July 23, 2026 at 8:15 am

She Chose a Different Artist for Her New Tattoo—And Her Mother Accused Her of Being Disloyal to Her Sibling.

by Benjamin Cottrell

woman getting a tattoo

Pexels/Reddit

Genuine support has limits, and one woman is learning that her mother apparently doesn’t recognize any.

Despite already getting three tattoos from her sister and encouraging her husband to get one too, all in celebration of her sister’s new tattooing career, she’s now facing accusations of family disloyalty over a completely separate tattoo.

Years before that, she’d already given in to her mother’s pressure once by canceling plans for a matching tattoo with a friend.

Now, after her husband received a birthday gift tattoo from a different artist entirely in a style her sister hasn’t learned, her mom escalated further, questioning her parenting and accusing her of not prioritizing family at all.

She’s questioning whether any tattoo not done by her sister will ever be acceptable in her mother’s eyes.

Keep reading for the full story.

AITA for getting a tattoo with somebody else and not my sister?

My sister (20F) finished her tattoo course this year, and she is very excited.

She is a dedicated person, and when she “graduated,” I (23F) got 3 tattoos with her; my husband (21M) also got a tattoo with her. However, she is starting her career; she can not do all styles of tattoos yet, and that’s okay.

Here’s where the drama comes in.

The problem started before my sister graduated, when she was starting her classes. One of my friends, who is a teacher just like me, decided to get a beautiful teacher-themed tattoo, and I thought it was amazing, so she invited me to do it with her; we would match!

Soon their mother gets involved in stirring up trouble.

When my mom (47F) found out about that, she texted me saying how sad she was with me, that I was a bad sister and was disappointing her. I ended up not getting the tattoo.

But before long, she decided to get a different tattoo from another artist, and her mother wasn’t happy.

Coming back to nowadays, my husband’s friend gave him a tattoo for his birthday. He paid for my husband to go to another tattoo artist; it was great, the tattoo is beautiful, and it’s not a style my sister has done yet.

Once again, her mother meddles in her business.

When my mom saw the post of the new tattoo, she sent me some messages: “You not only don’t consider us a priority in life, as you’ve said before, but you also look down on us. I didn’t like the post, I felt nauseous. Was I really such a failure in raising you?” She sent more, but you can already feel the tone with these lines.

So Reddit, AITA for getting a tattoo with somebody else and not my sister?

This mom needs to mind her own dang business.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a disabled man who is considering cutting off his friends because they take advantage of him.

What did Reddit have to say?

This woman has already done more than enough to support her sister.

Screenshot 2026 07 22 at 12.45.25 PM She Chose a Different Artist for Her New Tattoo—And Her Mother Accused Her of Being Disloyal to Her Sibling.

Her mother’s expectations are completely unreasonable.

Screenshot 2026 07 22 at 12.46.40 PM She Chose a Different Artist for Her New Tattoo—And Her Mother Accused Her of Being Disloyal to Her Sibling.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting a variety of different tattoo styles.

Screenshot 2026 07 22 at 12.47.30 PM She Chose a Different Artist for Her New Tattoo—And Her Mother Accused Her of Being Disloyal to Her Sibling.

Her mother is taking this all so much worse than her sister ever has.

Screenshot 2026 07 22 at 12.48.20 PM She Chose a Different Artist for Her New Tattoo—And Her Mother Accused Her of Being Disloyal to Her Sibling.

A track record of genuine support three tattoos deep should count for something.

Framing a completely unrelated tattoo as evidence of family disrespect stretches the situation far beyond anything reasonable.

It’s clear this mother has a troubling history of guilt tripping, but eventually she needs to learn that she can’t control her children’s’ lives.

Enjoyed this story?

Readers who liked this also read this story about a student who did the math and figured out he was better off skipping school than serving detention if he forgot his ID.
Read Story

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.