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Expert Q&A:
Should I worry about my 2 1/2-year-old son, who likes to play dress-up?

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Lawrence Kutner
Answered by Lawrence Kutner Ph.D.
"I'm a clinical psychologist, a consultant, and a journalist," says Lawrence Kutner, "which is a great combination for someone who's nosy."

Lawrence Kutner, Ph.D. (www.drkutner.com), is a nationally known clinical psychologist who trained at the Mayo Clinic. From 1987 to 1994 he wrote the award-winning, weekly New York Times column "Parent &; Child," which was syndicated globally. From 1991 to 1999 he was the child behavior and "Ask the Expert" columnist for Parents magazine. He's also a former talk show host on KGO radio in San Francisco.

He is on the psychiatry faculty of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where he is co-director of the Harvard Medical School Center for Mental Health and Media. In addition, he's on the board of advisors to the Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowship Program at the Carter Center in Atlanta.

Dr. Kutner has been a consultant to the Children's Television Workshop, the Johann Jacobs Foundation (Zurich), the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, and to major universities and corporations throughout the United States and Europe. He is a frequent guest on national television and radio networks. He received his bachelor's degree from Oberlin College in Ohio and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Minnesota. His recent books include Parent &; Child: Getting Through to Each Other, Pregnancy and Your Baby's First Year, Toddlers and Preschoolers, Your School-Age Child, Making Sense of Your Teenager, and Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do.

Dr. Kutner is the father of a 18-year-old son as well as a 30-year-old foster son from Romania. He and his family live outside of Boston, Massachusetts.
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Question


Should I worry about my 2 1/2-year-old son, who likes to play dress-up?

Answer


Relax. It sounds as if you have a creative child. Children love make-believe play. Whether they're pretending to be the same gender, a different gender, a different species ("I'm a dog!"), or even a non-living object ("I'm an airplane!"), it's their imagination that's important.

Putting on his big sister's dress is in no way a predictor of his future sexual orientation or anything else, for that matter. You may want to remind your husband that such macho types as John Wayne and Arnold Schwarzenegger became popular heroes and extremely rich by putting on other people's clothes and doing make-believe for a living. And some of those clothes were pretty strange!

So instead of putting a stop to his pretend dress-up, I'd encourage it. Put together a box containing some extra clothing and props. Show him how a piece of plain cloth can turn into a cape that makes him a superhero. Join in on the fun. And try to get your husband to join in, too.

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Member comments

My little brother used to play with my sisters barbies, I assure you there is nothing to worry about..

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