2 Year Old Son Obsessed with Princesses and Dresses

It's totally normal! My son has done the same thing...it's all about make believe...they don't get gender roles at all at that age...kind of refreshing!

-M

I'm sorry, I just have to say: So What?! I'm a mother of a 2 yr old boy myself. I don't label toys as "boy" or "girl" he plays with what he finds fun. And really what are you afraid of happening?? Are you afraid he's gay? IMO So What if my boy is gay, I couldn't ever love him any less, he's my baby.

Does he have a big sister or a neighbor girl who is very girly?? Kids do what they see, so it is not unusual for any kid to do anything, really. My friends boy was obsessed with a toy kitchen that someone handed down to him. His dad hated that, but his mom watched cooking shows all of the time and she enjoyed cooking as well. If you are worried about it, give him more "boy" influences to emulate.

This could be just a phase, or it could be something else.

I hope you are prepared to love and accept your child no matter what he is. And you won't be able to change him. If you're not comfortable with the eventual possibility of his being gay, move up to the Bay Area. Most people are very comfortable with it up here.

A friend of mine and I questioned the sexuality of one of her sons from a very young age. At about three we started to wonder. She was very open to whatever he would become. A couple of years ago, when he was about 16, there was a message from her on my answering machine. "You know that question we've been asking for years?" she said. "Well the answer is yes."

And by the way, her son has a million friends, is in choir and theatre, funny, talkative, and has every possible cool attribute of a classically gay male. Then there's her sullen, closed, straight son. Gay's not so bad, actually.

Normal is such a subjective thing. The most important thing is if your son is happy. As for whether your son is going through a phase or is gay, who knows? That's something you're going to have to wait to find out until he decides (and it isn't something you can decide for him). In the mean time enjoy your kid, support your kid and help him to grow into the kind of guy who is secure enough in himself to accept people whose interests aren't the same as his own.

It's completely normal. He is still very young for gender identity issues. He wanted a pink sweatshirt last year (when he was 2), so we bought him one knowing his sister would be able to wear it, too, down the road.

Our son loves to do it, too, but he's also completely a boy with some of his other toys, etc. He told us last weekend he was going to marry another boy and be a Mommy.

In the end, if this is just a phase or who he is, we're not going to love him any less

I can relate to you. My son start the same way at 2. He didn't like his trucks or toys and was more interested in my shoes and clothes, and dolls. He make his own skirts by using shirts and using a towel to pretend to have long hair. I wish I can tell you that it will stop, but it didn't for us . When he was 7 once in awhile he would think it's fun to walk with heels and dress up in skirts or dresses. He has always been on the artistic side and very creative. I did put him in drama class and it help a little. He also likes to dance and sing. In fact he said that he wants to be a singer and dancer. He is 9 and sometimes I still see it, I don't think he realize it himself because it comes naturally to him. He just recently told me he wants to go to beauty school and do hair. He is the most caring and friendly kid, but he does get teased for what he likes by boys and girls seems it's weird for boys to like what girls like. All I can say is just be there for him and support what he likes and believes even thou it's weird. By any chance is he left handed, I have talk to others with the same situation and they were left handed.

Girls things are so much more eye catching! Think of all the bright colors, sparkly things, feathery things, soft things, etc that girls are 'supposed' to play with....of course boys want in on it! My DS, up until a couple months ago, loved pink polka dots. Loved 'em! It drives me nuts that none of the clothes manufacturers have picked up on the bright colors for boys, so I couldn't get boy shaped, bright clothes for him. sigh.

Now that DS is nearly 4 he's more concerned with what other boys are wearing/doing and has toned down a bit.

Remember, Carl Lagerfeld, Kenneth Cole, Ralph Lauren, etc are all boys who love clothes :)

I agree with most of the moms. Boys do imitate their moms, sisters etc. What I did find interesting reading the posts is the number of people who spoke of gender assignment and homosexuality. I think 2 years old is much too young to speculate about these things. My son is a train nut but wants to wear my clothes all the time. I wear scrubs to work and not skirts or dresses so I don't know if he'd want to wear those things too. There aren't any Disney stories based around 'princes' who get to be the center of attention and have adventures. What kid doesn't want to be the center of attention? My nephews love the princess bride and watch it regularly (they'd die if I told anyone). They are 16 and 13 and spend almost all of their time in sports. My MIL is always telling me about the silly things my husband did as a young kid. He had to have a tupperware party! He had a kitchen (so does my son). He had a tiny broom, mop, and vacuum that he played with too. I'd LOVE to have a son who wanted to clean house!!

TOTALLY normal! I have pictures of my sons in their sister's Pretty Pretty Princess rings, earrings, necklaces, etc. in high heels and princess gown. They are totally into "boy toys" now.

Gender play like this is normal... in early ages. He is so young.
If he is happy, good.
Make sure that "Daddy" does not make him feel bad about it nor embarrassed or punished or made to feel "wrong" or made to do "boy" things which will be forced.
Each child develops differently.
I even saw a Mom once, at a playground, putting nail polish on her son... a toddler, because he likes it. But he is all boy. He just LOVES his Mommy and to be like her. He thinks she is pretty.

It is probably a phase. Or not. But regardless, nurture your son. Make sure he is proud of himself and confident.

What about trying to get him to focus on the Princes of the stories? There isn't really that much out there about the Princes.

Maybe the Muskateers? That had long hair and wore cloaks and such.
M.

C., yes this is normal. Just ask yourself, if you had a daughter who was 2 and she was playing with "boys toys", would you be asking us if that was normal?

Let boys be boys, they need to find their "nurturing" side just as much as girls need to find their "strong" side. Encourage it. Play with him. You play the prince or the king or the frog and let him know he can be, do and have whatever he wants in this world.

B.
Family Success Coach

It's completely normal. My son loves to dress up in pretty clothes. I think it's a mixture of wanting to be like his sister and me, and the fact that girlie things are more appealing to the eye.
I also do in-home childcare and have noticed that a lot of the boys do it as well.

My son, who is now 9, used to love a lot of things that are considered "girl" stuff. When he was about your boy's age, my son loved tiaras and when we visited our friends who have girls, he would like to wear princess stuff and too-toos (is that how you spell that?). He even asked for me to buy him a doll so he could have a baby. He would be the doll's daddy and it was very sweet. He even eventually had a bed and a stroller for the baby. I just let him be himself. He was a very lovely daddy. :O) I noticed that he treated the baby just as I treat him. While he also loved trains, cars and such,he was just very sensitive and sweet. Really, it was very endearing. Well, now he is 9 and he loves football, skateboarding, Star Wars and all things boy. He is most certainly a boy's boy. However, he is still quite sensitive and enjoys some things that are considered girly (Hannah Montana, fashion, etc.) I love that he has that balance. He expresses his feelings and cries,and really he is quite emotional. I Iet him and accept him and it has made all the difference in how he feels about himself. We just have to accept who they are and make sure they know that they are loved no matter what.

It's OK. just relax and enjoy him because he will grow up to be who he was meant to be and it will go by fast. You will want to have good memories of these years.

Both my boys love princesses and fairies. They also love cars and dinosaurs. I think they just want to be like mommy because they love me (insert happy face!). I'd call it a phase. Take lots of pictures because I'm pretty sure it will end soon.

He is most likely too young to be having gender identity issues. It's just what he likes! Relax...he's fine.

I watched an interesting show yesterday about "transgender" kids. (It was the Dr, Oz show. Watch it online if you can). Anyway, transgender is not "gay". It is not about who you are attracted to but what you see yourself as. There were 2 kids on the show that from a VERY early age, like 2, felt they were in the wrong body. The parents finally let their kids dress like and "be" like which ever gender the kids wanted to be and the kids were much happier and well adjusted. You should do some research into it. I mean imagine if right now you really thought of yourself as a man, but you had breasts, a vagina, and were expected to fit this gender role, but all you wanted to do was be a man? How hard would that be?
Again, this not a homosexuality issue. These kids felt they were the wrong gender years before ideas of attrattion to a particular sex ever came in to play. It is really about who you identify as.

He loves his mommy and nothing is wrong with that. My son is six and still wants to be with his mommy all the time.

I can't tell you if your son's current fascination with all things pink and princess is a phase or the precursor to a life of flaming homosexuality, NO ONE can, he's two. Give the kid a break. I can tell you that either way there isn't anything you or anyone else can, or should, do to change who he is. It's your job as his mother to love him and support him and send him out into the world a strong man who is proud of who he is and excepting of others who may be different.

My 2yr old loves to dress up in his sisters dresses, dress up clothes, hair stuff and jewelry. Especially if there is a girl around they really want to do this stuff. I think it is completely normal. My daughter did all boy stuff until she was about 3yrs old because she was always around boys. In our house we just let them play with whatever they want. My son breastfeeds dolls, play with tools, and just about everything inbetween. My daughter does all the same things. In time they will develop their own likes and hobbies, but for now I think they are just experimenting. I wouldn't worry about your son at all. In our house the rule is that our kids can wear whatever they want, but to go out they have to be "mama approved". Even daddy has to be mama approved. It's a running joke around our house, but yet serious at the same time. This way everyone is at least matching and in gender appropriate clothing when we are out in public.

I am a Mom/Auntie to 6 boys ages 18-4. I do not know about "normal" or "phases" but we have 1 boy who was like that at that age and we too were wondering what you are wondering now. The gender identity thing? We just don't know

He was like that at 2yo....and like that at all his ages thus far...he never liked boy toys, any of them...trucks,cars,trains,video games,balls, etc...still does not and now he is 10yo. Does not even remotely want to give sports a try-no way, no how! It is just who he is. He is however very arty, stylish and very smart! He has paved his own path, and is who he is!

If you are worried and wish to try to influence him in another direction...give it a whirl....didn't work for us, but with somethings we still try:)

Too early to know.

Could be a phase or not.

The important is to know you love him for who he is.

My (now 7-year-old) nephew was like that. He would even breastfeed his dolls and asked for dolls and a doll's stroller for Christmas. and this was just a phase. He is now into dinosaurs and fossils and into boys" things in general.
Children want to be the hero, the good one and love to dress up, so it's a normal behavior, which like many behaviors shows in some kids and not others.

To be all truthful, it is likely that you son is and will continue to gravitiate towards those kinds of things.
Having girl stuff around is not a reason to be that into girl stuff. My son is very gentle and sweet for a boy, and kind of a softy, cries at the drop of a hat, and is sandwiched by girls, but still, definitely gravitates toward boy stuff and has never showed that kind of interest in pretending to be a girl or obsessed with girl clothing.
My neice starting showing a preference for boy things at a very young age, and as she grew - it grew. She has come out as a lesbian and likes to dress like a boy. She is now 22.

My son, who is now 5, is such a boy. He LOVED dressing up in his sisters princess clothes when he was 2. He show no interest in that now, but still time and again he may like a girl thing.

Have no worries.

I own Let's Pretend Tea Parties in Grapevine. We have Princess dress up there...just so you know...MANY little boys love to dress up in whatever. I see it all the time. He is just exploring and having fun. And, he is only 2. Maybe get him a dress up trunk filled with knights and Prince costumes?

It is normal! He is just being the nurishing type. Are you a nurishing momma???

When my son was 2, his best friend was the same way. My son wanted to play dinosaurs, his friend wanted to play Cinderella. lol They're now 16, and while my son is into mountain biking and rock music, his friend loves acting and singing. So while the princess thing is probably a phase, you may just have an artistic sort of guy! Enjoy it! :)

It's very normal. You would do more harm by freaking out, or telling him, "Boys don't like that," than you would just letting him enjoy. Yes, he'll grow out of it. Right now, all he really knows is that these things are enormously popular, beautiful, and associated with a happy life, and chances are, that's what appeals to him. And yes, he does want to bond with Mommy. :)

My three-year-old son likes wearing barrettes and will sometimes dress up in princess dresses when we're at his little girlfriends' houses. But he also likes trains and cars and things like that. I love that he is still largely unaware of gender issues, and I would never tell him that he couldn't do something because it's "just for girls."

That being said, so what if your son's preferences aren't "just a phase"? You'll still love him for who he is, right? You can still raise a wonderful little boy and man, even if he doesn't fit into other people's idea of what's "normal."