To think that my son wearing girls clothes is normal childs play he's 6

[ghostspirit]

my son wears my daughters clothes a lot. i think its normal childs play and that he will grow out of it at some point.

my friend thinks i should stop him from doing it and tell him its not normal. and thinks he will grow up as a cross dresser maybe even want a sex change. i said if that's what he chooses to do then that's his choice. i think she is over thinking over a 6 year old dressing up.

I wish I could agree :) I was a friendly, confident child - school soon knocked that out of me!

I can't work out my own feelings as I don't have a problem with transgender/transsexual people, all I know is the thought of a little boy running around in a dress makes me want to cringe.

"Your friend is mad." Murder

This

lol friends maybe if you had a boy you would feel different. just one of them things kids do and then we just laugh. i guess its like when children are in a nursery. they play with all sorts and staff wont take dollys form boys or stop them dressing up tell then tat they cant touch pink etc.

Maybe - I've honestly never seen it in "real life" though, and I would be disappointed if I had a son who wanted to run around in a dress.

Just to throw this into the mix.

My DS loved army gear when he was young - camaflouge gear, the works And action men, and cars and mud and climbing trees.

He is still very much a 'man's man' kind of bloke.

He also happens to be gay.

Your son is what he is, will be what he will be, and what he's into at six will not dictate or influence the man he will become.

pretty sure DS still likes men in uniform though

Friends - it is pretty common. Do you have any DC? If you can only tolerate 'gender appropriate' play then you might struggle with lots of things.

It isn't about gender appropriate play - it's hard to explain, really. I suppose it's a bit like how I'd feel if my husband or dad or brother came in the house wearing a dress, I'd feel embarrassed for them, think it looked stupid, and just inwardly cringe.

If that was a lifestyle choice - if it was who they were, I could accept that, but if they just decided "oh that is pretty" I'd feel embarrassed.

I have one child, but she is a girl. I've honestly never seen any boys at her nursery or sons of my friends wearing dresses and I don't remember it from my childhood either.

Because there are clothes for boys, just as there are clothes for men. I know it's a minority view on here, but I do think the genders are different - equal, but different - and clothes are a part of that. I admire people who are genuinely able to step above that but if I had a son and he came out of a friend's house wearing a dress I would feel a bit sick!

You know men's clothing is different to women's because our bodies are different shapes right? Do you think there is any difference in the body shapes of pre-pubescent boys and girls?

It isn't just about body shape though is it, as men don't wear skirts, dresses, tights, women don't usually wear suits with ties - otherwise we'd have completely identical clothes in different 'cuts'. I think it's more than body shape and that's why I wouldn't let a son of mine wear girl's clothes.

friends i can understand if it was an adult although i like to think im open minded and i think its up to people how they live their life i would still find it difficult. i would never express that but i think its a normal feeling for it not to feel right. but im not worried about that for a 6 year old

your 'friend' sounds like a loon, OP. She does know you can't catch gay/transgender etc etc?

You'd be OK if it were a "lifestyle" choice, but not if it were just a choice? What's required in order for a choice to qualify for the "lifestyle" tag?

"otherwise we'd have completely identical clothes in different 'cuts'"

You mean like trousers? Do you get flustered by the sight of a woman in trousers, think there's something inappropriate about it or ban your daughters from wearing trousers? Because people used to. Nowadays that attitude seems rather odd.

i just thought probably not that intresting... but back in the day boys used to wear dresses when they were little :)

My son had a barbie cake for his fourth birthday, his choice, he wore fairy wings regularly and at ten loved sleeping in a silky slip that was part of a fancy dress outfit he had. He has always been a confident kid with lots of friends, never bullied as he laughed along with people at his preferences. He is 15 now and has had girlfriends and is a very well balanced young man, good on you for not stressing about your boy.

yes, like trousers.

I have no problem with a little boy, or girl in trousers, as these are unisex - dresses are not :)

I have a lovely photo of my son aged four dressed in a pink tutu and sunglasses. He also once insisted on going to Tesco wearing sparkly purple dressing-up shoes for girls. I was never in the slightest bit bothered. It was just child's play.

Your friend is very ignorant and YANBU.

my son only does it at home. but when he was about 3.5 he was in primark and he put on a skirt and top and a handbag.... he walked round in the shop like it haha....

Trousers never used to be unisex.

If my son done it once or when he was playing with a little girl I might overlook it, but if like your son he done it a lot i'd soon put a stop to it! It IS weird, stop letting him embarrass himself when he's not even aware that he is! If my son done that then the rest of the family would of ribbed and laughed at him so much, cos it IS FUNNY, but he wouldn't be doing it on the regular and not made aware that it's not normal attire!

allforoneandoneforall... he is in the house with just me and his siblings. playing. how can someone embarrass themself without knowing it

awful that there even has to be a thread about this tbh. The equivalent for girls would go utterly unremarked and would even be encouraged. Why must we be so limiting for our boys?