Why does he love to dress like a girl?
Same reason he loves to dress up like a superhero.
Are you concerned when your preschool age son dresses up like a girl or your daughter paints on a mustache? Preschool children love to dress-up and pretend. Don’t’ stifle it. Let them go!
Opposite gender dress-up is healthy
Preschoolers between the ages of 2 and 4 start to develop their boy/girl gender identity. During this time, many children experiment with their roles while playing. It’s not any different than pretending to be a superhero or a fire fighter and is normal, healthy behavior.
Boys may enjoy things that their mothers or sisters are into like jewelry or wearing nail polish. Girls migh
t pretend to shave like Daddy or want to wear pants or shorts all the time. Some boys may prefer girls as playmates and some girls may prefer boys as playmates. Many children may also wish to be both genders. A girl might say “I want to be just like Daddy.” A boy might say “I want to have a baby like Mommy.
While all of this may come as a shock to newbie parents, at Halsey Schools we know the behavior is typical and healthy. Children who are allowed to explore and experiment like this are in the very important process of developing their own gender identity.
Teachers and parents must not discourage these behaviors or embarrass or shame the children for playing this way. Pediatricians and other childhood development professionals agree, we must share in these interests and support the children as they develop.
So if your son wants to put on some nail polish, paint those nails. If your daughter wants to shave like daddy, get out the shaving cream. These are fun bonding moments you’ll always remember.
More about me
- Are you using the right car seat? Is your child sitting in the safest spot? - May 15, 2017
- Rear facing car seat required - November 29, 2016
- Does this sound like your three year old? - August 9, 2016
