DS (4) wants to be a girl some of the time.....

[alaprochaine]

When he was just 2, DS announced he was a 'birl'. I checked: 'aree you a boy?' "no" 'are you a girl" 'no' 'are you a birl' 'yes'. He's just about 4 and now has an alter-ego Elizabeth (we don't know anyone of that name) and her friend Alice. Am mostly amused, but wonder what's going on - he knows various girls and they (quite naturally) have better motor skills that him - they can skip, colour in, they wear pretty dresses andhave lovely hair.... Is he a tranny or just a competitive little bugger who sees the winning team being female???

No idea, my oldest boys have never expressed a desire to be a girl, but we don't have any gorgeous girls around for them to admire either.

He's a boy, who knows what's going on in his head, it'll be bombs and rockets next Just tell him OK.

Very normal. My friends DD was a boy in her mind until she was about 7, dressed as a boy, took a boys name, only played with boys, even wore boys bathers and pants. She is now a very pretty and feminine 13 year old (though still the best footballer I know). I remember when DS2 was at nursery there was a rush in the mornings for the dressing up corner for the boys to put on the dresses. I think it is too soon for you to be worried about his future predilictions

Oh it's guns when he's a boy, and swords, and superheroes, and baddies..... Thing is, he has vile temper, when he kicks off it's grim, and he very ashamed later. Think he thinks girls don't do that so.... split personality?

And mostly do find it rather sweet... Just wanted confirmation that it's quite normal. And however he turns out, provided it's within the boundaries of sane, will be fine with me!

My son (4 also) asked me when he grows up will he be a girl . He likes sparkly things such as Tiaras, high heels and loves hair clips and doing my hair- had to recently take him round Tesco with them in his hair which I found a little embarresing. He comments on anything pretty and says he wants hair like a girl in his class. He likes tidying, playing house and pushing a pram round. But then he likes boys things as well and plays well with the boys in his nursery class. I guess its just a stage he will grow out of but it drive my dh mad- I just let him get on with it.

Mine seemed to come quite late to the whole idea of girls and boys, my dd2 (who was brought up more by my DH than me early on) announced that she was going to be a 'daddy' when she grew up and was very upset when we tried to tell her otherwise. This was followed by much amusement about the bits that made daddy different. So, 3/4 is not that old for playing around with gender, and as for invisible friends, we live with a whole host of them (my dd2's alter ego is an invisible boy who is mysteriously quite naughty unlike my dd2 of course).

How wonderful to be 4 and to have the notion that you might be anything - there are no constraints. So being a boy or a girl or a dog or a daddy or a birl (fab word) are all possible.
Sad it has to change, but I guess we can still keep those other options in our imagination.