Izzy (and all of our children) have not been schooled in the absurdity of "stupid gender stuff". As a child in our family you can wear what you want, express how you want to be and not be inundated with comments like, "Pink and Purple are girl colors." Or "Act like a man." Or "Stop screaming like a girl."
These statements make my hair stand on end.
I also live in Mayberry. Have I mentioned that? This is a community that clearly favors Ivy League Schools, football players and really, really testosteroned boys. By the time these uber-male, tanned and macho walking toddlers can say, "bottle", they can also say, "I'll kick your ass boy."
Clearly....Izzy has not learned the "I'll kick your ass boy" terminology.This is what Izzy chose to wear to my friend The Anaylyzer's surprise birthday party the other evening. I had to choose carefully what I was going to wear because Izzy refuses to wear anything that doesn't look just like my outfit. I nixed the strapless hippie tye-dye dress in lieu of a different one piece dress thingie. I took a silk scarf that I painted and wrapped it in my hair. This was in honor of a silk scarf that our book club had painted for the Analyzer. Izzy whined to wear a silk scarf as well, so I took a belt from my Victoria Secrets sexy silk robe and wrapped it around his head.
When I was applying my makeup, Izzy begged to put on eye shadow and blush. We compromised on glitter cheeks and lip gloss.
What I love, Love LOVE more than anything is Izzy's ability to just "poo-poo" the comments off. When Christian said, "What's in his hair? He looks like a g..."
Izzy interrupted, "It's a silk scarf just like Mom's. Doesn't Mom look pretty?" At the party I heard a little boy say, "What's in your hair?" Izzy replied, "See my Mom? She's over there. Her name is tallulah and she has a green scarf like mine in her hair. Isn't she pretty?"
I know. Izzy won't be like this forever. But for now, he thinks his Mom is the most fabulous thing on the planet. How can I argue with that?
4 comments:
Oooohhhhhhhhhh, I LOVE that he thinks you're so pretty! At that age, well, ok, it was more like 9, started telling me I was "old and moldy".
Izzy is his own adorable person...
Tallulah, There are so many things right about this story! Good for you for not closing your mind i.e. Mayberry Standards. Good for Izzy for loving his mom and not giving a rats ass about what is said.
My nephew wanted to dance like his sister. He wore her tutu and would prance around the house.He loved his sisters bathing suit because she got butterflies on hers and his was just "shorts"
His grandfather was horrified that my sister just let him express himself. Grandpa was convinced this was making him gay. Oh the backwards thinking even outside Mayberry.
Jordan is now a 6'1" strapping 17yr old who loves women and it wouldn't have mattered to any of us if he didn't. (ok Grandpa would have had a hard time)
He gets a kick out of seeing home movies with himself in pink leotards and tutu's and sparkly ribbons in his hair. He gets a chuckle telling us what he used to think and it is so sweet and beautiful to listen to what he was thinking at age 4-7 about all of this. All pure love and just plain enjoyment - nothing more. Didn't even think about it being a gender issue. Sisters clothes were nicer to him than his boring ones that was all.
I love that you allow your children to just BE.
Good job pretty mom!
Jodi-Old and moldy? That's funny! My older kids always like to tell people I'm 52. They get a kick out of watching me cringe.
Margaret-I'm sure you are a terrific Auntie that spoils your neices and nephews rotten! Jordan sounds like a great kid who is very comfortable with himself.
I can't tell you how much I love this story!!! I love that you refuse to make your kids adhere to stupid gender "rules" (SO with you on that!), I love that Izzy wants to dress like you and I love that he proudly tells everyone how pretty you are.
You are obviously a great mom raising great kids.
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