A hot new trend is not seeing young teens headed for tattoo ink and tattoo studios. Instead, a recent trend involves parents who are bracing the rotary tattoo machine and tattooing needles at studios in order to get a permanent reminder of their children. Many parents note that their children are their greatest accomplishment and they want to flaunt that accomplishment on their skin. As well, since parenthood is one of the major milestones of life, it just makes sense that people turn to tattoo machines and tattoo ink to commemorate it. Unlike romantic relationships, the relationship between parents and children really is life-long, so there is also less risk with this type of tattoo.

Parent tattoos vary widely. Some parents have their children’s names tattooed on their body. Other parents choose a symbol – such as stars or flowers – to represent each of their children. Some parents even opt for entire portraits of their children on their bodies. Teen Mom star Amber Portwood, for example, had a portrait of her child’s face tattooed on her stomach. Others have their child’s handprints, footprints, birth date or other details tattooed on their skin.

One of the more unique trends involves having the children choose the tattoo. Parents such as Thomas Macaluso are choosing a drawing completed by their children as a basis for a tattoo design. Thomas Macaluso, for example, took a drawing his 5-year-old son had drawn and took it to a tattoo studio to have it transferred to his skin. Some parents have their children print their names and have that signature tattooed on. It’s true that children are not the best drawers, but Macaluso has no regrets, saying that he smiles every time he sees his tattoo. Parents are looking for unique ways to commemorate their children, and unique tattoos are one way to do that. Letting a child select a tattoo makes the tattoo really a commemoration of the child. Now that tattoo inks and tattoo supplies are so sophisticated, tattoo artists can capture the drawing of a child very accurately, creating a perfect replica on the skin.

Symbolic tattoos are less risky and involve a parent choosing the best symbol for a child. Inevitably, the symbol associated with the child may change as the child grows, which is why many parents opt for names or birth dates. There are many creative twists on this ideal. Angelina Jolie, for example, has coordinates marking where each of her children were adopted or born.