I loved tattoos ever since I got my first one back in college (sorry, mom), but after having kids, I was all about searching for unique tattoo ideas for parents. For me, it was about honoring the journey of becoming a mom, as well as keeping a little part of my kids with me as I know that all too soon they’ll be grown up and not up my arm pit every five seconds. Ha.
Turns out, I’m not the only one with unique tattoos that celebrate parenthood. I hit up a bunch of my friends — online and offline — who generously offered to share their tattoo ideas right here.
So, whether you just love looking at tattoos or you’re looking for some inspiration for your own tattoo, take a peek at these 12 unique tattoo ideas for parents.
Related: Cool temporary tattoos that look totally real
Kid name tattoos
With the names of his son (in Mark Twain’s handwriting, actually), and the tree honoring his wife, I love how Charlie from How to Be a Dad took the fairly common concept of tattooing your kid’s name on your arm and turned it up a notch. Also, placement is everything.
I’m obsessed with how our friend Yvonne‘s kid name tattoo. Isn’t it gorgeous? Like Charlie’s tattoo, this name arrow tattoo showcases her kids’ names, but at a very cool new level.
Jason’s ocean wave tattoo is a very subtle way to incorporate your kids’ names into a tattoo idea for parents. If you look very closely, you can see Zoe and Lucas spelled out in the waves.
Baby feet tattoos
To honor her son who was born very premature, Laura from Adventures in Juggling had a tattoo of tiny baby feet inked on her chest. What’s really wonderful: these are the actual size of his feet when he was born.
Related: Wear your favorite book on your sleeve with these cool temporary tattoos
Kids’ art tattoos
You can always look at your kid’s own art pads for inspiration, which is exactly what Mike at Puzzling Posts did. He’s got a bunch of adorable kid art drawing tattoos on his arms. That is a whole new take on a mermaid tattoo!
I recently had my own daughter’s amazing artwork tattooed on my forearm. (She’s 12 — pretty great, right?) It turned out that this was just a scribble she had done on a napkin, but it spoke to me, so I brought it to a local tattoo artist who created a fantastic interpretation. I’m so happy with the result.
Kid’s nickname tattoos
Jenn‘s daughter’s nickname is Magpie so to honor her, she had this gorgeous magpie tattooed on her back. It’s such a lovely way to honor your parenting journey in a subtle way. Well, granted this is one fabulously big tattoo, but you get the idea.
Symbolic tattoos
My friend Chris from Sea Black Prints has this amazing tattoo sleeve created in honor of his family. He’s the ship, and his three girls are represented by the birds. Not seen: The message in a bottle for his wife.
This gorgeous butterfly, moth and ladybug tattoo on mom Joanne actually represents her daughter’s aspirations to become an entomologist. And hey, even if she changes her mind, this beautiful tattoo is timeless.
Kid’s (or parent’s) Handwriting tattoos
So, this tattoo is actually courtesy of the adult daughter of our friend Kelly, from Mocha Momma, but the concept is fantastic for parents too. This is actually her mom’s own handwriting with a song lyric that Kelly used to sing to her as a baby. I also love the idea of having your child write something, their own name perhaps?, and having that tattooed on you.
Best friend tattoos
If your kids are old enough, I’m digging the concept of best friend tattoos. Mir (from Woulda Coulda Shoulda)and her teen got these semicolon tattoos together — a symbol of the movement that’s dedicated to the love of support of those struggling with mental illness — and they’re lovely.
Related: Beautiful custom braille jewelry – Understatement is always in style
Kid initial tattoos
One of my favorite tattoo ideas for parents is this braille tattoo on my wrist. Each braille letter represents the first initial of each of my four kids. I think it’s a small, subtle way to pay homage to my children, and I’ve received tons of compliments when people realize just what it is.
Got cool tattoo ideas for parents? Have your own tattoo honoring your kids? Leave a link or description in the comments! We’d love to hear about it.
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