I’m terrified he will come home in tears.
My son starts preschool next year and is very excited. So much so, that he has already chosen the bag he is going to have. It’s pink and purple and has a picture of a beautiful princess on it. He’s also decided on the pink lunchbox and drink bottle he wants. And I’m sure he’s going to want to wear one of his sparkly pink t-shirts on the first day.
Let me tell you a bit more about my son. He’s brilliant. He’s a natural performer and loves an audience. You should hear him belt out a song.
I know I shouldn’t be looking to the future when he’s only four, but I’m convinced he’s going to have a career in entertainment. I also think he’ll end up going to a high school that is big on performing arts, and he’ll end up hanging out with other kids who are into music and drama.
But right now I’m worried about preschool. I’m worried that his love of pink and sparkly things is going to mean that the other kids will laugh at him, or even bully him.
Up until now it hasn't been a problem. He's gone to a family daycare where everyone loves him. But I've noticed slightly older kids, especially girls, staring at him sometimes when we're out somewhere and they see him in one of his pink t-shirts.
"Is he a girl or a boy?" they'll ask me.
"A boy," I say.
"Boys aren't supposed to wear pink," they'll whisper to me, urgently, as if I missed the memo.
Check out the video below on a little girl saying that girls don't only want princesses, they want superheros too (like the boys have). Post continues after video...
What if other kids at his preschool think the same - that there's something a bit wrong with him? Do young kids get teased for being different? Or do teachers nowadays keep an eye out for that sort of thing and put a stop to it?
I couldn't bear the thought of my son coming home from preschool in tears. I didn't have the easiest time at school myself - I was shy and struggled to make friends - and I don't want him to go through what I did.
I thought I was doing the right thing by not saying anything about what he wants to wear and the bag he chose for preschool. But now I'm not so sure. Maybe I should be preparing him for the real world, where there are boys' colours and girls' colours.
I'm wondering what to do before preschool starts next year. Should I take him back to the shops and make him choose a less "girly" bag and some blue t-shirts? I know he'll kick up a fuss, because pink has been his favourite colour for a long time. Or should I just let him stick with what he loves and see what happens? Am I worrying unnecessarily?
Has your child been given a tough time at preschool for being different?
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