GROWING UP, my exposure to tattoos involved Easter. In every package of Paas Easter egg dye came a selection of washable tattoos.
Mom suggested we wait until after Easter Sunday church services to apply the tattoos to our arms. Apparently she thought inked skin unsuitable for our Lutheran church. Sometimes we waited. Sometimes we didn’t. I won’t pretend that my siblings and I were always angelic kids who listened.
Those are my thoughts whenever I see washable tattoos. On the Fourth of July, my niece Tara pulled out two patriotic-themed tattoos she’d saved from some event.
My almost-six-year-old great niece, Ari, was thrilled about getting a tatoo:
STEP ONE: Apply tattoo with a damp washcloth.
STEP TWO: Remove the washcloth and paper for the great reveal.
STEP THREE: Blow on the tattoo.
DISTRACTION: Even the distraction of the camera did not stop Ari from following instructions.
STEP FOUR: Show off your tattoo.
But my two-year-old great nephew, Hank, was not quite as thrilled:
STEP ONE: Apply a tattoo to a curious Hank.
STEP TWO: Reveal a USA tattoo to a seemingly uninterested Hank.
HANK CONTEMPLATING.
STEP THREE: Promptly scratch off the tattoo.
That’s the thing about tattoos. Some people like them and some don’t. I do. But only if they’re the washable kind.
© Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
i got a heart tattoo with Harper at Lakeside. They make them a lot sturdier than they used to, let me tell you! It stayed several days and I had to get an alcohol prep pad from my sister in law to get it off! 🙂 The flag ones are beautiful. Great photo series!
I got one of those tattoos a few years ago, too, and, yes, they make ’em a lot better these days. I think mine was on for a few weeks.
Love those!!! Would make really great “real” ‘tats’!!!!! You are so right, though, ya either love them (the real ones) or………not! Of course, I/we definitely do!!!! (no surprise…..hmmm???)
You do have that slightly “wild” side, don’t you?
My mom would totally concur!!!!!!! That’s the side that mystifies her!!!!
Yeah, but you’re a “good wild.” I think it’s the 70s hippie in you and DH.
LOL!!!!!
My kids had fun with those kind of tattoos. We had flowers, dinosaurs, cartoon characters….And, later, Abby and I got henna tattoos every summer at one of the local art fairs. Those were so pretty! Now, we’ve each got some carefully considered permanent ones. Yup, it’s not for everyone.
“Carefully considered” makes for a good permanent tattoo decision, I say.
Washable patriotic-themed tattoos are really sort of cool. Longer lasting henna (think Indian weddings) designs are also intriguing. But for most of the tats I see I think of my uncle post-WW2 who told all us children “Don’t ever do it. Everyone who has a tattoo wishes that he hadn’t got it.” That was back when only men had tats and removal was deemed impossible. Now I’ve been told that tattoo removalists are a growth industry.
I see your uncle’s point because all too often these tattoo decisions are made at a young age and not thought out.
BroCraves was into the temporary tattoo while I just stickered anything and everything – ha! These are really nice – thanks for sharing in pictures 🙂 I have a few tats and they are called scars and earned every one of them too – ha! Happy Thursday 🙂
Oh, the sticker days. My girls were into stickers. Big time.
As long as they’re not the permanent kind. I just can’t stand tattoos and with all the inking going on at the moment I think a good future business will be laser tattoo removal. When all these 20-somethings come to their senses, they’ll be lining up outside the laser shops xx
I wouldn’t doubt that.
I totally enjoyed the play-by-play of these two sweet kiddo’s getting their tattoo’s! Those tattoo’s are actually quite beautiful, so bright and colorful 🙂
It was fun to watch them. Hank really did not want a tattoo. And once he saw it on his leg he really did not like the tattoo.