Ode to live in Georgia where there’s always an interesting parenting story going on. The latest is a Chuntera Napier, the mother to a 10 year old who allowed him to get a tattoo that had his deceased brother’s jersey number. If 10 seems a bit young to get a tattoo then you’re right, it’s against the law and defies all common sense that a parent would allow it.
It’s a tragic story as Chuntera’s son, Malik was killed two years ago. Chuntera’s other son Gaquan, wanted to get a tattoo honoring his deceased brother. I can’t imagine the grief and heartache that the death of a son or sibling would bring. Having said that, the video that aired on local news may erase any sympathy you feel for the mother.
:15 Look at all the ink on this woman’s arm. I’m all for freedom of expression, get all the tattoos that you want or need to in order to express yourself. However, if the tattoos are too prominent then your individuality will impact where you can be employed, which will affect you and your family.
:23 “what do I say to a child?” Ummm, you are the mom, act like it and say no. A tattoo is a decision that lasts forever and should be decided upon by an adult, who wasn’t present here.
:28 Who is the tattoo artist that did this? The mother is guilty of bad parenting, that tattoo artist is guilty of much worse as it’s against the law to ink those under 18.
:33 A horrible mixed image, the 10 year old wearing a t-shirt with Animal from The Muppets and showing off his tattoo.
It’s a case of nonexistent parenting and to be fair to Georgia, isn’t specific to this region. It’s the nonchalant attitude of the parent that aggravated me. Parenting is about setting standards and knowing right from wrong. Allowing your 10 year old to get a tattoo isn’t parenting, it’s agreeing to the whims of a child that doesn’t know better and fathom the realities of ‘forever’.
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Wow. I’m speechless. I hope my kids never get tattoos. I don’t care if my son wants to grow his hair long; that can always be cut. But a tattoo is forever. Even if it’s surgically removed there will still be the scar.
Very true. Tattoos were once a symbol of rebellion and individuality. Now they’re commonplace and a cliche. If people really thought about it, then the folks that wanted to different, would not get a tattoo.
Evidence once again that we should have licenses to parent just as we do to drive!
Only in Georgia. Good grief!
Yeehaw. Ignorance is bliss, until it’s against the law.
Wow! I don’t even know what to say about this one! I understand they’re grieving but my goodness, they couldn’t think of another way?!
I let my daughter get six tattoos at the age of three.
But…she had cancer and they had to tattoo her in order for the radiation to line up every day. She used to get a kick out of telling people “I have tattoos, too.” They usually didn’t believe her until she showed them. 🙂
But I digress.
I actually wanted to be on this mom’s side, as I am also a bereaved parent. I understand very well that grief makes us do things that we wouldn’t otherwise do. I feel that part of her heart, but I can’t co-sign what she did. It was just so many shades of wrong. Her son may have said that he wanted to do that, but there were a lot of other ways she could have helped her son process his grief and desire to memorialize right now (a tree, a plaque, a service project).
Now, she’s put her son in a position where his already uncertain world is now more so with wondering what’s going to happen to his Mommy… and that is a shame.