When the mini-van was replaced by the SUV as the family vehicle of choice, it seemed there was a sea change occurring: parents wanted to reclaim their cool.

Like many trends, this one was popularized by celebrities. Babycenter.com recently worked through the list of famous tattooed mamas.

Of course, there's Angelina Jolie, who replaced her Billy Bob Thornton tattoo with one that pays tribute to the birthplace of her four children. Once her on-again, off-again relationship with Tommy Lee was off, Pamela Anderson switched out the “Tommy” for “Mommy.” Victoria Beckham had stars representing herself, her husband and their three children across her back.

But now it's not just famous soccer wives who are going under the needle, it's your local soccer mom, too, and LA Ink's Hannah Aitchison – a mother herself – talked with BabyCenter about this trend.

Hannah says that getting inked serves a couple of purposes. On the one hand, "It's a way to embrace your parenthood," says Hannah. A tattoo can "[celebrate] a particular element of [parents'] relationship[s] with their children."

On the other hand, it's also "a way to say, 'I'm a mom and I'm still cool,'" says Hannah. "They want to remind themselves that while they're parents, they can still hang on to a part of their previous lives."

Aitchison also provides some recommendations for moms considering getting a tattoo. First off, if you don't get a good vibe when you walk into the tattoo shop, "you should just walk out,” she says. If the employees don't make the effort to make you feel welcomed and comfortable, she thinks, "they obviously don't care about service."

Also, she warns, for the most part, “you get what you pay for,” so save the bargain shopping for back to school supplies.

But do your homework and check out the artist's portfolio carefully and with a critical eye. "If tattoos with blown-out lines, smearing, or blotchiness, are included in an artist's portfolio, beware. They should want to put their best foot forward," says Hannah.

LA Ink is still accepting applications for individuals wanting to be tattooed on the show, so if you're a mom, dad, or just a fan, you can head to lainkcasting.com for your chance at getting inked by Hannah, Kat Von D or any of the other LA Ink artists.


- Leslie Seaton, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Babycenter.com
(Image courtesy of TLC)