What would you do if your 5-year-old son wanted to be a little princess?
That is a dilemma the Kilodavis family of Seattle is currently facing. According to Cheryl Kilodavis, her son Dyson, is in love with girls’ clothing. One day, Dyson started playing with dress-up clothes at day care. He chose a red, sequined dress and pink heels to wear. When his mother picked him up, she was a little uncomfortable. The next day when she came to get her son, he greeted her in a yellow dress. In fact, he has had a unique affinity for anything pink or sparkly since he was 2-years-old. He never liked boy clothing and prefers to only wear dresses. And while his older brother was selecting a Ninja Turtle costume for Halloween, young Dyson begged and pleaded for a Cinderella costume.
Rather than chastising Dyson and teaching him how to prepare for an adult life in male clothing or possibly business attire, the Kilodavis’ have instead chosen to allow his habit to continue with their blessing. They say they want to show him he isn’t any less loved because others might see him as different. The parents have also gotten his school involved, which permits him to come to class wearing his favorite skirt. The school even convinced the janitorial staff to participate, sending the male janitors out to buy dresses of their own to wear around school in support of Dyson. Interesting…
Cheryl Kilodavis believes Dyson’s interest in girl’s cloth is a healthy attitude and she even wrote about it in an anti-bullying book called “My Princess Boy.” But the question remains: Are the Kilodavis’ correct in their decision to allow their 5-year-old son his choice in wearing girls clothing and identifying as a princess? Or are they setting him up for failure in an adult world that won’t be so accepting of his dress fetish once he enters high school, college, or the work force where he must adhere to business attire and decorum?
Wow. I heard about this story the other day and I have to admit I'm very uncomfortable with the Parent's decision to allow thier son to go overboard (IMO) in identifying as a princess. And I say this as someone whose little brother would periodically put on MY Sunday dress when we were kids AFTER her had put on every Sunday suit he had in his closet…lol.When we were kids, my brother LOVED to play dress-up. He would model (if you will) every Sunday suit he had_and then he would put one of my dresses. To the best of my recollection he engaged in that behavior from about age 4 to age 6 or 7. My father and granfather nearly lost it…lol But fortunately, my mom and grandmother DIDN'T panic. They recognized the danger in over-reacting OR feeding into it either way and decided to strike a balance. My brother was encouraged to continue being a BOY doing "BOY" things, while also given the freedom… Read more »