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Would you buy your little boy a princess costume?
mrsmoose
Posts: 2,090 Forum Member
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A facebook friend of mine has just posted a photo of her little boy (he's around 2 or 3) in a Snow White princess costume, at first I was taken aback but it has a lot of "likes" and I know she's a very "earthy" mother, her approach to parenting is very natural and loving, and one of her boys favorite toys is his dolly.
It got me thinking as I'm currently pregnant with a boy, and although I wouldn't mind so much if he wanted a doll, I'd probably cross the line at buying him a princess costume, which makes me feel bad for stereotyping.
As a child, I was very much a tom boy, I used to wear boys clothes and I remember wanting an army toy for Christmas and my mum telling me it was "a boys toy" and I couldn't have it.
I've been doing a little research as I was curious how common this is and I found a Youtube video, it was a hidden camera experiment set in a costume shop, and they had a mother and her son arguing in the shop because he wanted the Belle (from Beauty and the beast) costume, and his "mum" was trying to get him to choose clothes from the boys department.
Other shoppers were getting involved, trying to persuade him to try on Spiderman and Army costumes, and telling the mum that there's no way they would buy their boys girls costumes.
They also did a role reversal, where a girl wanted to be Spiderman and the "mum" was trying to get her to try princess costumes.
Again, other shoppers got involved, telling the girl she would look so much prettier in a dress and that the costumes she wanted were for boys.
I just wondering what everyone elses take on this is. Have you been in that situation, what did you do? Or what would you do?
It got me thinking as I'm currently pregnant with a boy, and although I wouldn't mind so much if he wanted a doll, I'd probably cross the line at buying him a princess costume, which makes me feel bad for stereotyping.
As a child, I was very much a tom boy, I used to wear boys clothes and I remember wanting an army toy for Christmas and my mum telling me it was "a boys toy" and I couldn't have it.
I've been doing a little research as I was curious how common this is and I found a Youtube video, it was a hidden camera experiment set in a costume shop, and they had a mother and her son arguing in the shop because he wanted the Belle (from Beauty and the beast) costume, and his "mum" was trying to get him to choose clothes from the boys department.
Other shoppers were getting involved, trying to persuade him to try on Spiderman and Army costumes, and telling the mum that there's no way they would buy their boys girls costumes.
They also did a role reversal, where a girl wanted to be Spiderman and the "mum" was trying to get her to try princess costumes.
Again, other shoppers got involved, telling the girl she would look so much prettier in a dress and that the costumes she wanted were for boys.
I just wondering what everyone elses take on this is. Have you been in that situation, what did you do? Or what would you do?
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*gets popcorn*
I can't remember the last time I bought my daughter something from the girl's section (I hate that most kid's shops are divided into boys & girls sections) as she is much more interested in the things that people try and tell her are just for boys.
My answer is yes, but only if he really wanted one.
I didn't read that story so not sure if it was the child's choice or not.
I guess if the child is doing what they want then it's better than the parents using them as a social experiment like that father who was raising his son speaking English and Klingon in equal measures.
I'm not sure I would buy a son in a dress before they were old enough to chose to wear it.
I would not if my lad was that age either.
He did play dress up with his sisters at times when young, so I am sure female clothes would have been put on then.
My middle daughter is super hero mad and has Spider-Man and Batman costumes, she's getting an Ironman costume for her Easter, don't see the problem with it.
Gender-specific clothing has existed cross-culturally (including the West) for hundreds of years. So whether we like it or not, most people are just used to it, and these traditional customs cannot be undone overnight.
What do you think would happen if you did?
It is just plain wrong.
Is this a trick question?
Judging by that reaction I wouldn't be surprised if a child of yours needed counselling somewhere along the line.
Don't you know, it's the 'right-on' thing to do these days because, according to the liberals, distinctions between males and females must be eliminated in order to 'liberate' children from the unnecessary stereotypes about what it means to be male or female.
Or some other new-age happy clapping rubbish.
A fairy princess outfit....wtf Child abuse!!!