Princess Boy: A Heartwarming Story

[thestrangequark]

My sister directed me to this story, and on this drab, midwinter day rife with tragedy, it's really a lovely glimpse into the positive side of human nature and the ability to accept and love others for who they are:
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DnbjtXDlv0[/yt]

Reminds me of a little boy I had in a kindergaten class several years ago who used to come to school with this nails painted -- every time mommy painted her nails A wanted his done too. There was never an issue in the class, the kids simply complimented him on how pretty his nails were whenever he had a new color and that was that.

 

[starfox]

I think I've heard of this specific case before.

I follow a webcomic about two transgender kids, The Princess.

 

[thestrangequark]

^Thanks for sharing that! I'm considering buying the book.

 

[Amaris]

Good on the mother and all my best to the little boy.
You know, society makes the rules regarding what is and isn't "right" when it comes to gender types. There's nothing in biology that says "right" gender males don't wear dresses or wear glitter, or that "right" gender females can't play with trucks and get dirty. All that is, is a holdover from a time here in the U.S. where "men were men and women were women", a ridiculous display of machismo.

 

[TerokNor]

Gender do is an interessting topic. Reminds me of the movie "Mein Leben in rosarot (my life in rose), though I have not seen the whole movie yet, but just parts.
And just watched a documentation called "The third sex/gender", about adults and a child talking about their lifes as intersexual individuals. Very interessting and very sad, cause for them it got handled so badly.

TerokNor

 

[Sector 7]

I have seen this story in several venues lately. He is a cutie pie. In an ideal world, I would say let the kid be himself. However, this is not an ideal world. I worry about how this child will be treated by society, schoolmates and others, as he grows older, because of his differences.

 

[thestrangequark]

^I understand where you're coming from, but let me ask, how are we to promote our ideals if we don't set aside our fears and desires to shelter our children from all harm and allow them to stand up for what's right? This little boy will indeed face adversity, but with parents who offer love and support he will also have tools to help him face whatever it is that life presents him. There are many children who don't have the luxury of hiding their differences: physical or mental disabilities make them easy targets for others. For decades people like this were shunned and hidden, but over time they, and those who loved them, began to do what was necessary: they demanded acceptance. And while society is not perfect in its treatment of people who don't fit the norms, in many ways attitudes social, political, and religious have been changed.

Besides, I think it far better for him to doubt those who would judge him, than for him to doubt himself.

 

[iguana_tonante]

I have seen this story in several venues lately. He is a cutie pie. In an ideal world, I would say let the kid be himself. However, this is not an ideal world.

Then let's make it. One kid at a time. This one seems like a good place to start.

(Yes, this is one of the exceedingly rare instances when I'm willing to shed my carefully-cultivated cynicism. I dunno why. I'm not even drunk.)

 

[thestrangequark]

^It's his overpowering adorableness -- it negates all cynicism within a radius of 20 miles.

 

[Amaris]

I have seen this story in several venues lately. He is a cutie pie. In an ideal world, I would say let the kid be himself. However, this is not an ideal world.

Then let's make it. One kid at a time. This one seems like a good place to start.

(Yes, this is one of the exceedingly rare instances when I'm willing to shed my carefully-cultivated cynicism. I dunno why. I'm not even drunk.)

Was it because I took off my pants?
Anyhoo, I feel good about the idea that someday (maybe even today), we'll be able to let others live in peace.

 

[RJDiogenes]

That kid is lucky to have such a great family.

It just goes to show that despite all of the angry throwbacks out there, constantly trying to drag everything down, we are still making little steps of progress.

 

[Amaris]

That kid is lucky to have such a great family.

It just goes to show that despite all of the angry throwbacks out there, constantly trying to drag everything down, we are still making little steps of progress.

Baby steps are how we're going to free ourselves.

 

[bluedana]

My 6 year old daughter is the opposite side of this coin, but not so extreme. Hates being a girl, wants to change her name to Rex, wears her brothers' hand-me-downs, cries when she gets a Barbie for a gift (until her brother calls it an "action figure"). She hates dresses, and only wears them to church because I make her.

What I thought while watching the video was, Who wears stuff like that? I guess it just bothered me a little that the girls clothing the kid was wearing was so flashy, like the mom was now trying to make a point, rather than letting the kid make his own point. Like, she's giving him the pinkest, sparkliest, flounciest stuff in order to shout where the kid is kind of whispering.

I get where she's coming from, I do. I have pictures of my now 9 year old son wearing a ballerina tutu outfit at daycare -- because that's what he wanted to dress up in that day, and gave my friends a stern talking to for disparaging his choice. I've resisted from the start the steady diet of truck/football/hardware pictures on boys' clothing and pinkpinkPINK for girls' clothing. I'm all for blurring the line between gender roles; there's no reason my daughter CAN'T be an icecream man or fireman and my son a nurse.

Chances are they'll all grow out of it. I'm not sure this mom will, though.

 

[iguana_tonante]

^It's his overpowering adorableness -- it negates all cynicism within a radius of 20 miles.

I could say it was your overpowering adorableness that negated the cynicism, but that would be cheeky. And I'm never cheeky. Well, almost never.

Was it because I took off my pants?

Beside, we have another theory right here, and for Achilles' frilly skirt, I'm not saying it isn't working.


And for a more serious corner:

What I thought while watching the video was, Who wears stuff like that? I guess it just bothered me a little that the girls clothing the kid was wearing was so flashy, like the mom was now trying to make a point, rather than letting the kid make his own point. Like, she's giving him the pinkest, sparkliest, flounciest stuff in order to shout where the kid is kind of whispering.

(...)

Chances are they'll all grow out of it. I'm not sure this mom will, though.

I'm not sure where you are reading this.

 

[bluedana]

I'm sorry, iguana, but I don't understand your response.

 

[iguana_tonante]

I probably worded it poorly. I am puzzled why do you think his mom is more into the princess-dressing than the kid. The boy in kinda shy on camera while the mother is more at ease, but that's not really surprising given his age. I don't see anything fishy or untoward in her attitude.

 

[Yeoman Randi]

God he's cute. How lucky for him that he has such great loving parents. I'm even more impressed with his dad who is letting him be who he is. Thank you for sharing this.

 

[bluedana]

I probably worded it poorly. I am puzzled why do you think his mom is more into the princess-dressing than the kid. The boy in kinda shy on camera while the mother is more at ease, but that's not really surprising given his age. I don't see anything fishy or untoward in her attitude.

Ah, gotcha. No, it's a fair question. One thing is, what the kid is wearing, both on TV and in the photo stills, is more girly than anything the most girly of girly-girls I know would wear. And I'm counting ones who do the mani-pedi princess days with their godmother on the regular.

So when I looked at what the kid was actually wearing, my first thought was that a 5 year old girl would get laughed at for wearing that, and my second was, well, it's extreme enough to make your point.

Kids do go through odd stages. And once mom or dad gets invested in it, it's hard for them to dial back. While a 2 year old is all about control, a five year old is interested in pleasing mom or dad. Mom has a book and some general notoriety as The Mom Who Stood Up To All Those Gender Bullies On Behalf Of Her Son, and that's great. I'm just wondering what would (or will) happen when this five year old turns six and decides that some other thing makes him feel "happy."

Realize, I'm not knocking this woman at all. Dressing up is, in effect, no different than getting your kid involved in ballet, or Scouts, or baseball -- there's the potential that parents get so invested in the particular thing that catches their kid's attention that they miss the moment when the kid is over it and ready to move on. I think it will be difficult for this kid to say, Enough, because this has become a Cause for mom, something that makes her happy.

All this should not obscure the basic point, though: it should be as acceptable for a little boy to dress up like a cowgirl as it is for a little girl to dress up like a cowboy.

 

[MHT1138]

You make a valid point bluedana, we don't know where this boy will be in the next few years, hopefully Mom will continue to follow his lead and not get too caught up in the cause. Even if he continues to dress up, he should be the focus not anything external.

 

[Amaris]

About the more girly than girly thing, I don't know. I figure, if you're going to go for it, go all out. Really make it work. I'd have feather boas, sequined pumps, body glitter, makeup and jewelry all over.