Is it right for my daughter to dress younger brother up as a girl?

Question

My daughter is 10 years old and my son is 6 and they both love pretending. My son loves when my daughter puts makeup on him and dresses him up pretty. I don't know if this is a concern. I have told her to stop and she did but a few days ago she did it again. He absolutly loves pretending with her. When is this not right for a boy to dressup. How much is too much?

Answer 1

I personally don't see anything wrong with it. My son is the same age and plays dress up with his little sister, she is 4. Sometimes he puts on a spider-man or cowboy costume and sometime he runs through the house with wings on yelling look mom I'm a fairy or a dress of hers and is a princess with her. They both think it's fun.
They also both play with dolls and cars and a ton of other things that could be considered gender toys.
My oldest daughter and my nephew used to play the same way, they are now 17 and 18 years old and not cross dressers or gender confused or anything. I think it is normal for kids, especially siblings to play this way.

Answer 2

It's not a big deal.

When your son feels uncomfortable doing it, he'll stop. That you're uncomfortable with it says more about you than him.

A couple of weeks ago I attended a parent-teacher meeting with a mother whose four year old daughter has cancer and had recently been through some aggressive chemo and radiation. She came back to preschool with a pretty pink dress and almost no hair at all. Despite the outfit, the kids thought that the short hair made her a boy. So the little ones are getting their gender cues from a bunch of stuff besides clothing.

Answer 3

No. My brothers have each became out pleasant ;) My 5y/o brother has 2 older sisters at house continuously dressing him up, however he is pleasant. He humours them, will get the foolish photos taken, and movements on. He then chases them across the backyard with a hose or a cap gun for revenge. And so the cycle of brothers and sisters keeps. What's the colossal deal? It's simply youngsters being youngsters. Don't be one of these prat. I painted my brother's nails always, LOL. I even placed make-up on him while I was once a youngster. We took photos and he nonetheless likes giggling at them. In equity, he did make an excessively lovely woman!

Answer 4

I believe your only concern here is your daughter's obedience. As for your son...he likes dressing up. No problem here. He's not thinking about how the world perceives him in his alternative attire. As far as he's concerned, his sister thinks it's funny, and he does too. I might suggest providing him with other costumes more suitable to a boy's taste in make-believe characters, such as a superhero, or a cowboy; a male character that is still able to interact positively with a female character. That way your children can still play together and enjoy each other's company, making up stories and exercising their imagination. This stuff's important.

Answer 5

Hun I will explain this two different ways take which ever you prefer although they both are true.

One your son is just playing right now he is having fun with his sis and thinks its cute funny and isn't thinking sexual thoughts about this either way. Let them have fun he will eventually get over it. OR.........

Two he is experimenting with it you can try and stop it but if you talk to any one who is gay, or just a drag queen(not all drags are gay) they will tell you they knew they were different from birth not from 15 or 16. They feel different from there first memory on.

Either way let him stop on his own if you try and make him he will think he is doing something wrong and if the second is the reason he is doing it he will hide and feel ashamed every time he does it and will wind up blaming you for making him feel that way.

I hope this helps.

Answer 6

Most likely he's just playing. If he was pretending to be Superman and could fly, or some other "normal" pretending game, would you stop him? Play is how children experience their world and tell the narrative of their lives. He could just be modelling what his older sister does in her play, or he could have more women and feminine icons in his life, so naturally that comes out in his play. Don't be so uptight!

Answer 7

Have you ever seen the movie "A girl like me"?

I dressed my brother up until he was 10, and he is a macho guy....however, sometimes this triggers a feeling of wanting to become the opposite sex....but it will be difficult to tell if they try to hide it from you. Wait and see what happens, and don't be too strict.

Answer 8

They are only playing.....Really! Let them go. Atleast they are using their imaginations and playing together,,, not like the thousands that are so absorbed in their playstations they have forgotten how to play dressups. Relax... only start to worry if they are still doing it in 10 years time! lol

Answer 9

well i think when it is too much is when she wants him to go out in public and show off cuz it will give people the wrong message. well tell her to stop it or u will take something away that is special to her like something she loves. if ur son is six try to tell ur daughter that she needs to dress him up something different and pretend something different too! well he defently needs to stop pretending when he gets the age of 8!

Answer 10

O well, it is all OK! i also used to do it and my mom was quite tense about it as it was getting way too much. it is just a stage and girls at that age is playing dressing and it is a 'real' doll as well. i don't think you should worry. and if you tell your little girl that you worry, she will probably do it behind your back and for the moment, it is just innocent fun for them. children at these ages do play dress up alot. especially when they are at playgroups or even at a creche there's a dollies' corner and boys and girls all do dress up. it is just their fantasy world they need to express. Please do not worry. start playing along..