Teen Son and His Trouble

Updated on May 11, 2013
R.P. asks from Columbus, OH
26 answers

My 13 yr. old guy just informed me that he's the only one that wears hanes fashion briefs. He says when they change for P.E. all the other guys wear boxers.

Well I want him to fit in and be one of the guys...I wish he'd have said something sooner!

Do most tween guys wear briefs or boxers these days?
If you have sons, what do they wear?

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So What Happened?

I think he was just making an observation.......he hasn't said they were making fun of him......he won't wear the white ones though.

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K.P.

answers from Miami on

My 5 year old prefers boxer briefs and per my nephew, they are much "cooler" than tighty-whities. Considering that my nephew is 7, it's pretty safe to assume that the majority of tweens have transitioned!

3 moms found this helpful
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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

Depends on the kid. My SS went through a boxers phase in MS and now wears boxer briefs...which makes laundry maddening. I put all of it in a pile and let them duke it out.

2 moms found this helpful

J.O.

answers from Boise on

Mine started out in briefs, went to boxers and now all wear boxer briefs. They say they are more comfortable.

2 moms found this helpful

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S.T.

answers from New York on

Seems that all teen boys wear boxers. My son (also 13) told me that a couple of years ago. It's funny to me since my dad wore boxers and they seem very old-man to me. But kids who are now teens think of tidy-whiteys or boxer briefs as something their dads wear. My son only wears boxers now. So funny.

(be glad you don't have a teenage daughter - mine came home in middle school saying all the girls wore thongs. My OB/GYN told me that thongs are a huge cause of all kinds of infections. Plus I don't like the "bend-over" perspective that men get when a girl wears a thong. I told her when she grows up and moves away she can buy herself thongs but while she lives with me and I pay for her clothes, medical bills, OTC creams, etc, there will be no thongs in our house.) Teens.

4 moms found this helpful

M.A.

answers from Detroit on

both of my sons wear boxers...

2 moms found this helpful

C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

R.:

Welcome to mamapedia!!

My boys - 10 and 13 - wear Boxers, Boxer-Brief and Tighty-Whitey's!!

What do they prefer? Boxer-Briefs. It's a compromise for them. I don't particularly care what underwear they wear - they have to be comfortable. They are the ones wearing it.

My 13 year old likes the "feeling" of freedom - but when he wears shorts - he doesn't want anything peeking out...another reason he wears the long (17") shorts instead of the shorts my husband grew up with.

Both of my boys like their shorts to their knees...not mid-thigh....

So while I'm lucky - my boys wear all three - they prefer Boxer-Briefs.

2 moms found this helpful

M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

All of my men (husband and 8 and 6 year old boys) wear only boxer briefs and have for years.

2 moms found this helpful

V.B.

answers from Jacksonville on

Yeah.... my son gave up tighty whities back in about 4th or 5th grade. He made the move to those sporty boxer briefs. Then, in 7th grade, he said he didn't like those anymore and went to straight boxers. The cotton broadcloth material--nothing stretchy.

He's 14 now. He never mentions/ed what anyone else was wearing... but I'm sure that probably came into play. He just told me he wanted a different kind, and when we went to Walmart or Target, I asked him to show me what he wanted. We got that. The end.

I'd say to do the same with your son. Take him with you and let him pick. Boys aren't nearly as embarrassed acting about this sort of thing as girls seem to be, at least it seems that way to me.
Anytime he has made a switch like that, I buy him one pack (usually 3 or 5 to a pack) and let him try them out (for size and comfort). Then after I'd washed them and he'd worn them for a day or two, I'd ask if he liked them. If yes, I'd go get some more just like them. If not, we'd go back to the store and he'd either select a different style, or I'd get the next size or whatever.
Not a big deal.

I find with the underwear, they wear them until they are the wrong size---they don't tend to get messed up (stained/torn, etc) like Tshirts.

2 moms found this helpful

X.O.

answers from Chicago on

My son is 6 and has been wearing boxer briefs since he was 4.

2 moms found this helpful
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S.B.

answers from Dallas on

My son is only seven and he also wears boxer briefs, so does his dad.. He wore some regular briefs the other day and he complained that they were uncomfortable. Regardless of what the norm is or what's trendy...if your kiddo is uncomfortable at 13, take him to the store and let him pick out his own underwear. 13 is tough enough without worrying about your underwear on top of everything else.

2 moms found this helpful
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K.O.

answers from Atlanta on

Boxers or boxer briefs. Briefs are a big no no for middle/high schoolers. My 7 year old has been wearing boxer briefs for years. The 5 year old also wears boxer briefs but recently discovered boxers and prefers those.

1 mom found this helpful

L.U.

answers from Seattle on

I have 4 brothers. One is a "tighty whitey" kind of guy, the other 3 are boxers.
My husband wears boxers (not the free flowing kind, the tighter cotton ones? I don't know what they are called)
My 7 year old wears boxers. My 10 year old wears briefs.
R., did he complain that kids were making fun of him or was he just making an observation?

1 mom found this helpful

T.N.

answers from Albany on

Both my boys have worn boxers since they were old enough to have an opinion.

:)

1 mom found this helpful
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K.B.

answers from Detroit on

I have teen stepsons, and I don't know what they wear, though I am pretty sure the one of them wears boxers - because I always see them sticking out of top of his jeans (ugh!). They had been wearing boxers since they were young (i.e. 7 or 8) and the only reason I know that is because it was what was packed in their overnight bag when they came to stay for the weekends.

Why does it matter what most boys are doing? Why not just let him pick out his own underwear if that is what is going to help him feel more comfortable?

1 mom found this helpful

A.G.

answers from Dallas on

My husband, my 15yo, and my 9yo all wear boxer briefs. That's all any of them have ever worn.

1 mom found this helpful
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H.M.

answers from Dallas on

My oldest starting at about 11 wore boxers. Now he's found some boxer briefs that he really likes. He says they are comfortable. And my almost 11 year old wears boxer briefs.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.N.

answers from Chicago on

My son started wearing boxers when he was 6. He hates the regular briefs. Boxers aren't like they were a long time ago. They are more fitting instead of the loose cotton thought those are still around.

1 mom found this helpful
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R.M.

answers from Washington DC on

My son is only 6, but he likes boxers. Sometimes he wears briefs, I guess some pants feel better with briefs. I bough him boxer briefs, which is what his dad wears, but he didn't like them.

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T.S.

answers from Washington DC on

I think they wear boxers or boxer-briefs (according to my daily unintended, regrettable research on tween boy undergarments in the halls everyday at work).

If he's used to briefs and wants to do something cooler, I'd do boxer briefs and the happy medium.

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M.K.

answers from Columbus on

My son wears the boxers (the ones that just look like shorts) - he asked for them some time in grade school. I thought it was odd because I thought all little boys just wore the typical white undies. His was my first, what did I know?!! He's been wearing them ever since!! Now in high school when he plays tennis, he'll wear what's called "compression shorts" under his regular tennis shorts.

I get him whatever he's comfortable with.

Good luck!!

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C.U.

answers from Omaha on

My son is 5 and really only likes boxer briefs.

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J.K.

answers from Wausau on

My almost-13 year old wears colored briefs. My 11 year old wears boxer-briefs.

These are their personal choices. I have no opinion, I'm just glad they wear clean underwear.

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J.B.

answers from Boston on

My boys range in age from 7 to 15. They have all never worn briefs, just boxer briefs. My oldest switched to regular boxers a year or two ago.

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N.P.

answers from San Diego on

My son is 12 and he prefers the boxer briefs and occasionally wears boxers.

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M.M.

answers from Chicago on

Boxers, long briefs when playing sports but dark colors.

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L.H.

answers from Dayton on

I have a teen and a tween. In all their underpants there is only 1 pair of white and only occassionally do they come thru the wash. They have boxers, briefs and boxer briefs. Sometimes I thing they wear what they can find in their dresser and if it is on top.

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