There was a time when S wanted to wear Cinderella shoes with his friends, at dress up. Why wouldn’t he? They are cool looking and sparkly and fancy and fun.

Then one day, he figured out “Those Cinderella shoes are for ladies.” It happened overnight. Literally. He wore them in the house one night and then in the morning said they were for ladies.

Fine. They are, of course made for little girls… but why??? Because mostly girls choose to wear them. Right?  We know there’s no law saying boys can’t wear these shoes too. And yet, it’s not very acceptable. I love it when I see parents who are accepting.

Who was the crazy man who invented high heels for women only??

Recently, Spense asked for a watch like his friend Sarah’s. “But not a girl watch. Sarah has a pink watch for girls. I want a boy watch.”

Here was my chance to teach my son the way I want the world to be. “Spense, there’s no such thing as a girl watch or a boy watch. A watch is a thing. It’s just a watch. Maybe more girls like the pink watch, but it doesn’t mean a boy couldn’t like the pink watch. Get it?”

He understood.

“Then I’d like a watch that’s not pink,” he said.

“Thank you. That’s wonderful,” I replied. (My dad would think this was nuts of me, BTW)

A month or so later we were at a restaurant. I was taking Spense to the bathroom and he started to walk into the men’s room.

“Oh, Spense, I can’t go into this bathroom, because it’s the Men’s bathroom. I need to take you into the Ladies’ bathroom, so I can go in with you.”

“Mom,” he said, with an eye-roll in his voice. “There’s no such thing as a Men’s bathroom or a Ladies’ bathroom.  There are just bathrooms!!!”

I couldn’t argue. He isn’t wrong.

And now I know he really listens to me!!