Schoolyard bullying ignites debate over boy's dress and dad's decision

While society has increasingly accepted diverse lifestyles, unconventional choices can still present challenges. As children explore their individuality, they may bump against those less willing to stray from societal norms. One father, Reddit user u/RogueMisanthrope, shared how his son’s choice of attire on a busy morning led to bullying and backlash, even from his wife. While many supported the dad's choices, some pointed out the mistake in his parenting.

Five years ago, the dad posted about how he was getting his second-grader son ready for school since the mom worked the graveyard shift. The little boy had a twin sister who was getting ready along with him for school. When the little girl pulled out a few dresses from her closet, her twin brother had the desire to wear one of her dresses to school. "I want to wear this," the boy said, and since they were running late, the dad agreed with his choice. "While I wouldn't say I was particularly happy he wanted to wear a dress, it also wasn't nearly as upsetting to me as the idea that I could be late for work if we didn't get out the door," the father mentioned.

While the dad contemplated his son wearing a dress, he thought, "I wouldn't ever tell my daughter not to do something because it wasn't ladylike so I shouldn't tell my son not to do something because it isn't manly." Eventually, the kids were dropped off at school with the boy wearing a dress. But a few hours later, the parents were called because the boy's outfit was "distracting to other kids," and he was bullied. "He was very sad when my wife got there, and the whole morning had been upsetting for him," the dad mentioned and added, "My wife thinks damage has been permanently done because he'll be in the same school system as these kids the rest of his life and he'll be known as 'the one who wore a dress,' and I was being thoughtless or willfully ignorant because I was in a rush and our son suffered for it." The dad never expected that letting his son wear a dress would become a huge deal and put him in harm's way.

Many commenters thought that the dad could have avoided the bullying his son faced. "Wanting to teach your kid tolerance and open-mindedness is admirable, but you did it in exactly the wrong way. You let him make a stupid decision that subjected him to humiliation that he and his classmates will not soon forget. That’s dumb," commented u/Call_Me_Clark. "Until he's old enough to understand the potential social ramifications and decide whether he's up for the challenge, OR until kids stop bullying others over stuff that's odd to them, you decide to take your kids out of harm's way and then you do it. You inadvertently made a social/political statement at your son's expense," emphasized u/Desperate_Anonymous.

The preponderance of replies, however, supported the father’s actions. "What a refreshing take on parenthood. It seems today so many people are set on telling women they can be anything but men still have to be men and act traditionally manly. You did what your son asked and I think that makes you a pretty great parent. Good on you," commented a Reddit User. "It frustrates me that your son was singled out as the 'problem' instead of the children doing the bullying," wrote u/april5115.