Mum Angry At Sister In Law For Getting Tattoo Of Her Kid’s Names!
Getting a tattoo of someone’s name on your body usually indicates a close relationship with them. Whether it’s your partner’s name, your parent’s or your child’s you wouldn’t just get a name inked on your body if it didn’t mean a lot to you.
When it comes to children’s names the honour of having those on your body is often left to the parents or a close family member. But what happens when someone goes and gets your kid’s names permanently tattooed onto their bodies without asking you first? And do they even need to get your permission or is it their body and therefore their decision?
One woman was livid when she discovered her sister-in-law, whom she has limited contact with, went out and got her kid’s names inked onto her body without consultation. Her feelings of anger are conflicted as she isn’t sure whether she has a right to be upset or not.
The mum explained on REDDIT that she found the tattoo “disturbing” and was upset because she had no idea it was going to happen.
To make matters worse, the first time the mum saw the tattoo was when the SIL posted a photo of it on social media.
“She is not a close beloved aunt of my children — they see her once a year and talk to her briefly on holidays,” the mum wrote. “They never talk about her or ask about her between those times. They like her well enough, but she likes to lecture them and attempt to parent them, so a little of her goes a long way.”
The letter continued- She later used a photo the friend took of my sons eating, and posted it as if she HAD been there. It’s crazy. Instead of the cost of a tattoo (this tattoo is huge BTW), how about a plane ticket to visit the children you claim to love so much? She talks about my children taking care of her when she’s in a nursing home… why would they? They will be busy with their own families, and taking care of their parents!
I was so mad when I saw the tattoo that I told my husband I wanted to cancel our upcoming vacation to see her (and their grandparents). I have been taking my anger out on him, which is probably unfair but I feel his lack of communication with them leads to this kind of crazy. AITA because I think tattooing my kids’ names on her body is weird? Am I supposed to feel flattered? I feel like if anyone is going to tattoo my kids’ names on their body is should be me or my husband!
In the comments, most people agreed that the gesture was kind of creepy and weird and that the mum had every right to feel angry. “The tattooing is weird,” one commenter wrote. “Going limited or no contact with the offender makes sense to establish boundaries.”
“That’s some strange social media attention whoring,” one said.
“I have to wonder if the tattoo is real,” someone else wrote. “She seems like the kind of person to fake a tattoo for attention on social media.”
While others thought the mum’s decision to cancel a family vacation was taking things a bit too far.
“Stopping them from seeing their grandparents? What did they even do?” one person asked her. “That seems like a severe overreaction; it’s a tattoo of a name. It doesn’t even affect her.”
“The only one really hurting someone with intent is OP for taking it out on her husband and punishing her own kids by not letting them see their family,” another commenter added. “She hasn’t once asked how anyone but her seems to feel about it. There’s nothing wrong at all with her feeling weirded out by it, because it is weird, but I don’t understand why she’s getting so angry at it.”
The mum said sharing her story felt “so cathartic.” “I feel like I released steam and got validation from people who recognised the narcissistic nature of the tattoo and I’ve also calmed down,” she wrote. “Most of the people calling me out are assuming things that aren’t true and that’s ok.”
She added that she agrees that her SIL has a right to do whatever she wanted to with her body, but “I also feel I have a right to be mad and think it’s weird. I’m still annoyed by the narcissism of it, but feel sad for her because she doesn’t have her own kids and maybe she never will,” she added. “It’s too bad she doesn’t choose to get to know my kids for real, and generate a real relationship with them,” she wrote.
In an updated post the mum said she didn’t cancel the vacation and won’t. It just makes me want to not see her.
Images: Pixabay
