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A mom, who described her and her husband as “heavily tattooed,” wrote into the “r/Parenting” subreddit to ask if she was “causing detriment” to her 6-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son because of their ink and the attention they brought with it.

Apparently, CPS was called because the kids showed up to school with tattoos drawn on their arms. The mom worried that her kids were being judged for no reason other than their parents’ body art. If kids without tattooed parents showed up with fake tattoos, it likely wouldn’t have been an issue. 

One of the many challenges of parenthood comes when you compare your parenting style to someone else’s. Many parents wonder whether they’re raising their kids the right way or causing harm because of how they choose to parent.

CPS showed up at the home of ‘heavily tattooed’ parents because their kids went to school with fake tattoos drawn on their arms.

Case workers from the Department of Children and Family Services were called to their home after their kids had gone to school with fake tattoos. The mom explained the situation, and the caseworkers replied that, while “they didn’t think there was an issue, [they] still had to do an investigation to satisfy the report.”

“Our rule has been [that] they can put any age-appropriate artwork they want on their bodies as long as they aren’t doing it when they’re supposed to be doing something else,” she wrote.

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The mom said she made sure to check the school handbook to see if there were any rules against fake tattoos for students. Since she didn’t find any guidelines against faux tattoos, she told her kids they could wear them to school, as long as the drawings were school-appropriate.

While neither the school administrators nor the teachers seemed to have a problem with her kids’ drawn-on tattoos, other parents did.

: Scientists Say People With Two Or More Tattoos Often Develop A Biological Protection That Others Miss Out On

There’s been a significant shift in the social acceptance of tattoos in recent years, but there are still plenty of people offended by body art.

A 2019 Ipsos poll found that 30% of Americans have at least one tattoo. As more people get tattoos, the cultural conversation around them has shifted into one of more acceptance. AARP research from 2025 found that 75% of American adults believe “society has become more accepting of people with tattoos,” and among adults without tattoos, 71% have a “neutral impression” when they see others with tattoos. 

Unfortunately, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and in the case of these parents, only a few people had to make a stink in order to cause them trouble. The mom noted that she and her husband are “quite heavily tattooed,” a choice that other parents seemed to have an issue with. “We both have approximately 80% of our bodies covered with them,” she stated.

Another mom complained that because of her kids’ fake tattoos, her own child is now intrigued by tattoos. She reported that the mom was upset with them for “introducing that to their child at an ‘inappropriate age.’”

While the mom has been able to field other parents’ complaints, those complaints escalated when “someone anonymously reported us for allowing a 6 and 9-year-old to get tattoos,” and the caseworkers showed up.

: Teacher Demands Dad Cover Up His Tattoos When Picking Up His Son From School

The majority of parental responses she received were positive and supportive of her decision to let her kids tattoo themselves.

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The mom asked Reddit if she was doing something wrong by letting her kids draw the “skin-safe, washable, age-appropriate” tattoos. Needless to say, the response was overwhelmingly supportive.

The fact is, as some parents noted, her kids’ hand-drawn tattoos were no different than the temporary tattoos all kids love, regardless of whether their parents have ink or not. “I let my kid put standard temporary tattoos on,” noted one parent. “I don’t see how this is any different other than being more creative and requiring much better fine motor skills.”

Someone else stated that the experience is “a great learning opportunity” to “teach them about acceptance and bias.” Adding, “They’re getting older and will have friends who won’t be accepted for their lifestyle choices — it will give your children an advantage to know that adults aren’t always right nor kind.”

“There will always be another parent that thinks ‘you’re parenting wrong,’” came another supportive comment from a parent.

Anger researcher and professor of psychology Ryan Martin, Ph.D., explained, “Some people may see decisions other parents make as a symptom of something bigger. For example, the regular churchgoer might see someone who does not take his or her kids to church as a symptom of societal decay. Someone who does not make their kids say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ might be considered a symptom of a bigger problem, the lack of manners and civility in society today. These decisions then do feel like they are provocations, at least indirectly, to the person who witnesses them.”

He also noted that most parents are simply insecure about their own parenting, and putting others down bolsters their confidence. It doesn’t make it right, but it does offer an explanation as to why some parents can be so mean and critical of other parents.

The tattooed mom is letting her kids express themselves artistically in a safe way, despite what other parents think.

Kids look up to their parents, and her kids are no different. Her kids have always been “very enamored” with their tattoos. “Whether we meant to or not, I think we just inadvertently taught them that skin is for art,” she explained.

Her tattoos became a focus of how the kids to her and their dad. She said that her kids “sit and trace [the tattoos], as they got old enough to talk, they started picking out ones they liked on us and asking us to draw it on them, which we always did.” She wrote, “I always thought it was a nice bonding activity.” 

As the kids grew older, they drew on their own arms with pens, so the mom bought skin-safe markers as a compromise. “The kids love it,” she said, and drawing tattoos has become an activity she and her kids do together.

“They’re always asking dad or me to sit down so they can try and copy some of ours…  stuff that to us seems harmless and fun for them.”

: Women With Tattoos Usually Share This Beautiful Personality Trait, Says Science

Alexandra Blogier, MFA, is a writer who covers psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help topics, and human interest stories.