Oh fuck off... Superheroes for CIN

[TallulahTwinkletoes]

Just picked up DD from CM and have been told it's superhero day for children in need 'but the girls can just go as princesses'. Ermmm fuck off. If it's superhero day, she goes as a superhero. What do I do now? Buy a superhero outfit and probably exclude her from the girls or follow like a sheep and let her be a beautiful princess? I'm sure she would live both...

My DD is going as an admiral of the US navy. Our school is doing superheroes or any hero, it's a very loose theme.

Don't forget the xmen ladys jean grey/phoenix, Storm, rogue, emma frost, scarlet witch thats just a few from the xmen series, look into comics :)

Dd has decided to go as "Pyjama girl".

She's going to wear her pyjamas and have a blanket Cape. Her sidekick will be a teddy bear.

Her super power is making naughty children go to sleep.

Can you tell that she was gutted that they aren't to go in their pyjamas like they did last year?

DD2 loves superheroes so she's gutted that she's not at school yet. I think she'd love to be Spider-Man.

My friend's DD said that she's going as Elsa, which I ed at at first but then she said that she's a hero because she saves Anna and she has powers.

Ds2's school has decided they can either do superhero or pyjamas, so while he was going to wear his superhero pyjamas (and cover both themes), he has tonight changed his mind and is going to wear his Thomas the Tank pyjamas.

Ds1 has a superhero tshirt (Superman), so he's debating whether to wear that or casual clothes as his school said superhero or casual clothing.

I'm not quite sure why the upset here. There are a fair few female superheroes out there to choose from, and to be honest, if boys are free to dress up as princesses (hasn't this been the topic of many a thread on MN?), then why can't a girl be free to dress up as a male (or female, whichever she chooses) superhero?

Pirate princess. Tough, pretty, swashbuckling. I made a cape by sewing a button onto a pillow case. So then you have super hero pirate princess.

Alice, that's not what my op was about. It's a superhero theme but because she's a girl she can go as a princess. They've not said the boys can go as princesses. They've gender stereotyped that girls won't want to go as anything other than a princess (which lets face it is not related to superheroes) and that superheroes are very much a boy thing...

For once I am over the moon about this day. Dd1 (10 year 6) came home on Monday and said it was superheroes dressing up day on Friday. Bloody marvellous I thought . Later that evening dd1 said she'd like to go as a votes for women person. I was slightly taken aback and said, a suffragette? And she said yes. I thought YES! I am currently sewing purple and green ribbons on to a white ribbon for a sash. Dd1 has found and printed out an old votes for women poster.

Dd2 (8) then decided she wanted to go as something different - all her friends are going as cat girl(?). So ds2 suggested Florence Nightingale. She was happy with that when we'd explained who she was!

Obviously they are not super heroes as such and more in the way of your normal hero.

I can't imagine that they would kick off if a boy went as a princess (and trust me, my 5yo probably would if the option was available to him ).

There are tons of girl superheroes or heroes. Sometimes I think people get far too overly invested in the whole "gender stereotype" thing. Sometimes a girl might actually want to be a princess instead of a superhero. Sometimes they may rather be a superhero. So what?

Ask your dd what she wants to be and just let her choose.

To be fair, ds1's school sign says "heroes" whereas ds2's says "superheroes". I imagine there's some leeway there. I think sometimes it's important to choose your battles, and there's such as thing as getting overly invested in it.

such "a" thing. sigh. typo.

But it was never even suggested that a boy would want to go as a princess. They assume boys don't do that sort of thing.

I asked her and she wants to be a pink superhero

I understand there are plenty of female superheroes nowadays but that furthers my point as to why it would even be suggested the girls could be princesses because there are plenty of other options for girls to still be pink and sparkly but also a superhero. I'm not sure I've explained that well at all... Bear with me, I'm poorly.

The whole problem last year (where we are anyway) was that it was spotty dress up. Girls had spotty clothes, boys didn't. So it actually "discriminated" against boys (I can't really think of it as discrimination, it's ludicrous to accuse innocent fundraising efforts of this sort of thing). So they've included superheroes in an effort to give more options. At our school, it's superheroes, spots or any home clothes. I can't see the issue.

To try to suggest someone is guilty of gender discrimination here (I don't actually know which gender would be the one discriminated against) really fucks things up for sorting out real gender discrimination issues.

No it really doesn't Roxy. It's the beginning of gender discrimination for people.

It discriminates against girls because the implication is that they don't want to do anything or save anything. They want to be the people who are stereotypically pretty and wait around to be saved.

Princesses "Jobs" historically were to be breeding stock and get a good husband. Funny I hope for more for my daughter.

Why don't we sell useless "prince" costumes and stories to boys?

It does kind of seem that no matter what they say, people are going to complain. Perhaps CiN should simply label it "dress up in whatever the fuck you want to" day. Would every one be happy then?

Or have them all dress up in the same regardless of sex? That woudl be too fucking difficult though wouldn't it?

Maybe they can give a special costume option to the black kids too. Because they might not want to be super heroes either

DD (4) is going as Elsa, much to my disappointment. We've known about this for weeks and I offered to make/buy anything she could imagine, but she was worried (at 4 years old!!) of being laughed at?!?!

Anyway, like another poster said, DD is convinced that 'ice powers' make Elsa a superhero.

Interestingly DS (6) insisted on wearing a tutu and bunchies for some school dress up thing 2 years ago (no one challenged him).

As I've said before here, I want my DD to know that she can be whatever she wants without society deciding, assuming or even dictating that she should be anything because she's a girl.

For me, that's what this is about.

She's young and impressionable. If she's told she must be a certain thing, it could greatly affect her.

Thank you, thank you, thank you OP for starting this thread.

DS theme is superheros tomorrow, too. We have no outfits so thought it wasn't going to happen and was considering sending him in his normal clothes! However, I am inspired and will spend the night improvising and making DS a spectacular super hero costume! Wish me luck! :)

Dear Children In Need. This week I have spent £10 fashioning myself a super hero costume to wear to work tomorrow. I will also donate a small a mount to your charity. I would have donated more, but can't afford it after sorting out my costume, so I can fit in at work.

Mt daughters school are sensibly having a non uniform day. Because I don't have to buy her a super hero outfit or a new onsie I can donate more money to your charity. I applaud the school for taking this decision, and hope there is no Christmas Jumper day. I'd much rather put the £10 I'd spend on a Christmas jumper straight into the charities coffers.

Ooh fruit, let us know what you come up with. I'll finish mine and post a picture. Possibly outing myself...

My Dd went as lava girl, she's a pink super hero Tallulah!

lava girl

She also went as cat girl, anything girl and sparkle green girl, these ones she made up herself (her pre-school have had the theme all week).

My eldest is going to be Threenage Super-Ninja Lola. Guess who is making a Cape tonight....

As I've said before here, I want my DD to know that she can be whatever she wants without society deciding, assuming or even dictating that she should be anything because she's a girl.

For me, that's what this is about.

And if she wants to be a princess, will you allow her to do that?

Just picked up DD from CM and have been told it's superhero day for children in need 'but the girls can just go as princesses'.

It doesn't sound like they're saying girls MUST go as princesses... just giving another option. If it was dress up as a princess day or as a fairy day and they said children or boys can just go as pirates if they want to, would you get upset over that as well?

Perhaps a few girls that went through before you specifically stated that they didn't want to be a superhero.. or specifically asked if they could dress up as a princess instead... is it REALLY so offensive??

Sorry, I've got a daughter, and I just don't see the issue. I'd simply say "these are the options, what do you want to choose?" and leave it at that.

Don't flame me , I'm just interested, but what do you do if your dd wants to go as a princess?