Tutus shouldn't just be for girls and a new viral post proves my point. On Facebook, mom Jen Shattuck shared that her son Roo is obsessed with wearing tutus, and I don't fault him one bit. Tutus make you feel like a magical fairy! The mom ended up being bullied by a stranger and the judgmental man even threatened her family. We can all learn something from this story.
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Most of us grow up in machista households. Gender roles are strongly set in place and challenging them would give your grandparents an ataque del corazón. Jen has decided to do things differently. She allows her son to express himself freely and if wearing a tutu makes him happy, then so be it.
In part, Jen explained that her son freely and happily wears a skirt everywhere he goes:
My son has worn tutus to church. He has worn tutus to the grocery store. He has worn tutus on the train and in the sandbox. It has been, in our part of the world, a non-issue. We have been asked some well-intentioned questions; we've answered them; it has been fine. It WAS fine, until yesterday.
She's referring to the disrespectful and ignorant stranger who decided to verbally attack the mother for allowing her son to dress this way. She explained that the man said, "I'm just curious…Why do you keep doing this to your son?"
The nerve! It didn't end there either. He went on to add, "She shouldn't keep doing this to you. You're a boy. She's a bad mommy. It's child abuse." The jerk also went on to take photos of them and threaten the mom with his "evidence." Crazy!
Roo is a 3-year-old who should be able to express himself without fear or judgement. He's a beautiful boy and no one should change who he is. A child this young should not be enforced gender roles. Why not let him be the carefree, lovely spirit that he is? Why should he learn that femininity isn't an inclusive form of being?
This old school mentality is outdated and needs to be done with. It does a disservice to our children. I'm on Roo's side and you should be too.
Images via iStock, Jen Anderson Shattuck/Facebook
