Superheroes and Princess kids event.

[NicoAndTheNiners]

Our gym has a kids club. They're organising a superheroes and princess event.....actually a valentines dinner. Leaving the valentines dinner aspect of it aside am I overreacting thinking that Superheros and Princess gives a bad message to both boys and girls?

I get that they could turn round and say well the girls can be superheroes as well. But by offering only a princess option they imply that one choice is for the boys and one for the girls. So that girls have to be a princess while the boys are superheroes. And what about any boys who don't feel like a superhero?

I think it would be better being superheroes and princes and princess. Or just superheroes.

Would I be batshit to point this out?

I daughter had a superheroes party when she was 4. She went as Superman. And then for her 5th Star Wars party she went as Darth Vader. I think quite a few girls will dress as superheroes. More tricky for the boys though, they could dress as a prince.

No. You would not be batshit to point this out . Misread the question . Seem to be misunderstanding a lot these days.

I agree with you op. I'd have no problem with a superhero party or a prince/princess party, but combining them implies that one option is for each gender.

Why not just call it go old fashioned “Fancy Dress” or “Costume Party” and leave it at that ?

Years ago, eldest DS had a “Pirate Party” for his 4th birthday. The majority of the girls turned up in Princess dresses because they & their mums felt it was “more appropriate”. I thought it was utterly ridiculous & actually rather rude - basically saying DS’s chosen theme wasn’t good enough.

This kind of gender stereotyping as per the OP’s post, makes me so pissed off. Yes, of course the girls in this instance can go as superheroes but it would be disingenuous to say that this theme doesn’t have a basis in outdated gender stereotyping.

And when I say “years ago” it was actually in 2004 rather than say many decades ago!

But yet it is you giving the gender stereotypes as nowhere does it say girls will be the princesses or boys will be the superheroes and many PP have said their girls would choose to be a superhero.

It is your own gender stereotyping that has made it come across that way. Either go or don't go, don't be that person who has to ruin events to be PC.

I hate gender stereotypes

My son loves rainbow and unicorn shoes (he's 5) and he begs for them... they didn't have his size but I would have let him have them.

I totally get your annoyance with the party being just princesses and superhero's... there are plenty boys who aren't interested in superhero's and many who wouldn't want to go as a prince or princess

It's lazy theming and obviously based on what the organisers think will keep everyone happy, but no one has to go along with it.
My middle son would see the invitation and it wouldn't cross his mind to go as a superhero because he's just not into them. He would simply choose the princess option without questioning it. In fact he did exactly this at a school dress-up day (complete with random baby in a sling?), whilst on "fairytale day" he went as the wolf dressed as Grandma in a nightie and wolf mask.
It's up to us to bring our children up how we think is best, and whilst there is absolutely a time to challenge stereotypes I don't think this it - it isn't specified that girls must come as princesses and boys as superheroes, both options are open to all.

@Choccywoccyhooha love it!!! And I call my son choccywoccydoodahh a little different from your name but it caught my eye!! Ha

My DD went to one of these, she loves dressing up as a princess but decided to go as Superman, complete with fake pecs she looked ace.

Really? What a load of old shit! People really do overthink things. Let your daughter be a bloody superhero if she wants or your son be a princess. Mountain out of molehill comes to mind.

My DD had a Superhero and Princess party for her 4th. She went as Wonder Woman. DC Super Hero Girls seem to have really taken off and I was pleased to see about half of the girls went as superheroes. I'm not a fan of anything that enforces stereotypes but this isn't saying boys as one and girls as another, is it?