The Gendering of the Young

[Soon]

Nat,

Have you considered making this story a thread unto itself?

I'd love a poll where people agree or disagree with the parents' decision.

I think it might make for an interesting discussion.

[Nat]

Originally Posted by HowSoonIsNow

Nat,

Have you considered making this story a thread unto itself?

I'd love a poll where people agree or disagree with the parents' decision.

I think it might make for an interesting discussion.

I hadn't, but if you'd like to please do.

[Soon]

Originally Posted by Nat

I hadn't, but if you'd like to please do.

I did. I am always anxious with creating polls b/c I am sure I may have left out a viable option or poorly worded it, but I did the best I could.


Thanks for the interesting article!

[Nat]

Mariah: I won't force pink on baby

Mariah Carey doesn't know the sex of her unborn baby, but insists she won't force pink on her child if it's a girl.

The 41-year-old diva - who confirmed last week she is expecting her first child - was a guest on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and was teased by host Ellen that she was going to love dressing up her baby if she had a daughter.

Mariah said: "I'm not going to impose pink on a girl. Do you think I'm really going to go that hard with it? That's how you get the exact opposite."

Ellen joked to the singer: "When that baby comes out you're going to have high heels on it like immediately. Little, tiny high heel shoes on that baby."

When the presenter asked if she could guess the baby's sex, Mariah said: "I would prefer not. Because imagine if you're a baby inside someone's body. Do you really want someone imposing their sex ideas on you? Not really? I'm just saying. Would you want them to be like it's definitely a girl... would you?

[Tcountry]

I know a 7yr old who has tools and dolls...
who loves anything to do with kittens, but will get up on the roof and help tear off shingles...
I can say my household will be that way again, too....as soon as they can talk it is purely up to them...clothes, toys, activities, etc.

[Nat]

I've had several facebook friends link to this blog post recently - and I think it fits this thread pretty perfectly. I found it especially interesting how the other moms were the main source of bs - not the other kids.

my son is gay



Or he’s not. I don’t care. He is still my son. And he is 5. And I am his mother. And if you have a problem with anything mentioned above, I don’t want to know you.

I have gone back and forth on whether I wanted to post something more in-depth about my sweet boy and his choice of Halloween costume. Or more specifically, the reactions to it. I figure if I’m still irked by it a few days later, I may as well go ahead and post my thoughts.

Here are the facts that lead up to my rant:

1.My son is 5 and goes to a church preschool.
2.He has loved Scooby Doo since developing the ability and attention span to sit still long enough to watch it.
3.Halloween is a holiday and its main focus is wearing a costume.
4.My son’s school had the kids dress up, do a little parade, and then change out of costumes for the rest of the party.
5.Boo’s best friend is a little girl
6.Boo has an older sister
7.Boo spends most of his time with me.
8.I am a woman.
9.I am Boo’s mother, not you.
So a few weeks before Halloween, Boo decides he wants to be Daphne from Scooby Doo, along with his best friend E. He had dressed as Scooby a couple of years ago. I was hesitant to make the purchase, not because it was a cross gendered situation, but because 5 year olds have a tendency to change their minds. After requesting a couple of more times, I said sure and placed the order. He flipped out when it arrived. It was perfect.

Then as we got closer to the actual day, he stared to hem and haw about it. After some discussion it comes out that he is afraid people will laugh at him. I pointed out that some people will because it is a cute and clever costume. He insists their laughter would be of the ‘making fun’ kind. I blow it off. Seriously, who would make fun of a child in costume?

And then the big day arrives. We get dressed up. We drop Squirt at his preschool and head over to his. Boo doesn’t want to get out of the car. He’s afraid of what people will say and do to him. I convince him to go inside. He halts at the door. He’s visibly nervous. I chalk it up to him being a bit of a worrier in general. Seriously, WHO WOULD MAKE FUN OF A CHILD IN A COSTUME ON HALLOWEEN? So he walks in. And there were several friends of mine that knew what he was wearing that smiled and waved and gave him high-fives. We walk down the hall to where his classroom is.

And that’s where things went wrong. Two mothers went wide-eyed and made faces as if they smelled decomp. And I realize that my son is seeing the same thing I am. So I say, “Doesn’t he look great?” And Mom A says in disgust, “Did he ask to be that?!” I say that he sure did as Halloween is the time of year that you can be whatever it is that you want to be. They continue with their nosy, probing questions as to how that was an option and didn’t I try to talk him out of it. Mom B mostly just stood there in shock and dismay.

And then Mom C approaches. She had been in the main room, saw us walk in, and followed us down the hall to let me know her thoughts. And they were that I should never have ‘allowed’ this and thank God it wasn’t next year when he was in Kindergarten since I would have had to put my foot down and ‘forbidden’ it. To which I calmly replied that I would do no such thing and couldn’t imagine what she was talking about. She continued on and on about how mean children could be and how he would be ridiculed.

My response to that: The only people that seem to have a problem with it is their mothers.

Another mom pointed out that high schools often have Spirit Days where girls dress like boys and vice versa. I mentioned Powderpuff Games where football players dress like cheerleaders and vice versa. Or every frat boy ever in college (Mom A said that her husband was a frat boy and NEVER dressed like a woman.)

But here’s the point, it is none of your damn business.

If you think that me allowing my son to be a female character for Halloween is somehow going to ‘make’ him gay then you are an idiot. Firstly, what a ridiculous concept. Secondly, if my son is gay, OK. I will love him no less. Thirdly, I am not worried that your son will grow up to be an actual ninja so back off.

If my daughter had dressed as Batman, no one would have thought twice about it. No one.

But it also was heartbreaking to me that my sweet, kind-hearted five year old was right to be worried. He knew that there were people like A, B, and C. And he, at 5, was concerned about how they would perceive him and what would happen to him.

Just as it was heartbreaking to those parents that have lost their children recently due to bullying. IT IS NOT OK TO BULLY. Even if you wrap it up in a bow and call it ‘concern.’ Those women were trying to bully me. And my son. MY son.

It is obvious that I neither abuse nor neglect my children. They are not perfect, but they are learning how to navigate this big, and sometimes cruel, world. I hate that my son had to learn this lesson while standing in front of allegedly Christian women. I hate that those women thought those thoughts, and worse felt comfortable saying them out loud. I hate that ‘pink’ is still called a girl color and that my baby has to be so brave if he wants to be Daphne for Halloween.

And all I hope for my kids, and yours, and those of Moms ABC, are that they are happy. If a set of purple sparkly tights and a velvety dress is what makes my baby happy one night, then so be it. If he wants to carry a purse, or marry a man, or paint fingernails with his best girlfriend, then ok. My job as his mother is not to stifle that man that he will be, but to help him along his way. Mine is not to dictate what is ‘normal’ and what is not, but to help him become a good person.

I hope I am doing that.

And my little man worked that costume like no other. He rocked that wig, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Nat

I've had several facebook friends link to this blog post recently - and I think it fits this thread pretty perfectly. I found it especially interesting how the other moms were the main source of bs - not the other kids.

Shit flows downstream.

[Jess]

Originally Posted by Nat

I've had several facebook friends link to this blog post recently - and I think it fits this thread pretty perfectly. I found it especially interesting how the other moms were the main source of bs - not the other kids.

The Today show picked up on this story and actually handled it quite well. Here is their interview with this mom and the author of My Princess Boy, the mother of a vibrant young boy who enjoys all things "pink and pretty"

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/400693...day-parenting/

and here is the link to the author's page for her book

http://myprincessboy.com/


It was actually refreshing to hear them discuss even briefly the gender issues instead of the tired old " it will make your kid gay" rhetoric.