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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Please tell me I'm not the insane one? So fucked off.

334 replies

NopeSorry · 06/07/2016 11:50

I have a newborn and 2 other children. I'm seriously sick to death of my mother's thinking.

I always knew her thinking from a teen, but now I've actually got kids in so pissed off.

My son wanted a dress, he's young. Just a fucking dress, I've brought one for him before, he puts it on and then dumps it 3 hours later anyway, there is not a problem. He used it to walk to swimming, it was so easy as it stopped his skin sticking, his words, but was then bored of it. My mother also told my daughter, when she was 5, she needed to keep a top on at the beach, or bikini top.

I'm just fucked off. My perfect sister with her perfect kids who follow all these wonderful gender stereotypes.

She wanted to take my newest baby swimming when older and take the other kids, I said that if my son chooses to walk there with a dress or my daughter doesn't want to have a top on or whatever the duck else that doesn't matter, happens, you need to follow the way I'm parenting and accept it. She said absolutely not and that "I don't want to look after your kids anyway if they don't follow my rules" I am sooo fucked off. I love her so much, but do have very specific rules that I want to do as a parent, I said she had her chance to raise us how you wanted.

AIBU to think that you follow the parents' choice of parenting?? Or not?? I'm just so fucked off with it. I know it's small, but to say that she'd not want to go to the beach with my daughter if she doesn't have a top on as she's embarrassed or whatever, that's the bit that winds me up as how can you feel that strongly that you don't want to see my kid? And the "I'll have (sisters name here) enough times anyway in the near future".

I'm raging and I know you have a lot of these gender threads, but is it enough to not let her take them out on their own? Of course they can see them when I'm there/dad is there. Because when she makes a comment, I can jump right in and stop it. I'm raging that she cares enough to not want to see them. So pissed off. So fucked off.

OP posts:
Nashville2 · 06/07/2016 19:00

I think the reason I wouldn't particularly like my son's wardrobe to be full of dresses is because I know people would be judging him out side of the house. I think it's different if it's dress up but to become his day to day clothes just wouldn't be practical? Would you let your son wear his pyjamas to a wedding or school? It's not because I'd care him wearing a dress as he'd be allowed to wear that in the house or if he was desperate a one off when we pop to the shop but to because his regular wardrobe, I'm not sure.

Greenyogagirl · 06/07/2016 19:05

Why ask AIBU? Just put 'I am not being unreasonable and everyone who agrees with me should boost my ego about this'

Boys in dresses. I don't like it. I don't get it. It feels very 'look how amazing and modern and 'gender neutral' I am!' I don't think there's a load of middle aged men crying into their wives skirts because they never wore a dress.

Girls should cover up at the beach in my opinion, be it vest and pants or swimming costume (bikinis on kids is gross imo) purely because here it is the norm for girls to cover up. It helps protect them from the sun. It helps protect them from any weirdos/perves and gets them used to covering up for swimming/beach as they get older.

I think you're angry because mum agrees with sisters parenting and not yours. I also think if someone is taking your kids out its their responsibility to care for them and I'm sure your son wearing shorts and your daughter wearing a swimsuit will not scar them for life considering it's the norm.

LordyMe · 06/07/2016 19:09

I wouldn't let a little boy wear a dress but if he was older then it would be up to him. I wouldn't be worried 'he would catch the gay', that's an offensive thing to suggest I think. I just like my kids to roughly conform. I wouldn't like them to wear dirty holed clothes or anything overly tacky.

On MN it's often quoted that some people are more ok with boys wearing pink sparkly clothes than girls.

Having said that if one of my DC was happy to dress their child in girls clothing then I would keep quiet.

LordyMe · 06/07/2016 19:11

BTW I have NEVER EVER actually seen a little boy in a dress. Older teens yes but little kids no.

Natsku · 06/07/2016 19:15

I've seen a little boy in a dress in a Reception class when I was volunteering back when I was in 6th form (so a good 12+ years ago), and I've seen pictures of my friend's little boy in dresses from time to time. He tends to wear nearly all gender neutral clothes (they're in Sweden though, so little kids clothes are often gender neutral and lovely and bright and colourful) and DD always asks me "who's that girl?" when she sees his picture.

Natsku · 06/07/2016 19:16

The boy in the Reception class obviously was wearing a dress from the dress-up corner, he didn't come to school in a dress as they had uniform.

Esspee · 06/07/2016 19:16

My sons were allowed to play naked in the garden and the beach to give their little bottoms a rest from nappies. I did encounter some disapproval but ignored it. Your mother would probably have apoplexy at that 😆

Esspee · 06/07/2016 19:25

Saw a mum, daughter and son in M&S a couple of weeks ago. The boy was wearing a princess dress. My first thought was that mum was on Mumsnet!

Dresses4 · 06/07/2016 19:26

I've changed my username as everyone who recognises me through my son will be able to see all my history Grin

Anyway, this is my son right now. Happy as anything, no sisters, so guess what? I bought these just for him! He loves them, he loves dressing up his doll too. He doesn't wear them outside though, but I'd let him. I suppose I wouldn't buy him an actual day to day dress, as I suppose clothes do tend to conform to society. As bad as that is, but role playing is completely different. If he wanted a day to day dress, I'd let him get it, but to still be 'dress up' so he could go out in it but it would probably go over his clothes and then in his dress up chest instead of wardrobe, I don't really know why. He has a Disney princess top that he loves though, which looks lovely with a pair of skinny jeans and Nikes Grin it actually looks super cool.

The girl without a top wouldn't bother me. I do see where people are coming from though. Paedophile get off on the fact that they have no chest yet... Ew. So that would be a turn on for them, but tbh it still wouldn't bother me.

Please tell me I'm not the insane one? So fucked off.
LordyMe · 06/07/2016 19:30

I see a difference between a little boy playing 'dress up' and wearing traditional girls dress up costumes and a little boy who is wearing normal 'girls' clothing.

NoMudNoLotus · 06/07/2016 19:34

There seem to be a lot of mothers who think they are progressive on trend parents for allowing their sons to dress up in girls clothes.

This is not new!!

It's really quite common for young boys to want to dress up in heels , nail varnish , dresses etc - it's a developmental phase that passes - is nothing to do with parenting styles & is how boys experiment with gender identity in order to form their own.

Greenyogagirl · 06/07/2016 19:34

Huge difference between dress-up and letting/making your son wear a regular dress day to day

GarlicStake · 06/07/2016 19:38

Lordy, how would you know if a young child in so-called girls' clothes was a boy?

GarlicStake · 06/07/2016 19:39

What a gorgeous kid, Dresses :)

ellie264 · 06/07/2016 19:39

I think that whatever your parenting choices are, other people need to respect that. As long as your child is healthy and happy, other people do not get an opinion. Your mum is wrong.

And really, it's not that crazy to let a little boy wear a dress or a little girl go topless! Perfectly normal, really.

shockthemonkey · 06/07/2016 19:40

Wow, OP you are terribly, terribly wound up and you need to address whatever it is that is making you so angry and hateful.

Then maybe you can tackle the dress and tops thing with a clear head.

Dresses4 · 06/07/2016 19:41

Thank you Garlic Smile

GarlicStake · 06/07/2016 19:42

It's really quite common for young boys to want to dress up in heels , nail varnish , dresses etc

Yes, it is.

I'm curious to hear any adverse reactions that don't boil down to misdirected homophobia.

LagunaBubbles · 06/07/2016 19:45

What an offensive thing to say "catch the gay", no that's not why I wouldn't put any of my sons in dresses. Whether you like it or not (and clearly lots here don't) it's not seen as "normal" for young boys to wear dresses on our society. Children have enough to cope with growing up without deliberately setting them up for ridicule and judgement. If as a teenager when emerging sexuality and a sense of self identity are very important any of them wanted to wear a dress then that would be their choice.

GarlicStake · 06/07/2016 19:46

Paedophiles get off on ... children. It really doesn't matter what, if anything, they're wearing. No-one's ever been turned into a child abuser by the sight of a child's naked body.

I mean, think about it - you don't have to see a man naked in order to fancy him, do you? (Or do you??!)

NoMudNoLotus · 06/07/2016 19:47

And green is right.

Having come across paedophiles & had to work closely with them for the past 17 years, putting a top on your daughter , and not allowing your toddlers/ babies to wander around naked in parks/ beaches does protect them from paedophiles.

If you want to delude yourself anything else than do - but I'm telling you now that paedophiles have very sophisticated ways of observing your child in the park/ beach/ local water fountain.

GarlicStake · 06/07/2016 19:48

You kind of weakened your own point there, Laguna, by claiming your aversion has nothing to do with sexuality and then ... linking it to sexuality.

Pearlman · 06/07/2016 19:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GarlicStake · 06/07/2016 19:50

But, Lotus, any child sexual abusers present would be perving anyway!

PotteringAlong · 06/07/2016 19:52

Why is it so wrong for your mum to be judging your parenting but perfectly acceptable for you to be judging your sisters?