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Original poster

Two year old boy likes to wear princess dresses! How normal?

43 replies

Mamabear12 · 15/12/2015 16:26

He has a sister who is 1.5 years older who lives in princess dresses! Sometimes I am able to convince her not to wear them. But lately, he wants to wear them too. If he sees her in one and sees one available in the costume box. How normal is this for boys his age? I thought it was cute at first, but now my mom made me feel bad saying i should not let him do this. But I have seen a few other young boys do the same.

How many of you had sons that did this? What age? Did/when did they grow out? Should I hide all the dresses? I just feel bad for my daughter who loves to wear them. But feel bad for my son, who just wants to copy her on everything.

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rainydaygrey · 15/12/2015 16:27

Completely normal if that's what his older sibling does! I wouldn't give it too much thought.

IAmAPaleontologist · 15/12/2015 16:28

Totally normal, he's just dressing up!

My 3 year old goes and puts a dress on whenever there is music playing so he can dance and he dressed up as a princess for halloween

rainydaygrey · 15/12/2015 16:28

Oh except that I would be careful as they can be dangerous in terms of fire safety.

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puddingisgood · 15/12/2015 16:28

Absolutely normal! (Nursery nurse speaking)

LorelaiDanes · 15/12/2015 16:31

Ime it's completely normal my ds regularly dresses in his sisters princess dresses just as she regularly dresses in his superhero costumes. It just depends what game they are playing at the time.

Original poster

Mamabear12 · 15/12/2015 16:32

Okay, bc mom got mad and wrote several emails lecturing me about it...making me feel bad. Saying he will get bullied when older. I do worry if he continues bc he keeps looking up to his sister. Or do younger brothers out grow this? I dont mind him dressing up...I just dont want him to continue when he is older and at school if he might get bullied and hurt by it.

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HelloPuppyCallingYou · 15/12/2015 16:42

Completely normal, my ds (3), loves anything with princesses and ponies, carries a toy spike (mlp) around and used to take a buggy with a baby on his older sister's school run. None of her friend ever said anything or gave him weird looks. He has stopped for now because he's obsessed with paw patrol, but he'll go back soon.
You can buy more gender neutral costumes and have them on offer, we have some Melissa and Doug ones that fit both the Dc, fire fighter, doctor, nurse, etc.

Arfarfanarf · 15/12/2015 16:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

3rdrockfromthesun · 15/12/2015 18:49

Normal. My brother used to like wearing my dressing up dresses and as far as I am aware he is straight

AGrinWithoutACat · 15/12/2015 19:13

Very normal - have some pics of DS looking gorgeous in his older sisters dresses age about 2.

My football mad, judo practicing, car obsessed, entranced by marvel and Lego DS, who introduced me to his girlfriend the other day - he's 9.

And he still plays dress up :) though now he is mainly a cat!

Booboostwo · 15/12/2015 19:39

My 15mo DS copies his older sister in everything and wears her plastic jewelry and hair clips. The only comments I have had is that he looks really cute.

Other children will make negative comments about all sorts of things. Another 4yo told my DD yesterday that she had been naughty and Santa would not bring her a present. The trick is to make them feel confident in themselves and their choices, not to get them to conform to other people's ideas of how they should be because other people will always find something to pick on. I doubt your DS will continue to want wear dresses when he is older, but if he does he also needs the strength to tell others to sod off with their negative views.

StoptheRavelry · 15/12/2015 19:45

Oh please just ignore your mum. It's fine. My 12yo wore a tutu and painted himself green once. I took pictures, which he then forced me to destroy when he was about 10.

It's normal. Please don't hide the dresses and spoil their fun

winchester1 · 15/12/2015 19:48

My boy does this as well and he has no older siblings he just like glittery clothes and shoes.

Naoko · 15/12/2015 19:50

Totally normal. It's two and they are glittery and bright and awesome. Sequins and glitter are incredibly exciting when you're two or thirty two tbh. Boy or girl.

Naoko · 15/12/2015 19:51

*he's two, not it, obviously!

Blu · 15/12/2015 20:15

On the Secret Lives of Six Year Olds, all the boys except one leapt with glee into a box of Princess frocks, Wigs and accessories and decked themselves out. Ds's friends kept it up til about 7, including at school,

Your Mum is.....misguided.

Greydog · 15/12/2015 20:23

Mine used to love dressing up, and slathering himself in whatever make up he could find. He horrified my mother once by saying he was Alice Cooper.
He grew out of it (but not Alice Cooper!)

PandasRock · 15/12/2015 20:32

Its fine.

My ds is 3, and leaps on anything bright, sparkly and glittery - why not? they are very appealing.

when dd2 was in nursery/reception, loads of the boys dressed up in the princess dresses. afaik, no one was laughed at or teased/bullied. they all grew out of it, some more slowly than others. by year 2, none of the boys made a beeline for the princess/overtly girly stuff, although many of them still throw themselves into dress up days at school with gusto, relishing the chance for makeup and a bit of sparkle/bright colours as the costume dictates.

Original poster

Mamabear12 · 15/12/2015 20:37

Thanks for your feedback. I thought it was fine...but my moms advice and words made me feel bad and worried! I love how my kids play together and I think my son is so sweet and so cute! I thought it was normal...as I have seen some other kids do it. Its perhaps my moms generation, that think its not normal...since during their time...and where she is from...they did not have princess anything! Im sure if they had all those glitter dresses the boys would have done the same when she was growing up!

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Justmuddlingalong · 15/12/2015 20:46

Ds1 had a doll called Suzy. She was well loved and even had to come away on holiday with us. After a few years she was ditched, never to be looked at again. I still remind 6 foot, 23 year old DS about her, usually just before he drives off on his motorbike. Your son is exploring the great big world. Encourage him and redirect your DM's unhelpful emails to your junk box.

Borninthe60s · 15/12/2015 21:01

Your mother sounds old fashioned and possibly homophobic in that I imagine she will think he will turn out gay or soft or a sissy etc because of this. Let him be who and what he is at that moment in time. He will turn out ok, embrace toys, clothes etc that are not stereotypically boys or girls.

23 yrs ago I was asked why my 18 month old son got a mini vacuum cleaner for Xmas, my answer was, he wanted one (loved the one at toddlers) and I hoped that when he grew up he'd learn how to use a real one. He can, he just chooses not to!!

Original poster

Mamabear12 · 15/12/2015 21:04

Haha...Borninthe60s...that comment about the mini vacuum made me laugh. My kids too love to play clean....and try to help clean. I know that is something that probably wont last forever! Even though I wish it would!!!!

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VashtaNerada · 15/12/2015 21:08

Very normal to copy an older sibling! He'll probably grow out of it when (sadly) he picks up on 'rules' for how boys can dress, but if he doesn't - that's not really the end of the world either!

hugoagogo · 15/12/2015 21:15

I remember picking ds up from nursery and finding him and his best friend in lovely frilly dresses. I really should remind them both about it now they are 17!

He also had a hoover, a buggy and a doll and I might add no big sister to look up to.

Toddlers just love pretending, it's good for them.

CharleyDavidson · 15/12/2015 21:15

Totally normal.

I had a group of boys (about 4 of them) in my year 4 class a couple of years ago who loved spending golden time dressing up, including in the princess dresses or the flamenco dress I had in the box. They were hilarious.

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