Is it weird my son wants to do BBB as a princess?

[bkandreu]

I don't think it's weird at all! Little boys sometimes like to do things like that.. I know my nephew used to play dress up with me all the time.. Also, about his being made fun of.. I really wouldn't worry about that all too much. Yes, people might find it weird or could stare.. but in all reality, just think of how big and fast paced Disney World is. Many people wouldn't notice, and many people wouldn't have time to stop and stare and make fun of. I think it would be a rare occurence if it did happen.. And I really wouldn't worry about.. It's all about making the children happy I can honestly say I wouldn't make fun of a child dressing up like any Disney character at Disney World no matter the gender, and all of the true Disney lovers would agree.. and we're the ones who matter

 

[luvthemouse71]

I'm torn- because while I think there is nothing wrong with it, people can be cruel. Then, part of me says that we shouldn't live our lives afraid of what the intolerant may think.

Tough situation, that's for sure.

 

[Planogirl]

It wasn't kids I was thinking of, I was thinking about the parents, as sillyoldbear referenced in her subsequent post.

It made me think of a mom blog I read a while ago where the bloggers 5 yr old son dressed as a girls for a school Halloween party and the parents had more issue with it than the other kids.

I know. Isn't it a shame that so-called grownups can't just keep their thoughts to themselves?

 

[Mama_Dis]

A few trips ago I saw a dad and his son in the Disney store @ DTD. The little boy was about 7-8ish and decked out as Cinderella. They were looking at princess dresses and the dad was right there with him, commenting on the dresses and NOT looking ashamed or embarrassed. I thought it was SO awesome! He was happy, his son was happy, they were at WDW. That's all that mattered.

Girls wear boy clothes all the time, it's not an issue. Most extremely successful fashion designers are men (yes, many of them are "alternative lifestyle", but many of them are not). It's just clothes. You will probably get some weird looks and maybe even some whispered comments, but the lesson of being true to yourself is one that will resonate with your son- maybe not now, but one day down the road.

 

[HowdyHeidi]

It absolutely is not weird developmentally, but I personally would not do it at Disney.

 

[SashaFarce]

I'm torn- because while I think there is nothing wrong with it, people can be cruel. Then, part of me says that we shouldn't live our lives afraid of what the intolerant may think.

Pretty much the same here. Kids should be allowed to express themselves, but it's the other jerks of the world that have an issue and might ruin my kid's fun. I probably wouldn't let my kid of any gender do the BBB anyway but the barbershop idea sounds pretty cool.

 

[rosebud4]

Let him dress up! When my now grown sons were little I allowed them to have their own baby dolls which they carried every where they went and their own strollers. My youngest wanted a kitchen set when he was about 4 and I got it for him even though my mother-in-law at the time thought it was a terrible thing. My youngest loved pink, all shades of it. At that time, boys did not wear pink. I had to make his clothes to include pink. They all have dressed up as girls at one point or another. They are now 29, 27, and 25. None are gay, transgender, or mentally unstable. Two have served our country in Afghanstan. Would I do it again for my grandson's when they arrive, YES! Let him be himself, if being Cinderella makes him happy, let him be, and do what I did, take lots of pictures to share with him when he gets older. He will realize what a great parent he had who let him be himself, even if for a brief moment he was Cinderella!

 

[*TheWigs*]

I say Go For It and let him choose! I am a mom to girls, but if I had a boy and he wanted all the "poof and fluff" of Cinderella I would DEFINITELY let him get dolled up at BBB! The one thing I would do, tho is have a change of clothes in case he did become self conscious during the day. I actually do this for my girls, too...ANY princess can tire of the stares of her "admirers"! Good for you to even consider what some close-minded parents would not! (And actually this is something my husband and I might disagree on, but I feel very strongly about self expression even when going against society "norms".)

 

[kerplop]

I think as long as you prepare him for rude comments, you should go for it. I was always a pretty extreme tomboy growing up with short hair and in the summer I refused to wear shirts at the beach, well at least until that sense of pre-teen modesty kicked in. Kids are always going to find something to tease other kids about that's just what they do. Parents may be nastier, which depressed and angers me on behalf of other people. All you can do is tell him the truth about what to expect and then let him make the choice on his own. Personally I applaud your open-minded parenting!

 

[A Mickeyfan]

It absolutely is not weird developmentally, but I personally would not do it at Disney.

That is a perfect answer... and I agree with that ..

when my son was younger, he would not only dressed up as a "girl" but he put on my bra and stuffed it with socks He sometimes would put on my mother's wig, he would put on a pair of heals.. and played "dress" up with his 2 younger sisters. He was about 8..He got a kick out of his sisters telling him that he "couldn't do it". He is now 25 and as normal as normal can be. When he was 18 months old I got him the Little tykes kitchen too... he then passed it onto his sisters when they came along.. and he loves to cook now.. and nothing in the world wrong with that.. he has worked in 2 Italian restaurants since he was 15 years old.... he went from one to the other.... He also played with Cabbage Patch Dolls and the My Buddy Doll when he was young... but all of this was done in the privacy of our home..... He also played baseball on a team from the age of 5 to the age of nearly 17...

 

[SamSam]

This. If you think your son would understand if you told him "Some people think that boys shouldn't dress up like Princesses, so they might be surprised to see you, but you can wear whatever you want because you get to choose what you want to wear", I'd tell him something like that.

Might he regret it someday? Perhaps. He might also remember that mom and dad didn't tell him he couldn't be who he wanted to be when he was young, too, and that his parents supported him.

Who knows? If it bothers him down the road, you put away the pictures of him in the dress and go on with life.

I agree with this. My granson (age 3) likes to wear Princess dress up clothes, he also likes to wear Hulk Hogan clothes. I think at that age they just like to dress up, and in this day and age, pink is not just for girls and blue is not just for boys.

 

[nytimez]

It's a little weird when you run into a boy dressed as a girl but not all that weird for kids that age -- they don't really "get" gender issues at that age and there's no reason to really correct them on it or even worry about it. If it makes him happy, go for it and take lots of pictures... excellent blackmail material for when he reaches high school.

 

[Gorechick]

I have 6 year old boy/girl twins and my son is on the high functioning end of the autiism spectrum. He is totally obsessed with Princesses, Fairies, and Barbie. He loves to dress up in his sister's costumes and princess shoes (we have a set with 6 diff. princess ones). His favorite girls are Mulan, Pocohontas, and Ariel. He watches the Princess movies, enchanted tales, and sing alongs all the time and replays the dialogue out loud daily. I've been trying to cut down on his "princess" time since he has entered regular first grade. My husband is also having a really hard time with him dressing up and pushing for him to be more "boy." I have mixed feelings though I know it's more society's problem with gender roles than my own.

 

[SamSam]

A few trips ago I saw a dad and his son in the Disney store @ DTD. The little boy was about 7-8ish and decked out as Cinderella. They were looking at princess dresses and the dad was right there with him, commenting on the dresses and NOT looking ashamed or embarrassed. I thought it was SO awesome! He was happy, his son was happy, they were at WDW. That's all that mattered.

Girls wear boy clothes all the time, it's not an issue. Most extremely successful fashion designers are men (yes, many of them are "alternative lifestyle", but many of them are not). It's just clothes. You will probably get some weird looks and maybe even some whispered comments, but the lesson of being true to yourself is one that will resonate with your son- maybe not now, but one day down the road.

Gotta say I love the dad right there with his son looking at princess dresses...that's just really cool.

 

[kate_wdw]

IMO, the likelihood of someone saying something cruel is just too high - I don't think I'd risk of letting other people's insensitivity hurt my child and/or put a damper on my family vacation.

I'd probably explain that some people would be surprised to see him dressed as a princess, and might be mean. If he were a genderbending teenager, I'd let him make his own choices, but I don't think that a preschooler (who can't foresee the potential consequences) should have to face that kind of ugliness.

That said, I'd let him get princess souvenirs (and for the cost of the BBB you could buy a heck of a lot of princess gear) and wear it in the hotel or at home to his heart's content.

I wish the world were different, but sometimes it's a tricky balance between letting an unusual kid be himself and preventing him from becoming a target

 

[kidsgobears]

Most kids that age have the cute baby faces that could belong to either a girl or boy. It's often the hair style and clothes that help us determine boy or girl. I can't imagine getting comments about it since many probably won't even know he's a boy.

Even if someone disapproved, I have a hard time believing they'd actually say something. I certainly hope I'm right about that.

 

[SillyOldBear]

Funny you say that. He often gets comments that he would make a cute girl. He has blonde hair and blue eyes and looks a lot like me so some people have thought he was a girl (with short hair)-lol

 

[+Rosetta+]

Like others said, he's so young that most people aren't going to look at him long enough to notice he's a boy or girl in the princess dress really.

I say go for it. Sign him up for one of the princess packages.
Who knows, by the time your trip comes he might be into something else completely and you can always switch it to the new prince-based package if he changes his mind later on.
I know when I was that age I was "princesses woooh!" one week and "RAWR dinosaurs!" the next

 

[annacali]

The only reason I wouldn't do the whole BBB experience for a little boy is the cost! Does he even have enough hair to style? Would he go for the makeup? Or would you really be paying $50 plus for him to get his nails painted (assuming you are bringing your own dress) or $200 plus for him to pick out one there?

I totally don't think it is developmentally inappropriate for a boy that age to want to dress up. My little brother was forever stealing all my lipgloss and hairbows at that age and had a favorite doll---he out grew it and would never admit it now (but we do have pictures, lol).

 

[GinnyBear's_mom]

My 4 year old nephew went through a period when he was obsessed with the color pink. He asked for pink cupcakes for his birthday but my sister made them for his family party, not his school party becuase she was afraid of him hearing a nasty comment from another student.

Instead of having him wear the dress all day which would increase the likelihood that he may hear a nasty comment from someone maybe just do a half-day or evening with the dress. How about getting a later appointment at BBB, like in the evening. Bring the dress with you to the park or DTD and let him put it on before his appointment. If he is so obsessed with Cinderella perhaps afterwards he would like to have dinner at CRT or go in the princess meet and greet at the Town Square Theater (grab a fastpass before his appointment). Go back to the hotel after and have a princess party!