Mother heavily criticised for her tatoos: "Other parents cross the street to avoid meeting me"

Getting tattoos has always been a controversial topic and this is even more so today in a world where more young people are getting tatooed more frequently. Many people cannot accept that tatooing is an art form and, therefore, feel compelled to judge those who have them. It is true, however, that no one should be judged for one's personal choices which, after all, are driven by one's personal history.

Amy Smith is a young mother who works as a tattoo artist. The 23-year-old English woman is fully tattooed from head to toe, but that doesn't stop her from being a good mother. She says, however, that it makes her very sad when the parents of other children deliberately cross the street in order to avoid meeting her.

Amy Smith is a 23-year-old woman and is a young mother of two: 6-year-old Elia and 1-year-old Remy. From a very young age, Amy knew what job she wanted to do when she grew up - to be a tatoo artist. From the age of 13, she was already tatooing. In fact, her tattoos have accompanied her throughout her life and continue to provoke discussions, comments and arguments wherever she goes. However, she did admit that her tattoos "suddenly became more conspicuous" since she became a mother. When she goes to pick up her son from school, for example, some parents cross the street in order not to meet her. At class meetings, PTAs or interviews with teachers, and in other school settings, the tattooed young woman is often the subject of discussion. Thankfully, she says she is doing a good job with her children who, unlike many adults, accept diversity and are very open-minded.

It saddens the young women when she sees the behavior towards her by some of the other parents.  And, unfortunately, the occasions where she becomes a victim of prejudice are not only restricted to her children's school. When she enters certain shops, for example, the guards at the entrance follow her because of her appearance. Unfortunately, there are a lot of stereotypes and prejudices regarding tattooed people, and Amy knows this very well. And knowing this, she strives to fight every day to defend her freedom of expression. She says sometimes she is insecure about her tattoos, but she is definitely not insecure in her role as a mother. She expresses regret that her children have witnessed criticisms and negative comments made against her. Her eldest son sometimes pretends to give her another tattoo in order to cheer her up when he sees she is sad.

All said, Amy says she absolutely does not regret getting so many tattoos and, indeed, claims that the tattoos have changed her life, offering her incredible opportunities. Despite the very negative comments she sometimes receives, Amy makes sure she feels comfortable in herself and she hopes her children feel the same about how their mother looks.

And what do you think - would you cross the street to avoid meeting Amy in public? Or are you someone more open-minded?