to expect DH to be OK of DS going to Ballet

[BlueberryPancake]

DS is 4 and many of his girl friends go to ballet classes. I do adult ballet classes, have done for years, and know that children ballet classes are excellent for balance, listening, music and rhythm, strenght. The class only has girls and DS wanted to go, so we went one week and he loved it. He got all the attention from the girls who had found a 'prince' for their Cinderella ballet. It made him feel very important and confident. But DH is not keen on the idea and thinks that DS will get teased by other boys at school. DS1 is already teasing him a bit but DS2 doesnt seam to care. Am I being unreasonable to expect DH to encourage his son to go to more classes if he wants to?

I think DS is not against ballet for boys , but he is nervous that DS will get teased over it. DS also has a speech delay, which means that his speech is poor and difficult to understand. We are both concerned that he will be picked on by others in his class when he starts big school. DH is scared that ballet will make the teasing worst. But he does want to go to ballet, he asked I think because I am going and his girlfriends are going.

I don't think in any way that my husband is scared that DS is gay! Goodness me it's not the question here at all... It's a very big thing to assume that my husband is homophobic goodness me, he is not like that at all. And even if he was gay my husband would be very supportive and love him all the same.

I have to say though that the classes are very girly girly with the costume being very very pink tutus and playing on the princess dream thing, waving magic wands in the air. It's lovely, really, but not at all geared up for boys. DS didn't seam to mind and he was given a flag to wave up in the air!

I think I'll ignore DH and take DS until September, and then maybe I'll take him to street dance class or other dance stuff that's not so pink and princess.

Are there other ballet classes? At DD's class, there is no princess stuff. The girls wear one of the new RAD choices, which is a turquoise colour. The boys wear navy and white.

Actually DD doesn't wear turquoise, but the girls who are the same age as your DS do. Nobody wears pink.

Your DH is an idiot.

My boys also had a go at a trial ballet class and DS1 was really good. Unfortunately he didn't want to do it.

My ds1 does ballet and a boys dance class.He is a boy/girl twin and does these along with his sister.He is a really good natural dancer and started dancing as a baby and is much better than his sister.But he doesn't like doing the ballet class if there isn't another boy in the class.I am aware that some of his friends mothers are disapproving but we live in a very small town/village where people are very insular and i don't really care.I think its important for each child to find something they are good at and this will give them confidence and the ability to do all sorts of things.

When DS1 (11) started ballroom dancing 18 months ago DH was most upset, he was really worried DS1 would get teased (friends at school tried to tease him for a while but as soon as he had trophies/medals to show off and he showed them he was not ashamed that soon stopped) and went through the "no son of mine..." train of thought, especially when DS1 quit rugby (DH is a rugby coach!) to concentrate on his dancing. He also did not understand why he needed private lessons, extra practices etc.

But earlier this year when DS1 competed at the national finals and DH actually saw him perform his opinion changed and now DH supports DS1 100%. We have realised that dancing is DS1's forte and he lives to dance. He is very proud of what he does and tells people at school "I love dancing and that's what matters, not what you think" although come September when he goes to secondary school it may be trickier.