Dad Adds Son's Mickey Mouse Drawing to His Tattoos

This dad surprised his young son by having one of his drawings become the inspiration for one of his latest tattoos. Check out the son's reaction.

Aug. 29 2023, Published 3:19 p.m. ET

People get tattoos for all sorts of reasons, good and bad. Some folks just want to decorate their bodies with ink, making their bodies into rich tapestries of their interests and tastes. On rare occasions, someone gets an unfortunate image permanently inked onto themselves after losing a silly bet. But of all the normal and silly reasons for one to get a tattoo, this one is the most wholesome.

Ali Woods on TikTok (@aawoods_) shared a short but heartwarming video in which her husband surprises their young son with the his latest tattoo. While he already has plenty of ink on his body, the latest tattoo has completely captured our hearts. This dad-of-the-year contender got a tattoo of his son's drawing in one of the best parenting gestures ever. The son's reaction will simply melt your heart.

Ali shared the video of her family on Aug. 15, 2023, but as her caption suggests, she's "still crying over [her son's] reaction." Her husband is already tattooed all over his legs and arms, but he found space for what has to be his most wholesome tattoo by far. From what we can tell, Ali and her husband set up the reveal as a big surprise.

Ali and her husband had their son unwrap the bandages around the tattoo. The boy had to unravel the gauze around his dad's left bicep and remove the pad once it was healed. It was a slow-burn reveal with plenty of anticipation, but the payoff was so satisfying!

The son's jaw practically dropped to the floor when he saw his dad's latest tattoo. The tattoo was a recreation of a Mickey Mouse drawing that the boy had done for a school assignment. Ali even shared the original drawing at the end of the video, complete with a timestamp by the son for April 27, 2023, when he presumably saw Mickey Mouse at some point. The drawing even received a star grade from his teacher!

But the only thing better than getting a star grade is having your dad immortalize your art as part of his extensive tattoo collection. Naturally, the boy was stunned and immediately recognized his dad's latest ink.

"That's the Mickey that I painted," the boy said in the video. Not long after, he gave his dad the biggest hug ever.

Out of all the things that a parent or caretaker can do to show love to their kids, this one takes the cake. After all, what better way is there to express your appreciation for your children's artistic side than by having their art on display for everyone to see? But it's safe to say that this is definitely a step up from fridge art status.

Unsurprisingly, folks in the comments section are absolutely loving the level of affection this tattooed dad has for his son.

"For him to recognize his work means a lot and [this tattoo is] something he will never forget," one user commented.

Another was honest with their feelings, writing, "This just made me ugly cry big time."

This may not even be the only artistic iteration of the son's drawing to exist. Budsies, a company that makes plushies out of children's drawings, offered the same service to Ali in the comments section with the hopes of making his Mickey into a stuffed toy for him.

Folks will tell you that there isn't one correct way to be a parent. As long as your child feels safe and loved at the end of every day, you're doing something right as their parent.

Yet parents may find themselves going above and beyond to express their love for their kids, and this inked-up dad did just that.

And who knows? Another one of the son's drawings could very well be tattoo-worthy down the line!