Mom Arrested After Giving Her 11-year-old a Tattoo

[charl_huntress]

http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/mom-arrested-giving-her-11-old-tattoo-194700542.html

If your pre-teen wanted a tattoo, would you let her get one? A North Carolina mom who moonlights as a tattoo artist figured it would be fine, and now she's in trouble with police for giving her 11-year-old daughter a tattoo.

"She asked me to do it," 30-year-old Odessa Clay, who sports plenty of her own body art, told WCTI-TV. The tattoo is of a small heart near the girl's right shoulder.

Clay told the TV station that she thought minors could get tattoos as long as their parents approved; given that she's the girl's mother, she didn't think it would be a problem. Clay, who also hangs drywall and sells Mary Kay products, according to her public Facebook page, said that she used her own tattoo instruments and numbed her daughter's arm before permanently drawing on the outline of a heart.

"I didn't fill it in," she said, adding that the girl was not in any pain.

Given that she inked her daughter last year, but wasn't arrested until late September, Clay says that she thinks a former in-law told police about her daughter's body art in retaliation for the police report that Clay filed recently against her daughter's paternal grandfather. Clay is due in court next month to face a single count of tattooing a person under the age of 18, and has not been charged with child abuse.

At least her daughter's tattoo is tiny. In June, a 13-year-old boy in Washington state went on a trip with a family friend and returned with a 6-inch tattoo of a dragon on his chest.

"The parents were not happy about it," police told The Associated Press. "The parents would not have allowed or condoned it."

Almost every state requires parental permission in order to tattoo a minor; in North Carolina and 13 other states, kids under age 18 can't get tattoos even if their parents do approve. (You can find a state-by-state listing of body art regulations here.) The reasoning is that kids, no matter how savvy they seem, aren't mature enough to make life-altering decisions on their own.

Earlier this year, Chuntera Napier was arrested in Georgia and charged with child cruelty and being party to a crime after she allowed her 10-year-old son, Gaquan, to get a tattoo in honor of his late brother.

"I always thought if a parent gives consent, then it's fine," Napier said in January. "How can somebody else say it's not OK? He's my child, and I have a right to say what I want for my child."

What do you think? Why is it acceptable to have your child's ears pierced, even multiple times, but illegal to allow them to get a tattoo?

 

[DarkSovereignty]

can't you, ya know, REMOVE an earring?

 

[Project862006]

daughter wanted it mom gave her one whats the problem

 

[Sawyer]

Mom Arrested After Giving Her 11-year-old a

*prepares to be disgusted*

Tattoo

Oh, that's it?

 

[Hotwire]

What do you think? Why is it acceptable to have your child's ears pierced, even multiple times, but illegal to allow them to get a tattoo?

See below.

can't you, ya know, REMOVE an earring?

daughter wanted it mom gave her one whats the problem

She's 11. Part of being a parent is telling your child, "No," every now and then.

 

[Warhammer]

Okay, people are freaking out. What exactly is wrong? Objectively, kids not having tattoos is a social norm and nothing more. I challenge one person to dispute that claim.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

did the article say what the tattoo was of?

 

[Warhammer]

My mistake. Wrong info.

 

[SpideyVille]

The only thing I wonder is that when the child grows up, wouldn't the tattoo stretch and not look the same?

 

[charl_huntress]

did the article say what the tattoo was of?

Yes, the mother arrested in this story gave her daughter a non filled in small heart near her shoulder.

The article details other kids who have gotten tatts, but for this particuar one the mother in NC gave her daughter a tatt of a small non filled in heart.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

The only thing I wonder is that when the child grows up, wouldn't the tattoo stretch and not look the same?

exactly, and plus, she's 11, she's may think the heart or whatever is cool now, but she'll be pining over something else next week she's not physically or emotionally mature enough to make a decision like having an image etched into your flesh that can only be removed by a laser.

 

[Hotwire]

exactly, and plus, she's 11, she's may think the heart or whatever is cool now, but she'll be pining over something else next week she's not physically or emotionally mature enough to make a decision like having an image etched into your flesh that can only be removed by a laser.

Pretty much. At her age, her wants and desires are fickle at best. She's far too young make that decision. Honestly, even at 18 some people still don't have the maturity for tattoos but, at that age, there's not really anything you can do to stop them.

 

[SuperFerret]

EH, I don't see any reason for her to be arrested. Sure, it's a stupid mistake, but nothing the authorities need to stick their noses into.

 

[Warhammer]

My gripe is that this whole thing is government punishable for some reason. There are worse things going on and if she actually got sent to jail, it'd be a complete waste of the taxpayer's dollars. Say what you want about whether it's right or wrong for a child to have a tattoo, but it's not like it's domestic violence.

Tiger moms aren't being convicted. Moms on Toddlers and Tiaras aren't being convicted. This mother (regardless of personal opinion on children with tattoos) should not be convicted. It's an unnecessary waste of time.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

the mom should be to forced to get "Dumb Ass" tattooed on her forehead.

 

[SpideyVille]

I agree, I even think I remember hearing something once about how most children aren't completely consciously aware of their decisions, thoughts and consequences until at least age 12. So it wouldn't be surprising for them to regret having a tattoo at a later age. But then again, it also depends on the environment they grow up in. It might be more acceptable since the mother is a tattoo artist and has her own tattoos.

I think my biggest issue with this is not so much that the mother allowed it, because she is the child's mother and I cant say anything about raising kids, but moreso about what it says about society and how much earlier young children are doing things these days. I mean nowadays, its almost natural to see young and pre-teens having cell phones, facebook or other social media accounts, dress as though they are young adults, and unfortunately have access to cigarettes and alcohol. It just seems like such a change from 10-15 years ago when I was young.

 

[Hotwire]

My gripe is that this whole thing is government punishable for some reason. There are worse things going on and if she actually got sent to jail, it'd be a complete waste of the taxpayer's dollars. Say what you want about whether it's right or wrong for a child to have a tattoo, but it's not like it's domestic violence.

Tiger moms aren't being convicted. Moms on Toddlers and Tiaras aren't being convicted. This mother (regardless of personal opinion on children with tattoos) should not be convicted. It's an unnecessary waste of time.

So, then we make it perfectly legal for parents to tattoo their kids if the kid asks for it? And when the kid decides they don't want the tattoo anymore, because at 11 your mind changes more often than your clothes, do the parents have to subject the kid to laser treatments to remove it, or take them for a cover up job? I understand where you're coming from but, there are certain laws in place to draw a line somewhere. Should mom go to jail for this, probably not. I'd be in favor of a fine, though. Maybe a couple parenting classes on how to say, "No," to your kids. But, not jail.

 

[SuperFerret]

So, then we make it perfectly legal for parents to tattoo their kids if the kid asks for it? And when the kid decides they don't want the tattoo anymore, because at 11 your mind changes more often than your clothes, do the parents have to subject the kid to laser treatments to remove it, or take them for a cover up job? I understand where you're coming from but, there are certain laws in place to draw a line somewhere. Should mom go to jail for this, probably not. I'd be in favor of a fine, though. Maybe a couple parenting classes on how to say, "No," to your kids. But, not jail.

Yes.

And this is a great lesson on why you should say "No." to your kids.

Provided, of course, the kid eventually wants it changed. It doesn't necessarily work like that, you know.

 

[OctaviusINC]

When I was in 4th grade or so I wanted a tattoo of a flaming 8-ball.

I thought it would be so "rad".

Thank god this woman wasn't my mom because I'd have one lame ass tattoo on my arm.

 

[Hotwire]

When I was in 4th grade or so I wanted a tattoo of a flaming 8-ball.

I thought it would be so "rad".

Thank god this woman wasn't my mom because I'd have one lame ass tattoo on my arm.

In my junior year I drew a yin-yang on my left hand between my thumb and index finger. Was so certain I would get that tattoo. Even though, I'm now 36 and have several tattoos, I'm glad that's not one of them.

Ferret, are you in favor of making anything illegal?

 

[knowsbleed]

Of course the daughter shouldn't get it.The daughter didn't go through the proper rituals of womanhood yet to earn the tattoo.

 

[SuperFerret]

Ferret, are you in favor of making anything illegal?

Yes, I am. This, however, falls into the "mind your own business" category.

 

[Hotwire]

Yes, I am. This, however, falls into the "mind your own business" category.

Well, given the health risks involved with tattoos and their permanency, I can't come up with any reason why it should be legal to tattoo your preteens, or teens for that matter. Why would any one support letting kids get tattoos?

 

[SuperFerret]

Which health risks are those, if you will? It seems to me that since it's become a common thing to do, it's gotten much safer to get a tattoo.

 

[Lantern Venom]

Tattoos are inherently risky, especially for people who don't have the proper credentials. The article says the mom "moonlights" as a tat artist, but that doesn't clarify her actual training.

But does the law really need to be involved with something like this? I think not. The mom wasn't being intentionally neglectful or abusive, which is the only reason they should be involved.