By Melissa Janisin of goodnessmadness.com
Ahhhh, a baby’s milestones. It is truly awe-inspiring, isn’t it? Watching as baby smiles at you for the first time, takes their first steps, tumbles down their first set of stairs at the un-baby-proofed home of a friend whose children have outgrown the baby gates. Here at Infant Ink, we know how fascinating it is to watch babies grow and learn and change.
And speaking of milestones, we know you’ll want to give special consideration to one of the most important ones in your little blessing’s life – Baby’s First Tattoo! The fact is, no matter who you are or where you live, you can count on your child getting a) a social security number and b) a tattoo. As they say, “Tattoos are the new birthmark.”
And as a parent, you are uniquely positioned to decide exactly which stupid bullshit image your child should be forced to live with forever. Why let a toddler or preschooler make an immature, ill-advised, and possibly drunken decision as to their very first ink? Do your newborn a favor – bring them to Infant Ink today!
To get you ready for your visit, following is a list of some of our favorite themes for baby’s first permanent marking. You can use these ideas as a basis for your own distinctive design, and we’ll work with you to ensure a smooth and successful ink experience for both you and your baby.
Elmo. While it’s true that your child may well outgrow his Elmo phase by the time he reaches nursery school, we’ve found that our customers do not grow to regret youthful tattoo choices nearly as often as one might believe. As a recent client told us, “You can say what you want about your ‘one-hit wonders,’ but I still love Chumbawamba. So fuck off.”
A rendering of your best Pinterest board. Because after all, your baby’s branding should say as much about your personality as it does about hers. And who doesn’t like a few adorable DIY ideas? A bonus is that by the time your child is in college, you may have actually completed one of the adorable DIY ideas.
A cool-looking infinity thingy, possibly involving feathers. Based on how popular these have been lately, we are pretty sure everyone loves infinity. And also feathers.
Your pet. Everyone knows that pets are an excellent way to ease your child into the notion of death. We say, why not let Lola or Lady live on, right there on the small of baby’s back?
A sleeve. Honestly? Go big or go home.
A grouping of fancy arrows. This is an excellent choice for the face, as it can come in handy during games of “Where’s your nose? There’s your nose!”
A nice tribal design. Which will go nicely with your own nice tribal design, and also have just as much meaning.
Stick figure families. They’re not just for cars – they’re actually fun, informative, and easy to draw. Special this month only: buy a parent, get a child for free! *Pets extra.
Any image from your grown-up coloring book. Just get the outline; don’t get it colored in. Stop on the way home for some non-toxic, BPA-free washable markers, and then next time baby won’t stop crying, you can soothe yourself with a nice coloring session, right there on your baby!
Baby’s name and/or the coordinates of his or her birth location. Written in Chinese letters and possibly misspelled so that it actually reads “I don’t have renter’s insurance” or something similar.
We hope this list inspires you – and remember, it’s just a start! Come in and peruse our extensive pediatric catalog today!
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About the Author
Melissa Janisin is a mom of two and also, coincidentally, a daughter of two. She writes about both these roles and more at goodnessmadness.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.