Costume Dilemma
So...when I thought both boys were going to dress up as Angry Birds for Halloween, I laughed and was pleased. Then Max changed his mind to a train from Chuggington. Ok. Not as cool, but if it makes him happy. Now he tells me he wants to be Strawberry Shortcake. Um. Ok. Now I am flashing back to last Halloween and the mom who blogged about her 5 year old son dressing in a "girl" costume (Daphne from Scooby Doo) and all the flack she got from other moms at his school. I want Max to express himself in any way he likes. I have no problem with him dressing as Strawberry Shortcake. He loves the cartoon. Every girl in his class is a "him" in casual conversation - he hasn't made a full distinction between the sexes yet.
If he thinks his choice to dress as Strawberry Shortcake is just as valid as a bird, a train, or a video game character named Mario...who am I to disagree? I don't have a problem with long pink hair. He will look totally adorable. I just worry a tiny bit about what his preschool classmates will say. I worry a bit more about what his teachers might say. I worry a LOT about what random neighborhood kids out trick-or-treating will say. I worry most about what parents who answer the door Halloween night will say. If they call Max a little girl, he will correct them. He knows that fact well enough. Will they have the tact and good grace to just say sorry! and give him some candy? Or will they take the opportunity to lecture my poor husband about gender identity or yell at him for making his son "gay" or some crap?
I can hope that my town will rise to the occasion and just keep their opinions to themselves. I can just hear about the rumors at the next HSA meeting (kinda like a PTA, for those who wonder.) I can trust that they won't ruin Halloween for an impressionable 5 year old who sees nothing wrong with dressing as his favorite cartoon character. I can hope.
He might change his mind again by the time we hit the store this weekend. We shall see.
If he thinks his choice to dress as Strawberry Shortcake is just as valid as a bird, a train, or a video game character named Mario...who am I to disagree? I don't have a problem with long pink hair. He will look totally adorable. I just worry a tiny bit about what his preschool classmates will say. I worry a bit more about what his teachers might say. I worry a LOT about what random neighborhood kids out trick-or-treating will say. I worry most about what parents who answer the door Halloween night will say. If they call Max a little girl, he will correct them. He knows that fact well enough. Will they have the tact and good grace to just say sorry! and give him some candy? Or will they take the opportunity to lecture my poor husband about gender identity or yell at him for making his son "gay" or some crap?
I can hope that my town will rise to the occasion and just keep their opinions to themselves. I can just hear about the rumors at the next HSA meeting (kinda like a PTA, for those who wonder.) I can trust that they won't ruin Halloween for an impressionable 5 year old who sees nothing wrong with dressing as his favorite cartoon character. I can hope.
He might change his mind again by the time we hit the store this weekend. We shall see.
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