Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My son is 12 years old and very confident: good looking, girls adore him, good at sports, bright. The past year he has had an obsession with his favorite color of pink. No big deal- I think a nice pink button down shirt and jeans look good on guys. When he got braces about a month ago, he wanted pink and black. Then, I started worrying. I remember how middle school was, and how people got teased. I didn't know if "pink" braces for a 7th grader would have him being teased, for having a "girl's" color. I said no, and discussed my fears to my son. We had a compromise that he wouldn't get those colors now- he'd talk up about it throughout the year, and get that color later on. I had friends and family that agreed and disagreed. My husband thinks that if my son is strong enough to not care what others think of him, and to stand his ground, then good for him, and let him like his pink.
SO...come school shopping, and he wants this PINK lunchbox. It's very VERY pink- like glowing bright pink, and lined inside in silver. IMO, very feminine. I told him my opinion, that I thought it was feminine, it really stands out, and I wanted him to be prepared for the chance that someone might tease him (especially if the girl across the table has the same one!). He says that he knows, he doesn't care, he likes it, and he doesn't care what people think. I let him get it. I don't want him thinking there is something wrong with a color, or that a color has to stand for a certain gender.
So, I'm asking for opinions. Would you have allowed your son to get this? Would you be worried about teasing? Do you think there is a chance that he might be teased?
Thanks for your thoughts!
I agree with your husband on this. At an age where most kids want to go along with the crowd, he is willing to go with what he likes and not sweat the potential teasing. Good for him for not easily succumbing to peer pressure!
(or who knows, maybe that's an 'in' thing with kids these days?)
My husband thinks that if my son is strong enough to not care what others think of him, and to stand his ground, then good for him, and let him like his pink.
Your husband is absolutely correct. I was just with my 20something son as he picked out a new umbrella. He found one in the back of the rack. I looked at it and pointed out to him that the handle was a yellow duck. He said, "It's whimsical." I was about to tell him he's not (whimsical) when he said, "Chicks dig whimsical."
Pink seems to be a really "in" color for boys. My 16 year old son went to a music camp at University of Miami this summer. The counselors took the kids shopping at the mall and my son came home with underwear similar to these:
My older son (18 years old) wanted a new dress shirt/tie and he came home with a purple dress shirt with a pink/purple tie. These are not the exact ones he picked out but note the color selections. Pink and purple are pretty prominently featured.
Absolutely let him pick out the lunchbox he wants to carry, no matter what the color. However, I'd also recommend being ready to (non-judgmentally, of course) buy him a new one just in case it does receive unwanted attention and he changes his mind.
If he realized he might get teased and he doesn't care, then AWESOME. Encourage him to stick by that feeling and that people will be mean, and the best thing to do is not let it get to him.
Mean people exist everywhere and we all encounter mean people throughout our lives, and learning to deal with being teased is one of the best things anyone can learn in life. Be comfortable with who you are, and allow him to make such decisions. Warning him that you're worried he will be teased is fine, but letting him know that it's his decision is also important. Let him know that you're proud of him for not caring what people think or say.
If at some point the teasing gets to him then just get a new lunchbox at that point.
I say good for him. Having that confidence for his age is fantastic. You told him already he may be made fun of, he doesn't care. It is a rare kid that knows who he is and to hell with everyone else.
When I was that age, I met a girl that was similar to that. She gave me the confidence that it was okay to be different. I would never be part of the blond haired blue eyed 'in crowd'. Because she had the confidence she inspired me to be okay with who I was (am).
Your son will inspire others. Let him and be a proud parent!
Both of my sons have had the pink o-rings on their braces along with purple, blue, orange for Halloween and green and red for Christmas and other colors. And had fun with it.
I'd let him do it OP..get him the pink box. I don't know what's up with these middle school boys now. I'm in FL too and early in the year my 8th grade son asked me about My Little Pony. I said, yeah it's a goofy girls toy popular years ago. Well apparently it's some kind of fad in schools now where the boys call themselves "bronies" and the girls call themselves "Pegasisters". At first, I told my son he'd probably get beat up admitting to watching My Little Pony cartoons but the way he explains it to me, it's all the craze among boys and girls alike. Lol the favorite pony among the boys?....Rainbow Dash. Kids are crazy, but it beats them becoming Marilyn Manson fans IMO.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
