Seeking Help with 2 Year Old's Fasination with Wearing Women's Clothing

Girls' clothes ARE prettier and more fun than males. He's probably just fine. Tell him he has to wear his own clothes because they are his size.
We live in the country and we used to have to make distinctions to my daughter like, "You have to wear clothes in the city" because she liked to be naked and was hard to dress to go to town.

this is NOTHING to worry about!! At age 2, they just want to copy everything that they see...my son LOVED to apply makup at that age, and i would brush some powder on him...he loved being spritz with body spray that i used. It was a "I want to be closer to Mommy" thing...he is a well adjusted little boy, who is aware of his appearance now....he likes to look nice....in a normal, I care about myself--sort of way.

Plus, at this age, they really like new things...gyrls clothes are so much prettier, and brighter--so more fun....fascination with bras and such are just that! It's something new and he is learning his world around him.

Research has shown that boys who learn about their feminine side are better caregivers, better fathers, more compassionate, get into less trouble and are more loving.

Biologically, boys do not start becoming "more like Dad" until age 5 years! So playing dress up and tea party is all just fun and games, and has nothing to do with gender roles.

At age 2, he is still learning about the world, and when he chooses to do these things--you can say things like "silly--thats your sisters!" but still let him explore and learn....You actually could make him very self-contiguous about liking things that others would consider "girly"--like him being concerned about his appearance, liking to cook, or liking to play with dolls (which could lead to a career in fashion, chef, or daycare)

Do not worry--people are born with their sexual preference, they do not learn it from wearing pink, playing with dolls, or even by a gyrl playing with truck, and love digging in the dirt!

Also, think of it as an opposite--if your two year old daughter wanted to wear daddy's t-shirt and shoes, would you be as concerned?

H. i know how you feel but trust me you can relax your baby is normal. I had the same thing when my son was two all the way up to almost four. I spoke to a dr. Friend about it and he said it was a way of keeping you close to him all the time he will out grow it. My son now is 6'4; has five children of his own was the hunk in high school and wore my things untill he was pushing five.

If this is the only worry that little darling gives you then you are lucky. Just try to relax and enjoy him because to soon they fly the nest. When he was old enough to talk i ask him 'why you looking like a girl? He said they were solf and feel good on his skin. My son;s daughtor even tried out for the olympic this year. I hope this will help you not to worry so much. B. o

Hi H.! Like the other moms say, I wouldn't worry about it. He is only 2, and just wants to copy mommy. For me, I also wouldn't worry about it, because I have no issue with anyone being gay, so if my child were, it wouldn't make a bit of difference to me. So, if this is just a phase, as it probably is, then it will pass. If these are early signs that he might be gay ( doubtful), just think of how your reactions now can affect his whole life. If he is being told that he is doing something wrong b/c it is a gender specific thing, then that could start putting negative messages in his head, and lead to lots of hiding and confusion as an older child and adult. I want my kids to feel like they are loved unconditionally by mom and dad. Again, I think what he is doing has nothing to do with being gay..but for me, even if it did, it wouldn't be an issue. If a person is gay, you can't change, but you sure can confuse them and make them feel wrong. Just something to think about..and it is written with good intentions, so I hope it is not offensive to you. Good luck!
A. :)

Just to clear up a couple of things that have been mentioned, "cross dressing" is not the same as "gay". An adult can be one and not the other. (If anyone disagrees with this or wants to discuss what I mean, feel free to send me a personal message)

As for your son, there is no sign that he is either. Like you said, he is a momma's boy. He more than likely just wants to be like you (and his sister) so he does what you do. If he had a big brother, he may do the same thing with his laundry, too. I've seen plenty of little boys with a fingernail or 2 painted because they saw mommy doing it and want to be just like her

He may simply love the smell of your clothes and the mother-child relationship he has with you.

Maybe he's effeminate; maybe a stage he's exploring.
But feel free to explore this aspect of him without creating any shame.
He may become the most wonderful OB/GYN and cure breast cancer because he loves women ...

This is normal! Children this young are growing and developing very quickly, and part of that comes from copying us and what we do daily. How we handle these situations last a lifetime. Let him be curious and explore, and just explain that in our country there are girl clothes and boy clothes, and when he goes out or you are having guests, he must wear his boy clothes, that girl clothes are just for dress up play with his sister. :) Before you know it he will be moving on to something else. (though it will continue to crop up from time to time while playing, recently my four year old grandson had purple toenails LOL)

Hi H. i would not worry alot about it when my son was two he would throw fits if me and his dad told him he was a boy and not a girl. he insisted that he was a girl. He grew out of it by the time he was three. my husbadn asked him at three if he still wante dto be a girla nd he said "no yuck"!
We still cannot figure out what the stage in his ife was all about. I would not worry to much about it. If he is still doing this at 5 or 7 then maybe there something there.

hope this helped

Hi H.,
My son is almost 4 and he used to sit with me while I put make-up on and copy everything I did. He also will wear my shoes from time-to-time if I leave them out and they're heels - it's new and fun for him, I guess. You know how we get about girl clothes...is it possible that he's looking for the same attention you may give your daughter when you dress her? It's easy to ooh and awe over girl things but it's a bit trickier with boy things. He could be mimicing you and it could be something deeper. I think he's a little young to jump to that conclusion though. Try and understand what he wants and I'd be careful that you don't make this a bad or shameful thing. It's probably just a stage...let him do his thing and it will most likely run it's course.

At two years old, he has no real idea. My son, (may he rest in peace.) did the very same thing. I am a girly girl and I love make up and being feminine in every way. He would watch me apply make up and want some, I picked carefully, just lip gloss, powder and that was the extent of it. He would put on my wigs, shoes, and my 5 y/o grandson did the same thing. My son grew into loving older women, and my grandson is a hardcore boy. Don't confuse him and do not over react. he will be fine. If this is going to be his preference in his later years you will love him still. You have to. THE MAJORITY OF KIDS, GIRLS AND BOYS ALIKE DO THIS, MAKE-UP FOR A GIRL IS OKAY BECAUSE SHE IS A GIRL AND WE DO NOT MAKE ISSUES OF IT BECAUSE SHE IS A GIRL. IF HE GROWS PAST IT OR NOT. LOVING YOUR CHILD WILL BE THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO. FOR NOW, LET HIM LIVE. LET HIM PLAY. THE BEST THING TO COME OUT OF IT IS THAT HE WILL HAVE LEARNED THE THINGS WE GO THROUGH TO BE BEAUTIFUL AND FOR MOST BOYS LATER, IT IS A TURN OFF TO DO THESE THINGS THEMSELVES, BUT A TURN ON TO SEE THE FINISHED PRODUCT.(SMILE)

this is sooo funny. i have a 2.5 yo almost 3. he doesn the same thing. i say let it go. the more you make a scene about it the more he's going to do it. and anyway, have you seen what boys have to wear? who wouldn't want to wear all the bright pretty colors that girls and women get to wear compared to the dull colors boys have to wear. this is a stage. if you walk into a daycare the boys there will all be trying on the women clothes. i tease my husband all the time that we should have had a boy first. i have a daughter who is 5. when they are 2 they don't differentiate btwn boys and girls. i have read articles tht most boys do this if given the opportunity and they are done with it by the time peer pressure starts in. don't worry. my little boy has worn makeup with toes paitned wearing his sisters tutu tht is pink and purple and high heels and a tiara on his head, he has now graduated to wearing sleeping beauty dress with a batman mask and his winter ski hat and a spiderman watch. as he gets older he's getting closer to dressign all boy ;)

He's 2 and he's playing dress up. It's normal and really shouldn't be a big deal. They have no idea at that point what their sexuality is, and it is fun to dress up in big peoples clothing, even if it's for the opposite sex. They had a family on Nanny 911 once that the dad was concerned about this same thing with his son. Even they suggested he needed to let the boy play, and it is just for fun. I don't generally agree with everything on that program, but some of it makes sense. When I was a kid with 2 brothers and a sister we all use to have a great time dressing in both our parents clothes. We never cared if they were boy or girl clothes we just wanted to dress like big people. Now we are all grown and all straight.

Hi, I read an article in Cookie magazine about a mom who had a five year old boy with the same fascination. You may want to try contacting the magazine or checking their archives for the article. It would probably be helpful for you and may be able to give you more insight as to how to handle this.

I'm sorry I don't have any other knowledge for you.

good luck.

OK, so you are obviously worried that he is gay or going to be a cross dresser, right? Well, I think it is too soon to say. And it isnt for you to figure out anyway, its for him to figure out. Personally, my son does the same stuff. I put makeup on him and even painted his toenails once. Dont worry so much. They experiment with gender stuff at this age, mostly because they dont really see a difference yet. My son fights to get dressed too. If has very little to do with the clothes and everything to do about independence and being stubborn. Let it go and lighten up a bit. Accept that there isnt anything you can do to make him gay or stop it if he is. Just love him and let him experiment. If you are open with him, if he should discover one day that he is gay, at least he will feel safe to share it with you. Good luck.

I wouldnt worry about it. I dont think children at that age have a strong grasp on what their gender should be doing or not doing. I imagine he sees you wear this stuff, and he may want to be like Mommy. When he's a little older and can understand better, maybe you can explain to him that wearing girl's clothes or make up is ok to do at home but not out in public because it's not socially acceptable. In that event that it turns out to be more than just copying you, as in he is gay or has a tendency to cross dress, I'd still love him no matter what! :)

go with it!

encourage pretend play- get some aprons & chef hats & other dress-up items & have at it!
have fun :)