DD friend is a furry/therian. Trying to encourage (strongly) my DD to be the same.

[Sockmate123]

What would you do in this situation? Child in class is 'recruiting' other children (mainly very quiet children) to be furries. She says she is a therian and presents as a wolf. School has banned her wearing wolf items to school but she still does on party days/world book day/non uniform etc
Parents seem to do littke about it
Quite older parents. Children are 10. My DD has so far not engaged but likes the child involved but is being pressured. It was her birthday recently and friend bought her a tail 🙄

I think this is completely weird. Child digs holes at lunch time, barks at people etc cute/acceptable up until age 5 or 6 but not girls that are on the cusp of puberty!

AIBU?
Yes- she's only a kid, will spon grow out of it.
No - its weird, school and parents should do more to address it

How long has this been going on? When I was about that age I went through a brief phase of drinking out of a baby bottle. Is it really that different? I was an insecure kid - I'm reasonably normal now! 🤪

It sounds like the child might have difficulty relating to other kids and this is their way of drawing attention to themselves, which will probably pass as they grow in confidence. On the other hand, if this has been going on since they were 5...

Just read all your comments - ignore mine! I should have read yours first... 🙄

Of course not and I don't give a toss how people live, as long as it's not affecting others. As with most things that are considered (by some people) to be different, or weird, they don't bother me. I do, however, think that some children might be better served by finding out why they feel better identifying as a cat.

5 years its going on but much worse the past 2. Its not a joke/game. Its her whole personality

Tell your child if they want to become an animal then they will be treated wholeheartedly like one.

They will need microchipping. They will have to shit in the garden. They will not be allowed on furniture. They can wash themselves by licking. They will need worming frequently. They will eat only animal food. They will also not be allowed outside the house to play and have to be on a lead at all times due to responsible pet ownership rules.

One or two days of dog food and peeing in the garden and sleeping on the floor and it'll soon right itself and no longer be a desire your child has!

Please tell me you are not a parent. Recommending child abuse to force a child to stop a completely harmless behaviour is terrifying.

Jesus! What is terrifying is that you believe I would microchip a child! Shitting hell fire! No one is forcing anyone - get a bloody grip! Offering a child dog biscuits and saying dogs eat these and if the child goes ewww then -
righto you are not a dog so packet in!

Please tell me you are not a parent. What a concern.

Oh come on, this sounds completely made up.

For those calling this imagination play and kids being kids... im sorry no, this has crossed the line into the FUCKING WEIRD. This isn't just playing wolves, this is saying "I IDENTIFY AS A WOLF".

We have kids like this in the local primary school and they are not in reception, year 1 or years 2 - who generally play pretend... its the year 5 and 6 kids. The reason they are doing it at that late age is because they already see the power in saying "i identify as".

Nowadays, adults can't say "oh don't be so silly, take that off, you're a girl not a wolf" without some dickhead parents trying to storm in and demand justice for their little munkjack, or panda bear or whatever the fuck they want to identify themselves as.

I would tell DD to stay away from this child, because her behaviour is very odd for a girl of 10 years old. I'd tell her that it's silly to think that she's actually an animal and that her parents should do a better job of telling her this is silly. I'd tell DD that in a few years, she will go to secondary school and will likely be bullied if she continues this act. I'd tell her that she mustn't be unkind to her, but she definitely shouldn't join in with this silly game.

I was literally thinking the same thing

Right. So telling a child if they don't stop harmless behaviour, they will not be given food, and will instead have to eat dog food. That's child abuse, and I would call the police, as well as Social Services, on you.

Yes, some children are a bit weird and odd. Why does that make you angry?

If butternut squash and carrots is child abuse in your house then Jesus call social services. They will laugh at you saying feeding children butternut squash and carrots is child abuse!

I know children cry about eating vegetables but Jesus it isn't a SS call for veg! Never heard anything so ridiculous!

I can imagine the call - whippy is feeding her kids carrots and butternut squash please come quickly it is child abuse! What do you want - 10 years in maximum security for offering a child vegetables! Never heard anything so ridiculous!

You think readers should have assumed by "dog food" you meant vegetables prepared as normal for human consumption. You're thick as mince.

Nope I was not on about vegetables prepared for human consumption I was on about dog food prepared for dogs! Made from vegetables! Not sure what you feed your dogs but my dog gets food made from vegetables. My dog also gets food made from peanut butter. Is that an extra 5 years in jail if you feed a child peanut butter?

Sorry genuinely don't understand you. So you would make a child eat dog food? But only vegetarian dog food? Or do you just mean vegetables and peanut butter?

Lol, someone needs to tell them that cats don't dig holes. Wrong species. The lick their bums and sleep a lot. Sounds appropriate for school?!

I wouldn't make anyone eat anything! If a child wants to eat them they can do. Oh no they can eat the meat element too. My dog eats fish and chicken I am sure children also eat fish and chicken or is that child abuse to serve up salmon for kids these days?!

Just a bit confused as to what kids can eat if they cannot eat meat or vegetables. Maybe their diet of pizza and cake must be adhered to at all times or it is considered child abuse!

So what was the point of you saying

One or two days of dog food and peeing in the garden and sleeping on the floor and it'll soon right itself and no longer be a desire your child has!

What's different about this to their normal food if dog food just means vegetables and meat? And if it's the same why mention it?

Well that is just what dog food is. It isn't made from acid is it?

I do not season my dogs food. It is bland and boring which a child would get sick of after a few days and be ready for ketchup and burger in no time.

Oh right well maybe if you normally feed your kid crap then eating meat and vegetables is a bit punishment.

In a decade or two, we will look back on this time and wonder why liberal societies enabled and even encouraged this damaging nonsensical behaviour. When it manifests in very young children, the parents usually have alternatives lifestyles and are responsible, e.g. when a parent claims their 18 month old tells them they are trans or a 5 year old claiming to be a therian (mental illness). I would give the entire family a very wide birth and get a support group of like minded patents and children around your child.

Some families do feed their kids crap. They call it a 'treat' but having a treat daily is called their diet.

Honestly, i think that you should just let her do it. She’s having fun. It’s better than what some kids do (vaping, drinking monster etc) so just let her do it. If it continues in like 5 years then maybe it could be concerning. Also the parent didn’t buy the tail the kid definitely could have.

@Shirley0 it has been going on for a number of years already. You have to wonder where the idea of furry/Therian came from for a young children and the term identifying if she had been using these terms for a few years