This viewpoint editorial on being a tattooed mom in today’s society was written by the Tattooed Moms Club Founder, Terry A. Cutlip. Heavily tattooed with two kids, she has faced quite a few judgmental stares and comments. Even so, she’s still aware that she is a badass!
As women, society judges us. Whether it is our clothing, our hair, the men we date, or the type of career we have.
Then, when we become mothers, the judgment is even harsher.
We’re either doing too much, not enough, or we’re just doing it all wrong. Society judges us based on its preconceived notions of what a mother should and should not be and how a mother should and should not look.
It seems the general opinion is that once a woman becomes a mother she should focus all of her time and energy on her child(ren) and do nothing for herself. If we buy ourselves Starbucks we’re somehow neglecting our child on some level. We go to the salon we’re labeled superficial and vain. If we wear nice clothing we’re selfish. It’s never ending.
Now, add into the mix tattoos.
Having tattoos must mean we are poor, uneducated, and unemployed. How can a poor, uneducated, and unemployed woman raise a child or multiple children? The more tattoos a mom has the harsher she is judged. Even though it is 2018 and they are so much more mainstream than they have ever been, tattoos are still somewhat taboo. A heavily tattooed mom that also has a lot of piercings is judged even more than just a mom with visible tattoos!
Not only are childless women with tattoos judged; a tattooed mom is almost like the anti-Christ in some circles! Moms with tattoos can’t possibly be good moms. We can’t possibly be nurturing or loving. We can’t possibly know what we’re doing.
WHAT??
So let’s get this straight – society deems us unloving, unkind, and bad parents because we have artwork displayed on our bodies. How does that make sense?
My opinion is that maybe some mothers are envious of us. Maybe they don’t have the “guts” to get a tattoo! Maybe some of them have an irrational fear of us. After all, tattooed people in general are angry and mean, right?! Regardless, we tattooed moms are in a class all our own – and that’s okay with us.
We are loving, creative, independent, strong, kind and definitely more colorful! But really, that’s the only difference between a tattooed mom and a non-tattooed mom; lots of colors and beautiful meaningful artwork that we wear on our bodies. Every one of us is so much more than the tattoos on our bodies that society wants to use to define us! Every one of us is also still an individual person even though we gave birth to a child and became a mother. These three things are NOT mutually exclusive: being tattooed, being a mom, and being an interesting individual. We happen to be all three, which makes each of us one badass mother!
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