DEAR ABBY: My father-in-law is considering having my two precious little girls' names tattooed on his arm. I'm not a fan of tattoos and would prefer my daughters' names not be displayed in this manner.
Do my husband and I have a right to ask him not to do this? Our history with him hasn't been the most pleasant because he can be manipulative and hard to deal with. I'm afraid if we tell him we are opposed, it will encourage him all the more to get the tattoo. How should we approach this without causing a ruckus? -- AGAINST IT IN OKLAHOMA
DEAR AGAINST IT: You can offer your opinion, but there is no way you and your husband can control what he does with his body. Because the subject has already come up for discussion, it would not be rude to raise it again and explain nicely that if he hasn't done it yet, you would prefer the girls' names not be displayed that way.
Of course, the decision is his to make, and while it may not be to your liking, I'm sure your father-in-law considers it to be a loving gesture and a sign (literally) that he's proud of his granddaughters. If the tattoo has already been applied, then please, for the sake of family harmony, try to view it from that perspective.