Should I Let My Son Play Dress-up?

[☦Marius☦]

See friend, The whole point is this, The "ignoring of scripture" Not that the little feller is going to be a flaming homo in three years because of this particular isolated event but it's about the leaven involved in allowing a little sin in. You think something is cute and sweet and innocent so you let it slide and the next thing you know, It is blown all out of proportion and is a full blown big sin which gives birth to death.
I know this child is innocent and probably doesn't realize the seriousness of his actions, However the father does and he is responsible for the child's actions. So if we ignore the scripture that says don't wear women's clothes, Then why can't we ignore a few others? You see my point Sir?

Really? The Bible actually says for MEN not to wear WOMENS clothes. Implying adults. We are not talking about adults because there is nothing sexual in this scenario wheas with an adult it clearly would be.

 

[☦Marius☦]

Duet 22:5 A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this...
UGH!!!

You quoted the one verse I said not to quote and explained why

 

[Hank77]

so I could be wrong on this point. But I say just let him go through this phase and maybe ask him why he enjoys it if he's ok with being a boy.

He already asked his son that. His son is happy being a boy and doesn't want to be girl.

 

[Southernscotty]

Implying adults.

Scripture and verse?? It says what it says and whatever friend, I have said my peace so the man can do whatever he feels is right, I am out of here because it makes no sense to argue about this anymore.

 

[Southernscotty]

You quoted the one verse I said not to quote and explained why

Yeah the exact one you change to fit what you want.

 

[Hank77]

He's probably okay, but my worry is what some of the more liberal parents might say to him... or try to convince him of.

If it was me, I'd put some money aside and take him to a super cool manly store and let him do dress up with man / boy stuff that he doesn't usually get to. Suit and tie, maybe some cool camo... you get the idea.

I bet the real thing here is he is the creative type, and that's why he wants to dress up. Get him into music... he probably wants to dress like a rock star, a bit showy, maybe a bit flashy and weird, and you can help him do that like a guy. Let him get a crazy hairstyle or something like that. Just throwing out some ideas.

Actually his own flashy costume to take with him is a good idea.
I wonder if a lot of men think male ballet dancers are all gay or
whatever?

 

[☦Marius☦]

Duet 22:5 A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this...
UGH!!!

Also would you ever allow your daughter to wear jeans? Want to take her fishing? She'd better be in a dress otherwise you are going against scripture.

Except that's not what the verse is saying- and I doubt you would interpret it that way if you had a girl. The verse is surrounded by verses talking about sexual sin, and is itself talking about sexual sin. Which is why I originally said you are sexualizing a kid by claiming he is committing committing sexual sin, far before he even knows what a crossdressing pervert is. Intent is what matters, unless you are a legalist.

 

[Hank77]

Yes I do know who hunt. I am just saying if that is what she wants to hunt in a dress then fine. It's ok for a woman to be in a dress, Even though the briars and brush might be a little rough on her legs. lol

It's Ok with you if she wears pants when hunting?

 

[Hank77]

Playing with toys is a whole lot different than dressing like the opposite sex and it's I believe little girls should dress like little girls and little boys like little boys. Wow what is this world coming too when people wanna change what God has ordained.

How should little girls dress?

 

[☦Marius☦]

How should little girls dress?

It's a double standard.

A girl can wear boy clothes and it's no big deal,

But a boy wearing girl clothes is on the dangerous verge of becoming one of those "flaming homosexual" (gasp)

 

[Southernscotty]

 

[Serving Zion]

Duet 22:5 A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this...
UGH!!!

This is a child though..

 

[Southernscotty]

This is a child though..

A male is a male. A female is a female. Well used to be anyway, Back before people went gender neutral and started using the same bathrooms and stuff. You know, Back when the bible was God's Word and people respected it and tried to obey it and all. Yeah back in the good old days.

 

[Hank77]

some do actually

And men in Scotland wear kilts sometimes.

 

[Hank77]

some do actually

More importantly, she's bird hunting with a shotgun. She isn''t going to be gutting and loading a deer or elk in that outfit.

 

[Hank77]

Duet 22:5 A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this...
UGH!!!

Well, if we followed that verse at this date and time, women won't be able to use a computer, a hammer, a gun, an airplane, etc.
Deuteronomy 22 Gill's Exposition

the good old days.....

 

[Paidiske]

Do you support little boys wearing dresses??

I think there's a very big distinction between little boys "wearing dresses" - ie. dressing as girls as they go about everyday life - and playing with dress ups.

The first is not appropriate. The second is, as I said in my first post, a normal part of the way young kids learn, explore their world, and grow. In a year or two he'll move into a more mature cognitive stage of development and imaginative play won't be the go-to approach any more, and this sort of thing will naturally give way to different pursuits.

It's not cross-dressing, it's not anything like that. It's just play. Some reading on the cognitive development of children at different ages might be useful (and reassuring) background here.

 

[step_by_step]

My 7 year old son is crazy lately about playing dress-up with his female friends (most of his friends are girls although he does get on very well with a couple of boys too - his best friend is a boy, they're inseperable when they're together).

To be honest, it worries me a lot as a father to see him running around in dresses and skirts when I go to pic him up from play dates. He's already a nervy, sensitive kid, not into team sports at all and most of his friends are female. On the other hand it's not like he's unsure about whether he's a boy or a girl - he's definitely certain about that fact. I asked him once if he ever wished he was a girl and he said "What for? I just wanna be a boy not a girl", so that seems settled.

The behaviour seems harmless on the surface but then again, the Bible also reads pretty straight on this it seems: “A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God." (Deut. 22:5)

It all seems innocent enough now but I've seen innocent behaviour turn into something much more dangerous. I saw this first-hand in my younger brother who's hopelessly addicted to weed which began with "innocent" experimentation when he was 15.

I don't really know what to do. I don't want to overreact. Some of his friends' parents are pretty liberal too and I don't want them to go "poor kid with his crazy fundie dad". What's the moral thing to do here? Should I stamp out this behaviour and insist on God's word on this or just let it be and hope it's just a passing phase?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

I'll admit I haven't read all the responses but I will say this. My parents raised me and my brother to be Christians and they taught us well from a young age. But we did go through this phase, as kids do, where we dressed up. It wasn't all the time and it was neither encouraged nor discouraged. Eventually we grew up and my brother grew out of it.

If he's wearing dresses and feminine clothing in his every day life, then that's an issue. But as a child just having fun, I don't see the harm in it. Maybe have a talk with him, reminding him that it's fun to play like that but at the end of the day, boys need to be boys and girls need to be girls.

And ultimately, if you as a parent feel you need to put a stop to it, then do so. Bring the issue to God and see what he has to say on it.

 

[MariaJLM]

Really? The OP is honestly worried about a young child simply having fun with his friends? Just let it be. At least he's doing child things. Some kids these days get into things they really shouldn't be.

 

[step_by_step]

I can't believe society has come down to the point that this is even in question. Of course boys don't wear girls cloths, period. Unless they were just drowning and need something dry on to save their lives there is absolutely no good reason to stick a boy in girls clothing and letting him get into that habit when he is playing with girls is silly, actually pathetic.. You won't think it's ok when his future wife finds out he wants to wear her nighties and panty hose. It's cross dressing at any age and letting him do it is giving him the go ahead, " Gee ya son that's fine".. NO, You can calmly tell him in the car on the way home, " look son boys don't wear girls cloths ok, do you ever see dad running around in a dress"? If he regularly plays with little girls at 7 he knows the anatomy is different ( i sure did), he has different equipment than they do. And he needs to dress accordingly, next thing you know he will wonder why he can't wear a bikini to the beach when someone has to tell him to go change out of it.. Talk about confusing the kid ! How about stopping the confusion dead in it's tracks and tell him to go put on his own cloths.

Like someone already said, there's a big difference between a boy wearing girl's clothing out in public in his every day life and a boy having fun playing dress up at a young age. I highly doubt that in the future he is going to wonder why he can't wear a bikini.