Latin families and in particular, Latino dads, tend to veer towards the traditional, particularly when it comes to establishing a certain male attitude. After all, the term "machismo" is associated with Hispanic guys for a reason! But personally, I've always thought it would be beneficial for male Latinos, including some of my own relatives, to be a little more open-minded. That's why I was practically brought to tears by the story of German dad Nils Pickert, who was so determined to help his son feel better about his preference for dresses that he put on a skirt himself!
Apparently, Pickert's 5-year-old son likes to wear dresses and skirts. The only problem? That's not exactly traditional and the two live in a very traditional South German village, where people would constantly point fingers at the little boy. Instead of going the easy way and convincing his son to wear more conventional clothing, Pickert decided to take action a different way: by putting on a skirt himself and walking through the village with his son. How incredibly sweet! Seriously, I'm tearing up all over again.
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Though Pickert says they got a lot of stares, apparently his method worked! His son feels so comfortable now that his dad says he just laughs it off if other little boys ever make fun of him, even telling them, "You only don't dare to wear skirts and dresses because your dads don't dare to either."
Awww! I find this story simply amazing and here's why: You'd be hard-pressed to find any dad–Latino or otherwise–who would be willing to cross gender lines, even for the sake of their son's self-esteem. I love my dad and he's amazing, but I know for a fact that if he had a son, he would never, ever do this. Not in a million years. He's just too traditional!
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But the truth is, I think all parents–including mine–can learn a valuable lesson from Pickert. After all, at the end of the day, no matter what the situation is or whether you agree with it or not, I believe it's more important to teach your child to be courageous and confident in the face of adversity than try to change who they are.
Do you think Pickert did the right thing? What would you have done if it was your child? Tell us in the comments below!
Image via The Daily What
