Reply to Four-year-old son likes makeup and nail polish

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Reply to "Four-year-old son likes makeup and nail polish"

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[quote=Anonymous]I think boundaries are a critical part of raising a happy, well-adjusted child.  However, the boundaries we choose to draw as parents teach our children what our family's values are, so I also think those boundaries need to be drawn thoughtfully.  I'm not going to draw a boundary just for the sake of saying "no," or just because it's a currently accepted societal norm.  I'm going to draw a boundary where, for example, I think the behavior will hurt my child or others.

So, no, I would have no problem painting my 4-yr-old son's nails or letting him try on lipstick (although I wouldn't let him leave the house with make up on, because I don't like the body-conscious message that sends, nor would I let my daughter do that at 4).

If parents want to draw a line and say "no" to nail polish on young boys, then that's (obviously) their right.  But they should be aware of what message they are sending ("boys have to conform to certain "masculine" behaviors to be acceptable"), just like they should for any other boundary.  [/quote]

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