Mark Wahlberg removing a funky bunch of tattoos

Mark Wahlberg's skin will soon be as pristine as a newborn babe's. The actor and father of four is having all of his tattoos removed -- even the ones he's sentimentally attached to.

"(The tattoos) all have meaning to me, but you know it's both personal and professional," Mark Wahlberg told Matt Lauer of deciding to remove them during a recent visit to the Today show.

The father of Ella, Michael, Brendan and Grace continued, "I don't want to have my kids getting tattoos... I'm taking my two oldest kids with me to the procedure, where they can see how painful that is."

So that means it's time for the ink masterpieces to bid Mark Wahlberg's body adieu. Reported works the artist formerly known as Marky Mark is losing include:

Ankle -- Sylvester the cat with Tweety Bird in his mouth.

Upper right arm -- A design of his initials "MW" along with his last name.

Upper left arm -- Bob Marley portrait with the words "One Love."

Around his neck -- A rosary with a crucifix and the words "In God I Trust" resting over his heart.

Tattoo removal isn't the only way Mark Wahlberg is shaping up for his kids. Along with vowing to get his high school diploma before his children get theirs, the 40-year-old has given up smoking weed.

"I stopped smoking weed for my kids," he said in early 2011. "One day, we were driving and you could smell it from somewhere. My daughter asked what the smell was so I told her it was a skunk. Then she said, 'Sometimes daddy smells like that!' to me and my wife. So I knew I had to quit."

Do you applaud Mark Wahlberg having his tattoos removed for his kids' sake?

Image via WENN