Yvette Yntig

"It was during my tumultuous marriage that, symbolically, I got my first, a huge one, on my back, freeing me from the ideas and ideals of society," she told Smart Parenting. As of writing, Yvette has 13 tattoos and each one represents her beliefs.

She said her four children are very accepting of her tattoos, "They know me inside and out, that when I decide over something, it's a holistic matter of choices, thought over time."

"My eldest, third, and youngest kids have tattoos. The second will be getting one soon," she added.

For Yvette, having tattoos is not just about the art or the symbols behind it, "It's more about standing unfazed and courageously in what you believe in, regardless of how the world sees you." And it's something she wants to pass on to her kids, "To live free with responsibility, never fear the unknown. Never be judgmental, and to love yourself more than anything in this world."

'My tattoos hold beautiful stories that inspire and shape my role as a parent'

Ann Savage, a Smart Parenting Mom Squad member, is an amazing mom of five and tattoo artist based in Cebu.

"I was tattooing for two years without a tattoo on myself," the 37-year-old Tattooed Mom said, "So I thought, to fully embrace the path that I chose as an artist, dapat pala may tattoo ako so I can relate to my clients. Because every time tinatanong nila ako, “Will it be painful?” hindi ko masagot dati kasi wala din akong tattoo."

Ann's partner made her first tattoo, and it was a tattoo machine. She explained, "I fell in love with my work and feeling ko kasi na this is my calling talaga."

She also has portraits of her kids and an image of Santo Niño, "Kasama siya sa success story ko, namin mag-asawa after all the hardships. I have 37 tattoos in total if I’m right," she revealed.

When it comes to her kids, Ann says they are very comfortable with it. Her eldest child is 14, while her youngest is 4. "They even keep bragging [about] me and their dad sa schoolmates nila na cool daw kami, especially mahilig din kasi sila sa art, they draw too."

"We always explain to our kids na “Never judge a book by it’s cover” talaga kasi hindi yun basehan kung gaano kabuti yung tao." —Ann Savage

She added, "One thing lang na ayaw nila is whenever I get a tattoo, naaawa yung 5-year-old and 4-year-old ko sakin kasi yung healing process yung mahirap for me, the pain during the tattoo session for me is bearable but yung healing masakit."

Her tattoos remind her to embrace individuality and teach her children the beauty of self-expression, "As a tattooed mom, my inked canvas symbolizes strength, creativity, and an unbreakable bond. And I’m proud to say that my tattoos hold beautiful stories that inspire and shape my role as a parent."

Like the three other parents, Ann believes the art on her skin is more than just ink, "It's a visual reminder to my kids that life is a canvas waiting to be filled with endless possibilities. And I’ve always remind them back when we started na walang naniniwala sa amin ng daddy nila, palagi kaming jina-judge kesyo marami kaming tattoo we won’t be good role models to our kids daw.

But we always explain to our kids na “Never judge a book by it’s cover” talaga kasi hindi yun basehan kung gaano kabuti yung tao."

READ ALSO: Meet The 2023 Smart Parenting Mom Squad: 18 Trailblazing Moms Leading The Way In Smart Parenting

From where we stand, parents with tattoos should be celebrated, and not be treated with disrespect and doubt. Tattoos are a form of art, a means of self-expression, and an ode to family. If their kids can understand this, love them and accept them for who they are, then who are we to judge?