Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/08/14/heres-what-a-clown-learned-a.html
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When we have a frickin Nazi sympathizer in the frickin White House we can’t have the nice things. Sad.
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Let’s have both!
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I must be woke or something… I let my boy have princess band-aids and stickers when he goes to the doctor 
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I have a butterfly tattoo, and I’m not normal in the least.
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I guess I can thank my parents for letting me and my best friend act out the tv show Laverne and Shirley when I was a kid (Wigs and all).
We had a frizzy blond wig we called tarantchy (8 year old speak for “wig that looks like a tarantula”), I really wish I knew what happened to that thing.
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Never trust clowns when it comes to violence
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On top of the lesson in toxic masculinity, his parents are also teaching their kid that strangers get to do unwanted things to his body.
I mean, clowns, no less. Do they not even know their clichés? Unwanted touching by clowns really ought to be the easiest parent test.
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You know, first day of high school, I had a bright teal book bag. In hindsight, this was probably considered a “girls” bag. Maybe that is why I got some extra shit. I just liked the color and loved the pocket scheme.
I did stop wearing a hand me down jean jacket after been informed it was a “girls” jacket. Turns out, girls jean jackets have some cinching elastic at the bottom. shrug
Let’s just let people be themselves.
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Being a tomboy is slightly more normalized? To use the technical term, I’d say it’s super more normalized. Then again, good old gender norms and expectations seem to be making a roaring comeback, at least in the kids clothing and toy departments. Everything must be “girl” (which means A, B, and C) or “boy” (which means X, Y, and Z). God forbid a kid approves a forbidden color or style.
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I think a lot of parents are simply hyper-sensitive to the possibility of their kid being picked on, bullied, or called names, because a lot of parents were bullied & picked on when they were little. A dad might personally think it’s completely adorable that their sensitive little boy wants a butterfly on their cheek, but they hate the thought of their son being picked on, so they suggest “tougher, manlier” things instead.
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Could be. I grew up in the “Free to Be You and Me” era, when these things were really starting (starting) to change.
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This is a very valid point. Even if they might not have a real deep issue against it, going against societal norms makes them a target. But of course doing this just reenforces the norms.
More parents need to work on making sure their kids aren’t jerks. Mind your own business, it’s a full time job.
My kiddo is a little apprehensive of the new school year because of one girl and her clique picking on her. It really is heart breaking, one feels fairly powerless to stop it. I realize we can’t, and shouldn’t protect them 24/7, but still.
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Sure, but the flip side is true, also. I don’t want my kids bullied even though I was never bullied, because I know how nice it is not to be bullied. I may have even done some mild bullying, and I’m very sorry for it, and wish it never happens to anyone else.
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Let kids get whatever they want for temp tattoos, face painting and the like (uh within reason, no swastikas pls). Same with Halloween. Gender bending is nbd.
My 14 year old boy found a fuzzy blue/teal (north face?) jacket that was from the girl’s section, but fits him and he loves lounging around the house in it. I call it his cookie monster jacket and made a special hook just for his hairshirt in the room, not in the closet. See what I did there? See? Si.
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The catchbasins where I live are waaaay too short for any clowns, so they don’t scare me.
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I would imagine that most of the parents who visit this forum are reasonably well educated and open minded about gender issues. the problem is that most of the US and much of the rest of the world is not.
Where I was raising my children, in Vancouver, Canada, I can’t imagine this kind of exchange happening. I mean, I’m sure it could, but it would be outside of what’s considered acceptable at any public gathering. I know I live in a bubble.
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I still get made fun of for a studded leather cap I wore to school in fourth grade. That was thirty years ago. But maybe that’s not the kind of masculinity we’re talking about…
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I would just like to say, starting off a serious conversation with “Hey everybody, I’m a clown…” doesn’t have the desired effect.
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