Life

Moms & Daughters Pick Each Other's Tattoos

by Lily Feinn

Mother’s Day has come and gone, but just because the holiday is over doesn’t mean you can’t find new and creative ways to bond with your mama bear. If you need some ideas, I’d suggest watching BuzzFeed’s latest video that truly tests that powerful love when moms and daughters pick surprise tattoos for each other.

It’s a rather “alternative” way to show you care, but if the tattoo design is approached correctly I think it could turn out super sweet. The whole process will be painful, but you will certainly make a lasting memory — yay mother-daughter bonding!

Somehow BuzzFeed convinced two moms and their daughters to choose each other’s tattoos, and have them buzzed on sight-unseen. Participants included Maycie and her mom Angie, and Candace and her mom Teresa.

We’ve seen a similar experiment performed with pairs of best friends in a previous BuzzFeed video. The friendship bonds seemed even stronger after they got inked, and everyone was happy with their new tattoo (at least for that first day). But will that luck carry over for the mother-daughter crowd? I don’t think my mom and I could ever agree on a tattoo, should I ever get inked. (I already called and asked her if she wanted to get a tattoo with me — after a stunned silence she said “no”).

So what exactly happened once these brave mother-daughter pairs stepped into the Body Electric Tattoo parlor in Los Angeles, California?

Everyone Was Nervous

Going into the parlor, Maycie and her mom Angie were fairly confident that they would like what the other person chose. For Teresa, the fact that it was her first tattoo added to the nerves, but she was excited to share an experience with her daughter that they could remember forever. Teresa's daughter Candace said she was intrigued by the experiment because “It’s a really big trust exercise. I feel like I’ll be able to trust my mom forever after this.” Upon hearing this statement, Teresa reminded her, “Hopefully. You haven’t seen it yet.” Commence the nail biting!

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There Was A Lot Of Pain

While getting a tattoo certainly doesn’t compare with the pain of childbirth, Angie seemed to suffer the most. She and her daughter chose the same location for their tattoos, on their side over their lower ribs. While Maycie was smiling under the needle, her mom was practically screaming out. She explained that her daughter has a much higher pain tolerance than she does. Teresa described the pain of getting a tattoo on her ankle as "an ice pick in between two bones." Ouch.

There Was A Big Reveal

When it was finally time for the moment of truth, everyone seemed pleased with their new ink. Maycie chose to give her mom a rainbow, because of their shared love of the song "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." Angie gave Maycie an imprint of her lips, so she will always have a big kiss from her mom. Candace chose to give Teresa a word written in her grandmother's handwriting, and Teresa drew a picture of a box that said "Be Present" inside. Great minds think alike, because now they both have tattoos with their mother's handwriting.

And Of Course There Were Hugs All Around

You better hope you're getting a hug after such a challenging day!

To see the entire experiment, check out the video here:

Where'd you take your mom to celebrate Mother's Day? Brunch? Please.

Images: BuzzFeedYellow/YouTube