dd (8) has been invited to a birthday party.....

[northender]

"Footballers and WAGs". Dress up as your favourite footballer or put your glam rags on to become a WAG

I'm sure most of the mums at school will say this is just harmless fun. Dd didn't know what a WAG was and she has clearly been so well indoctrinated educated by me that, when I explained, she straight away declared she would be going as a footballer.
With so many great female role models out there people really think its okay to dress 8 year olds up as WAGs??

[bahana]

That's horrific! Luckily my youngest dd would DEFINITELY go as a footballer and I can think of a couple of others who would too. In fact it would be highly frowned on by most of the parents I know I should think.

[TigerFeet]

I'd be too OP. In your shoes I'd be having a word with dd about gender stereotyping and sending her to the party in my Blackpool shirt

[Cantbelieveitsnotbutter]

Is a wag a career now?

[Timetoask]

HOW HORRIFIC!
And I say this is a woman who doesn't mind girls wanting to dress like princesses in pink and boys dressing like pirates. Nature is nature.

But WAGS!!!! never. If I had a DD I would send her as a footballer, or in normal clothing.

[northender]

TigerFeet that is one option that won't be happening

[TigerFeet]

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

I don't thing it would feel such a dilemma if the concern were something like this that appears "clear cut." But, unfortunately because crass gender stereotyping and sexualisation of children at a younger and younger age is becoming so much more "normalised," it's hard NOT to think, "oh, am I just making too big a fuss."

When I grow up, I want to be as clear of thinking as KRITIQ.

[MrsClown1]

My children are grown up so I guess you know I am older than most of you. My children would have not been going and I would have no problem telling the parents why. I recall when my son was 7 he had a friend who had 'Grand Theft Auto'. I had no problem telling the parents that their son was welcome at my house but my son would not be playing at their house again. To be honest, I didnt really fit in with many of the parents so I didnt really care what they thought of me.

OP - would you mind doing me a favour. Please tell these parents that MrsClown is very sad that they are giving their daughter (if theirs is a daughter) such low aspirations or their son such a low opinion of women. The stupidity of parents shocks me at times.

[Thisisaeuphemism]

Wow! Can I ask what part of the country this is? So i can avoid it-

[PiccadillyCervix]

I'm really surprised at the number of comments from people who think that a girl going as a footballer will stick out - DD's fancy dress party was mostly girls and there was a pirate and a ninja, as well as some gender-less costumes. I don't think any of the adults would have made the comments suggested above.

Well did you and your friends have a "fancy dress party" or did you have a party that celebrates Overpaid, over sexed sports stars and their trophy girlfriends who are only known and only celebrated for who they have sex with?

Because I am very sure none of my the people I associate would blink at a little girl in football kit, but am very sure sure all of my friends would be horrified by a WAG party too. On the other hand someone who thinks a WAG party is a cute idea has very clearly different ideas towards appropriateness and gender politics than I do and NO I would not want them with in 50 miles of my children.

[SomersetONeil]

Yes, a girl going to general fancy dress party as a footballer in amongst the myriad other costumes

...

and possibly the only girl going as a footballer to a 'Footballers and WAGs' party is two quite different things.

I would probably try to avoid the party altogether, as well.