Dress up day at Daycare

Today was Princess, King and Dragon day at daycare. I suspect they were reading a book or fairy tale of some sort on the topic. Maybe they were tackling Henry the 8^th. Who knows -- all I know is that all week long there were signs up saying, “What are YOU going to be on Friday? A princess, a King or a dragon?” I’m not always the most organized daycare mom and it wouldn’t be the first time that my poor child showed up without costume. It didn’t matter so much at first as he was too little to notice, but I made a conscious resolution to be better at it this year.

So last night as I picked him up at daycare I asked him, “Toby, what do you want to dress up as tomorrow?” I didn’t even have to give him the options, “A PRINCESS!” He announced excitedly from the back seat.

“Really?” I asked.

“Yes. I want to be a princess.”

Toddlers never give you enough warning for moments like these. I wish I could have use a lifeline or called a friend - -I was so unsure how to proceed from there. I am all FOR gender neutrality and letting him explore his feminine side, but on a PRACTICAL note I didn’t want him to get teased and….we just don’t HAVE any PRINCESS costumes at home. Hoping not to scar him for life, I gingerly explored the topic with him,

“Toby…what do you think princesses wear?”

“A dress and a crown."

(He had obviously been thinking about this)

“I don’t know that we HAVE any dresses. Are you SURE you want to wear a dress to daycare?”

“YOU have dresses, mommy. I want to be a princess.”

He was starting to pout and I was obviously getting nowhere so I did what any good mother would do in this situation,

“Of course you can be a princess, honey. After dinner tonight you and DADDY can go through our costume trunk and pick out your costume together.”

He went as a dragon.