Devon Preston
May 7th, 2020
Tattoos to Make Your Mom Shed a Tear
Would you get a tattoo for your mom?
With Mother’s Day right around the corner, we’ve put together some of our favorite tattoos dedicated to the bond between mother and child. And if you’re wondering if this editor has a tattoo for her mama, you bet your bottom dollar I do.
Growing up, bother my parents were collectors. My dad collects pocket knives, which is seriously less cool than it sounds. And my mom collects nesting or matryoshka dolls. But not just your average babushka looking figures, oh no, this collection has some far out characters. From woodland creatures to Santa Claus (we have at least five different versions of him) to one that’s just different types of tractors—we could open a small museum of these chachkies. Growing up, my sister and I would often get a different nesting doll for Christmas and it was always fun to open them up to see how small the figures got. But let me tell you, the sound they make when the two pieces of wood scrape together could make angels cry—it’s that bad.
As an adult, I’ve taken to collecting myself and primarily focus on collecting tattoos from my favorite artists around the world. To me, I want to relish in the opportunity to grab different pieces from a variety of artists—whether they specialize in traditional, blackwork, realism or geometric. But, from the get go, I knew that I’d eventually want to get a tattoo for my parents and to work in their collections into that homage.
So, a little over two years ago, I decided to visit Myra Brodsky at Red Rocket Tattoo in NYC for two neo-traditional pieces on the tops of my thighs. I of course went with a classic nesting doll for my mom, which despite her disdain for my tattoos, I know she secretly likes. Getting a tattoo for your parents is something super special and if you’re thinking of doing it, I say go for it. Unlike a romantic partner, you’ll be bonded to your family for life and these tattoos are my way of showing my pride for my weird family of kooky collectors.
If you’re considering getting a tattoo for your mom, we’ve put together a collection of tattoos that would make any mama shed a tear or two. These tattoos are definitely on-the-nose tributes, so feel free to do what I did and make your tribute more personal. However, there’s nothing wrong with going literal either! Take a look at the mother approved ink in the gallery below, then let us know how you’re celebrating mother’s day on social media.
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