If Your Son Wants to Be a Princess for Halloween, Should You Worry?
Does Your Child Understand Halloween?
The whole entire idea of kids dressing up for Halloween is so that they can be something that they are not. You may be worried that your son thinks that he is a princess, but surely he realizes that he is not one. As long as he is old enough to understand Halloween, it is safe to say that he is probably choosing to dress up as a princess because he would like to dress up as one for a day.
Could Your Child Be Demanding Attention?
There is a good chance that your child may be demanding attention by wanting to wear a princess costume for Halloween. Perhaps he saw the amount of attention that one of his sisters or one of the neighborhood girls got from dressing up as a princess last Halloween. Before you jump to conclusions, just keep in mind that your son may be demanding attention by dressing up as a princess for Halloween - and he is bound to get it.
How Would You Feel if the Roles Were Reversed?
Would you feel uncomfortable if your daughter wanted to dress up as Jack Sparrow or another male character? What makes a girl dressing up as a male any different than a boy dressing up as a female? Before you get upset about your son dressing up in a princess costume, just think about what you would do if it was or has already been your daughter.
Is Your Child Trying to Find His Sexual Identity?
It is often said that homosexuals may know that they are interested in people of the same gender at a very young age. Thus, it is possible that your son may be trying to find his sexual identity by dressing up as a princess for Halloween. However, this is not to say that your child is definitely struggling with sexual identity issues. There is a good chance that he is not.
Many factors may explain why your son wants to dress up as a princess for Halloween. The main key is to remember that it is probably nothing to become alarmed about. Most boys who want to dress up as princesses for Halloween simply demand attention. Unless your son constantly dresses up as a princess, you probably have nothing to worry about. Sometimes, it is possible for a child to experience sexual identity issues. Although you probably will not know if this is the case unless your child tells you or until he is a bit older, the best thing that you can do is be very supportive of any decisions that he makes. Overall, however, it is not all that unusual for a boy to want to dress up as a princess, much the same way that it is not unusual for a girl to want to dress up as a male superhero.
Published by Jody Morse - Featured Contributor in Health & Wellness
Jody Morse has a B.A. in English from East Stroudsburg University. As a sufferer of endometriosis, she enjoys writing about women's health issues. She has worked as an assistant wedding DJ, and is dabbling i... View profile
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26 Comments
Post a CommentOne year my mom sent my brother and I out as a cowboy and a princess. I was always a tomboy and wasn't going to let my mom get away with that. About a block from my house I took my brother into some woods and made him change costumes with me. I know he wasn't happy about it but he says the embarrassment and a bag full of candy beats a pounding any day though. =p
My sister-in-law loves to hear this story. Especially the part where I threaten to beat the crap out of my brother if he doesn't give me his costume. He's 6'2" 220lbs now. 0_0
I miss the days when I was the boss.
I'm just glad I didn't do any lasting damage to my brother. LOL
I'm a 34 year old male who was forced to dress as a Princess when I was six - I had been off sick and that was the only outfit they had left (the teacher who organised the event didn't like me and dressed me in the outfit without any concern for reactions from others. I got called nicknames such as "Princess Boy" and "Princess David" for much of my junior school life, but it made me very popular with girls and I think a lot of the other boys envied that looking back. I actually quite enjoyed the experience of being a Princess because it was something different that was a one-off. The fact that I was also a good Rugby player and could look after myself soon put an end to the teasing by the time I was about 12 or 13. My aunt who brought me up still has my Princess picture and she said I looked cute at the time and it is a lovely pic even now, like you wouldn't believe it was me. I'm not gay or a cross dresser, and I've been happily married since age 21. Some people make too big a deal of
Yeah, some people make too big a deal out of boys dressing as girls for Halloween. It's just a costume for fun. When I was in middle school some friends and I dressed a boy in our class up as a girl for Halloween. We all had fun. Some boys called him gay but I know they were just jealous he got attention from girls. I know because the next year on Halloween a couple of them came to school dressed as girls. LOL
I think most people/parents make too big a deal out of things like this. I had a boy trick-or-treat at my house last night dressed as a cheerleader. He was maybe 9 or 10 and looked very cute. He was with a group that included a girl dressed as male pirate and I think a girl dressed as Batman. There was also a boy as a zombie, and a football player. They were all cute and seemed to be having lots of fun. Although I bet the boy in the cheerleader uniform was freezing, it was cold here!
I agree that no one worries when a little girl wants to dress up as a male character.
When I was 10 my 9 year old girl cousin wanted to be a boy for Halloween and asked to borrow some of my clothes. Our mom's thought it was great and liked the idea of not having to buy costumes so much... guess who they dressed up as a girl? 0_0 LOL
Don't worry, it didn't turn me gay or into a crossdressser.
OK folks time for some actual factual information.
Homosexuality and crossdressing are not the same thing! The vast majority of crossdressing adults are straight and many are married (yes to genetic women) The desire to play dressup at an early age does not necessarily indicate a true gender identity issue. In most cases, they kids are just playing dress-up.
Girls dressup clothes are dramatic, pretty and feel different from boys clothes, so much so that little boys cannot help but notice. IF a boy shows continued interest over a period of time and makes it clear that he wants to wear "girls" clothes frequently or continually THEN you may have a a gender gifted child. Remember also that GENDER is a widely varied gray scale and is NOT the same as sex. Sex is the plumbing; gender is the mindset.
I have asked many women why they like to dress all girly sometimes and other times they wear jeans. The reasons given usually center around the elegance, appearance and "feel" of the c
My daughter has 4 boys and one girl who wouldn't be caught dead in a dress. She made a dorothy costume for her daughter one year, but she refused to wear it! This year, her youngest son wants to be Dorothy for Halloween and the costume will be put to good use. I think my daughter is secretly thrilled to dress him up -- bows, ruby slippers, make up, the works. She doesn't really have a little girl she can dress up. Hopefully this won't lead to a trend, but who knows?
Wow...good article! I totally agree with the Jack Sparrow line.....no one is worried about girls dressing like guys, and if the only thing that makes you think your son could be homosexual is that he wants to dress as a princess, that's not good enough. So dont stress about it, everyone!
As you have pointed out there other factors to consider. Is this a constant wish? The age of the boy should be taken into consideration as well...if he is two perhaps it's Ok..most 10 year-olds know the difference..problem? Maybe..If my 6-year-old want's to cross dress for halloween..it aint happening ;-) But I won't make a big deal over it..Good exploration, Jody.
Great points. Too any parent who thinks it's a big deal, hopefully the read this.