boys and princess dresses

[jeanniebeannie]

Hi all. Thought I'd stop lurking, and ask a question. I was just wondering if any one else has a 3 year old son who loves all things princess ?? Mine loves little mermaid, cinderella, and wants to wear a princess dress. He also likes dressing as batman, spiderman, and playing captain hook and peter pan sword fights, but still loves his princesses. Anyone else have a little boy who likes dresses and princesses ? And, no, he doesn't have a sister - just two slightly older brothers (almost 5, and 6).

[gatorruth]

I hope this makes you feel better... My son just turned 4. last year, when he just turned 3, he broke his leg jumping off the bed. (don't let your kids do it!!) Anyway, when it was time to pick out the cast color, he picked pink!! I knew DH would have a fit, so I had to tell him that they were out of pink and purple today. He then was sad and chose red. He thinks pink and purple are pretty. He's obsessed with my shoes and purses, too. He does like to use swords and pretends to 'shoot' people with his finger gun, so there is hope, I guess!!

I think it's a phase that they will all grow out of...

:-) Ruth

[jeanniebeannie]

Thanks - He does love my purses, too ! But, he also stomps around in his daddy's shoes. I have read articles saying that kids of this age don't quite get the gender difference thing completely, and are just attracted to pretty things, but I just wonder if that's all it is.

He actually got a hold of a glue stick the other day, and used it as chap stick.

He'll be who he'll be, I just wonder if it signifies anything that at this age he really really wants to wear a princess dress at dress up sometimes. I have told his teachers at school (where they have lots of dress up clothes) to let him dress in whatever he wants, and he did make a handsome cinderella one day, and I do try to buy gender neutral toys, and some stereotypically girl toys along with the boy toys he wants, but haven't been able to bring myself to buy a play princess dress for home.

The princess dresses are much more glittery and pretty than most of the boy or gender neutral costumes.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I think it is totally normal. Just take a look at girlie stuff- it is so pretty! Who wouldn't like it? Pretty colors, sparkles... sounds like it shouldn't just appeal to girls. Ds is almost 5 and his favorite color goes btw pink and blue depending on his mood. When he was 3 he really wanted a pair of lavendar Dora socks with a bow on the back- and I bought them.

At the beginning of this year at school I noticed that all the boys were crossing gender lines with their dress up.

Beth

[lilycat88]

I walked into my daughter's classroom the other day (3 year olds) to find 4 of the little boys all wearing sparkly princess dresses and having a parade on the wooden ride on fire trucks. Quite frankly, it was one of the funniest things I'd seen in a long time. I have a daughter who, for the most part, could care less about princess stuff.

Jamelin
Mom to Susanna born 6/29/2004

“We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty, and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.� --Unknown

[tny915]

We had an end of year preschool event last week, and most everyone came to school all dressed up. One of the boys showed up in a pretty pink dress. His dad brought him to school that day, and I thought it was great that his son was allowed wear the special outfit he'd chosen himself.

[hardysmom]

We've never pressured DS either way, but at almost-6, I think he is more tuned into cues from the kids in pre-school. Oddly, the GIRLS seem to be the ones who make fun of boys for dressing-up, not the other other boys.

In a strange reversal, most of my friends with BOYS have become more accepting of letting them try out whatever, but the girl-moms are more princess oriented than ever.

There aren't a lot of fun, age-appropriate Disney-type boy characters out there. Peter Pan is about it. Diego, I suppose. Personally, I'm not into pushing characters from rated R movies (Pirates of the Car., Batman, Spiderman) on my toddlers so boys are kind-of left out of that type of play.

My 5.5 yo son won't wear dresses (though I can tell he wants to) but he does steal his little twin sisters' princess shoes. They are the little ballet flats with poofy feathers and pictures of Disney princesses. He also wears red go-go boots with his pajamas and says they are super-hero boots.

He also LOVES fairy wings and gets sad that I can't find a boy-fairy costume for him. Among the zillion "friends" in his bed at night, he particularly likes Tinkerbelle and Ariel.

He also likes princess movies and had a BLAST at Cinderella's Royal Table at Disneyworld.

ETA- All the boys in my 3 yo twin girls' mother's day out class dress up in girl costumes and love princess stuff.

Stephanie

[SnuggleBuggles]

Yes! This has totally been my experience too! It's always been the little girls that will make fun of ds' pink stuff or whatever. He has a pink Gap backpack that he picked himself last year. Little girls (age 4+) are always saying, "that's a girl backpack." I tend to get kind of defensive- as do their parents if they are around. Are some of them learning that at home, society or is it just hardwired?

The best comeback the other day was about the backpack when the mom turned to her dd and said, "well, you play with boy toys, right?" Little girl thought for a second and agreed. :)

Beth

[maestramommy]

One of my BF has a 3 yo ds that loves to wear princess dresses and high heels. He has an older sis and so it seems natural. His mom was very worried about it. So much so that when Cars came out and he got excited about it she immediately went out and bought him some cars from the movie. He still likes to dress up occasionally though. I tell him he'll grow out of it eventually.

[C99]

> Oddly,
>the GIRLS seem to be the ones who make fun of boys for
>dressing-up, not the other other boys.

OMG - yes! This happened in DS' classroom as well. DS does not like dressing up in his little sister's costumes, but he does like red and pink!