On an email discussion list I’m on, an off-topic post came up recently wherein someone told a story about their son who at three years old had long hair and now casually refers to that time as “when he was a girl”.
Nathaniel, beautiful boy but still very much a boy, has a similar past. Growing up as he did with one sibling, 12-years-older Jessica, Nathaniel had a very feminine model for many of his activities. At one point, at about three, he absconded with an old skirt of Jess’s and began wearing it about the house. At about this time he insisted on having barrettes in his hair as well, and carried around an old purse of hers. He dressed up one night and attended the “prom”, and even made sure he had flowers. I think he was truly convinced he was going to a prom, whatever that was, and he I think felt somewhat let down that my involvement in this activity was only pretend. Prom disappointment at the age of four.
After awhile, Nathaniel began asking to wear his skirt in public. Mind you, he wore very boyish polo shirts and tees with the skirt (a somewhat tattered black knit with pleats), but the pink plastic high heeled shoes really set his outfits off. His dad (whom I am in the midst of divorcing, although not specifically for this reason) was the first to give permission for Nathaniel to take this very huge leap from dressing up at home to being a girl in public. I was not sure I was all that okay with it, but the damage was already done.
Soon Nathaniel’s sister Serena was born. I thought for sure the skirt would find its way into oblivion, but I was proved wrong. It was not much later that I was constantly congratulated on my two daughters, Nathaniel and Serena. I wouldn’t correct them, just accepted the compliment and moved on.
Every boy should be a girl for awhile.
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