I’m Kayla, and I’m a mom who loves ink. My son does too, which still makes me smile. We got a few mom–son tattoos over the last two years. I’ll tell you what we chose, what hurt, what healed well, and what I’d do different. It felt big and small at the same time. Kind of like graduation day, but with needles.
Why we did it
We wanted a marker. He finished high school. I finished a hard season at work. We wanted a thing we could see when life got busy or loud. Nothing huge. Just a quiet nod. You know what? That felt right for us.
Also, I won’t pretend it was deep all the time. Sometimes we just liked the art. A clean line can say a lot.
The first matching piece: tiny waves on the wrist
Our first matching set was a tiny wave line. Think one soft curve. No shading. Single-needle line work. We did it on the inner wrist.
- Size: about an inch long
- Time: 12 minutes each
- Pain: a sharp 6 out of 10 for me; he said 4
- Cost: $80 each plus tip
Why a wave? We took beach trips when he was little. We still joke about the crooked sand castle. The wave looked clean, and it fit a small space. Also, it’s easy to hide with a watch if you need to look buttoned up.
It healed fast. I wore Saniderm (that clear film) for two days. Then I used unscented soap and a pea-size dab of Aquaphor twice a day for three more days. After that, I switched to CeraVe lotion. No flaking drama. No blowouts. Crisp lines.
The set that felt most “us”: the time stamps
For his college send-off, we got time stamps. Not words. Not dates. Just times.
- Mine: 07:24 on my inner forearm (his birth time)
- His: 14:19 on his bicep (the time he opened his acceptance email)
Simple black numbers. No dots. No fancy font. Our artist used a clean sans serif. We checked spacing with a stencil twice. Tiny adjustments matter on text.
Pain was easier here. Forearm felt like 3 out of 10. His bicep was 2. We were in and out in under 30 minutes each. I tipped 20%. He tipped too. He’s good like that.
The sweet one we almost skipped: birth flowers
I thought it might be cheesy. It wasn’t. He was born in October, so marigold works for him. I added a tiny cosmos to mine, tucked under the wrist bone. He went with a single marigold on his ankle. Both were line-only, no color.
Line flowers can look messy if the artist rushes. We picked an artist who does fine-line botanicals all day. Less wobble. Better spacing. We said no to stems crossing veins on the wrist. It sounds odd, but it looked busy in the stencil. We kept it clean.
Pain and placement, honestly
- Wrist: spicy. Quick zaps. Feels hot, then it’s done.
- Inner forearm: chill. You can chat through it.
- Bicep: easy. He scrolled sports scores and laughed at me.
- Ankle: sharp, but short. Like tiny bees, not big ones.
If you’re nervous, eat a snack and bring water. I also bring mints. Slow breathing helps. It’s not a marathon. It’s a dentist drill vibe, but briefer and with art at the end.
Aftercare that actually worked for us
Here’s what we used and liked:
- Saniderm for the first 2–3 days (change once if it gets goopy)
- Unscented liquid soap (I use Dove or Dr. Bronner’s baby)
- Aquaphor in a thin layer for days 3–5
- Then switch to plain lotion (CeraVe or Eucerin)
No picking. No scratching. No pool for two weeks. Sunblock after it peels. I use a stick sunscreen on the wrist because it’s easy and fast. Summer can fade a fresh line fast, so be kind to it.
What I’d do different next time
I’d book earlier in the day. My wrist swells more late afternoon. Morning ink sat flatter and healed better for me.
I’d also ask for one more stencil photo from a step back. Close looks can trick you. From a distance, spacing matters more.
And I’d bring gum. Dry mouth is real when you’re a little tense.
Cost, time, and tipping
- Minimums we paid ranged from $80 to $120 per piece
- Small line work took 10–30 minutes
- We left 20% tips, sometimes more for squeeze-ins
Deposits are normal. Ask about cash vs. card fees. Some shops add 3% for cards. That surprised me once. Not a big deal, but still.
Real talk on style and meaning
Words age faster than shapes. For us, numbers and small icons felt safer long term. Waves, time stamps, and flowers held up in style and in meaning. We skipped long quotes. We skipped full color for now.
Also, matching does not need to be twins. Our time pieces match in idea, not copy-paste. That gave us room to be ourselves. He’s bolder. I’m neat and small.
Little hiccups we hit
On my marigold, one leaf healed lighter. I probably slept on it. It’s not bad. Just a soft spot. We added the tiniest pass at the six-week check. Five minutes. Fixed.
His ankle got flaky. He used too much Aquaphor for a week. Go light. More isn’t better. A thin sheen is plenty.
Pros and cons from a mom who actually did it
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Pros:
- It feels like a secret handshake you can wear.
- Small line work is quick and easy to heal.
- It marks a real moment without a big scene.
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Cons:
- Wrist hurts more than you think.
- Summer sun will fade it fast if you forget sunscreen.
- Text spacing can go wrong if you rush the stencil.
Design ideas we tested on paper that also worked in real life
- Mirrored waves (what we did)
- Time stamps (birth time for me, milestone time for him)
- Two tiny stars, offset, for a subtle match
- Parent–child initials tucked in a stem
- Simple mountain outline with the year under it
- A small anchor and a paper airplane, side by side (anchor for me; plane for him)
We printed these at actual size and taped them on. Stand in the mirror. Step back. Then decide. Sounds silly, but it saved us twice.
Picking an artist, fast and fair
Check healed photos on their page, not just fresh shots. Healed lines tell the truth. Ask if they do single-needle work often. If they say yes and show healed examples, you’re good. If they shrug, keep looking.
If you’re scouting shops while traveling, the studio guides and artist spotlights on TattooRoadTrip.com can point you toward reputable places in practically any city. If your travels take you through the Dakotas and you need last-minute intel on artists running walk-in specials, check the classified rundown on Backpage Williston—the feed is constantly updated by local studios and independent tattooers, so you can compare portfolios and snag an open chair without the usual phone-tag.
We brought reference pics and said what we liked: “thin line,” “no shading,” “no script.” Clear words help the artist and calm your nerves.
If you’re not sure yet
Try a long-wear temporary tattoo. Inkbox makes ones that last a week or two. We tested placement with those before the wave. It felt low pressure. And it was fun.
Sometimes the best inspiration strikes when you trade stories with people who understand both ink culture and inclusive family vibes. A quick way to do that is to hop into gaychat.io—inside the free real-time rooms you can share mock-ups, swap aftercare hacks, and collect honest feedback from a supportive LGBTQ+ community before you commit to the needle.
Final thoughts
I didn’t plan to be a matching-tattoo mom. But I am. And it’s sweet. These little lines hold big days for us. They make the hard days softer. When I check the time on my wrist, I see his story too. Funny how that works.
Would I do more? Yes, but small, and with care. We’ll keep it simple. We’ll keep it ours. And we’ll wear sunscreen—because honestly, that might be the real test of love.