would you let a 4 yr. old boy dress up as Dorothy?

[AnnieW625]

I am not lying this really happened at Halloween. I just saw the photo on FB of an aquantiances kid. I am all for little boys wearing an occaisional pink polo shirt during the summer, plaid shorts with pink, boys playing with Barbies, etc., but isn't Dorothy for a boy a little too out there? My DH would never go for that ever.

[BabyMine]

Sure I would. I don't see a problem with it.

[Veronica's Mommy]

If he wants to do it, by all means let him.

[bluestar2]

Yes, I would have. Now, I wouldn't have encouraged it, but if that's what he really wanted, then I would have no problem with it. :)

[mytwosons]

Yes, I would have. Now, I wouldn't have encouraged it, but if that's what he really wanted, then I would have no problem with it. :)

:yeahthat: I'd probably also have a spare costume for him incase he got teased at school and decided he wanted to switch costumes.

[JBaxter]

I wouldnt. The pictures would be a source of sibling blackmail for YEARS.

[TwinFoxes]

Yes, I would have. Now, I wouldn't have encouraged it, but if that's what he really wanted, then I would have no problem with it. :)

:yeahthat:

[vonfirmath]

It's a costume. *shrug* Sure. I was just thinking the little red riding hood costume looked great as well.

Girls dress up as guys all the time. For costumes, it does not bother me.

[vludmilla]

It's not out there in my opinion. I feel sad for all the little boys who face such reactions. I wish everyone could relax about gender norms a bit, especially for young children who are just trying on roles.

[Ceepa]

Do I think he would be received well by everyone? No. But if we talked about it and he still wanted to, then we'd do it and I'd be proud of his conviction.

[geochick]

If my ds wanted to, sure. It's harmless.

[arivecchi]

I would not do it because I would be afraid of teasing. My DH would not go for that.

[brittone2]

Absolutely.

[HIU8]

Yup. In fact, DS dresses up in DD's dress up princess shoes and wears them around the house (never out-but that is more b/c they are dress up shoes and hard to walk in).

[traciann]

around the house, yes. for trick or treating, no.

[Globetrotter]

My friend's ds once dressed up as a princess for Halloween, and I was really impressed with my friend as she just accepted it. This boy is very girly. He draws hearts, wears pink, makes jewelry, plays with dolls, etc... and his parents are so cool about it (he is 8.5 now). He's a sweet kid! My friend told me that some of their cousins were like this but grew out of it. Since it's an extreme case (not in a bad way, just that he does this all the time) I do wonder if he might be gay. If he is, he couldn't have been born into a more accepting family! I think sexuality is on a continuum, anyway, and he may just be an effeminate heterosexual. He's still a kid so time will tell!

Some boys just go through a brief phase, I guess. In your friend's case, it's just a costume. Would we get upset if Sally wore a Jedi Knight costume? We'd probably say way to go for challenging sex roles! (though personally I prefer the girly costumes for my dd :))

[Moneypenny]

Yes, I would.

[noodle]

Yes. It's a costume -- doesn't bother me.

[maestramommy]

Well, it IS Halloween. And if girl can dress up as Darth Vader or some other male character, why can't a boy dress up as a female character? That's what dress up/pretend is all about, right?

[hillview]

Sure.
/hillary

[AnnieW625]

All soo true, thanks for chiming in. I think for myself I'd be more concerned about teasing than anything else. Little boy has been dressing up in girl costumes at school for a while so I guess he doesn't have a problem with and he has a really accepting family. You are all right I would let my DD dress up as Darth Vadar if she wanted, but I don't think she would. I remember dressing my brother up as a girl one time when he was that age, but he never left the house.

[crl]

Oh yes. I'd warn him that he might get teased. And like a pp said, I'd have an alternate costume ready (something cheap and easy like a ghost) in case he changed his mind at the last minute. But I'd absolutely let him do it.

Catherine

[Seitvonzu]

this is yet another reason i'm SO glad we had a little girl. truly, girls can be ANYTHING. all options are open to them. we make a special effort to give them cars and blocks and tools and to talk about science and math. but when they put on a pink boa and heels we smile and pretend to bake cupcakes with them. i just love it. LOVE IT ALL.

i do think it's harder for boys that don't fit in with the norm. i used to do an experiment with my students when i was in graduate school at a large university. i tested their reactions to boys playing with girl toys vs. neutral or boy toys and the same combos for girls. it comes out true time and again-- girls can do ANYTHING, boys are limited.

:) apparently we also use more of our brains-- whole areas that men never even development-- social/empathy areas. apparently that's why 18 month old girl children have "mini-adolescence" and become really emotional and crazy !!! my husband was reading his way through some seminal psychology works and got all this from "the female brain" -- i still need to read that so i know what he KNOWS.

[kayte]

It's not out there in my opinion. I feel sad for all the little boys who face such reactions. I wish everyone could relax about gender norms a bit, especially for young children who are just trying on roles.

:yeahthat:

[SnuggleBuggles]

No problem with it at all. If they got teased I'd use at a lesson on how the teasers weren't nice!

Beth

[g-mama]

I wouldnt. The pictures would be a source of sibling blackmail for YEARS.

:yeahthat:

I can only imagine the heck my 8yo would give either of my other two sons if they did that...and he wears a pink polo shirt. :)

[KrisM]

Yes, I would have. Now, I wouldn't have encouraged it, but if that's what he really wanted, then I would have no problem with it. :)

:yeahthat:

[mamicka]

:yeahthat:

I can only imagine the heck my 8yo would give either of my other two sons if they did that...and he wears a pink polo shirt. :)

Is it OK with you that your 8 year-old would give someone heck about what they dressed up as for Halloween?

[mamicka]

It's not out there in my opinion. I feel sad for all the little boys who face such reactions. I wish everyone could relax about gender norms a bit, especially for young children who are just trying on roles.

:yeahthat:

I think it's a shame that so many parents teach their children that it's OK to make fun of others for their different likes & dislikes.

[g-mama]

Is it OK with you that your 8 year-old would give someone heck about what they dressed up as for Halloween?

No. And it would be completely unacceptable if it were someone outside our family, without question.

But my three sons do tease each other sometimes and joke with each other and give each other a hard time. I cannot imagine three brothers NOT doing that.

[mamicka]

No. And it would be completely unacceptable if it were someone outside our family, without question.

But my three sons do tease each other sometimes and joke with each other and give each other a hard time. I cannot imagine three brothers NOT doing that.

My three boys also tease & joke with each other. I don't think that's "giving heck" which to me indicates it being hurtful.

[Laurel]

Yes, I would have. Now, I wouldn't have encouraged it, but if that's what he really wanted, then I would have no problem with it. :)

This is what I would do too.

[JBaxter]

No. And it would be completely unacceptable if it were someone outside our family, without question.

But my three sons do tease each other sometimes and joke with each other and give each other a hard time. I cannot imagine three brothers NOT doing that.

My boys tease each other they dont tease other kids ( My oldest has been know to stop bullying) but to each other its very different. The all operate on ... We can tease each other but dont mess with any one of us. I would be TOTALLY shocked if any of my boys wanted to wear a dress or anything girly.

My oldest still takes flack the year I dressed him up in a bunny sweat shirt for easter and he was 4 I can only guess at how bad it would be if he ( or any of them actually put on a dress).

[mommylamb]

I would let him. I'd sit down and tell him that there might be some people who would tease him and make sure he's prepared for it, but I would support him in whatever he wanted to be for halloween (within reason).

[alien_host]

I think it's interesting that society would be OK with a girl dressed as a "typical boy" costume .... Darth Vadar like PPs mentioned....but that they have problems with a boy in a "typical girl" costume.

I see boys at DD's preschool with the tutu on all the time, I think it's cute.

BUT it also bothers me that catalogs and stores like PBK list "toys for girls"...(dolls and kitchen) and "toys for boys" (cars and trucks), as if we can't decide for ourselves what is meant for whom.

ETA on the PBK thing...it bugs me that PBK feels dolls are for girls and cars are for boys....especially when my girl dislikes dolls!

[octmom]

A friend of mine let her 3 y.o. dress as Cinderella for Halloween. He really, really wanted to do it, and she let him. He looked adorable!

[catsnkid]

If he wanted to, fine. My brother dressed as a school girl when he was about 13 or so. DH dressed as a school girl for a halloween party once, I dressed up as him, it was hilarious.

[AnnieW625]

BUT it also bothers me that catalogs and stores like PBK list "toys for girls"...(dolls and kitchen) and "toys for boys" (cars and trucks), as if we can't decide for ourselves what is meant for whom.

ETA on the PBK thing...it bugs me that PBK feels dolls are for girls and cars are for boys....especially when my girl dislikes dolls!

I hate that too! Four years ago it was a pain to find gender neutral prints for our nursery and we loved the PBK ones, but now it's definitely more boy vs. girl and I don't care for that at all. My daughter has a Talking Yoda in her room (gift to me from DH), and my 30 year old Kermit the Frog, plus the Little Tikes tool box.

[kedss]

If my son wanted to dress up as Dorothy for Halloween, I'd have no issues at all, he'd probably look great. :) But he would have had no idea who Dorothy is either last year when he was 4 or this year. ;) He hasn't seen the movie yet-

[awoodm]

I think I would honestly try to steer him in the direction of something else, but wouldn't stop him from doing it. I would just think of the pictures later that could be used for blackmail by his brother! LOL. But, in all honesty, if he felt that strongly about it I would absolutely let him.