My 4 1/2 year old son tells me he really wants to be a girl. Is this normal?

I asked him why and he said that he likes pretty things - like princess dresses and princess phones etc. I said he can play with those things and still be a boy, but he insists that he wants to be a girl. How should I handle this without signing him up for years of therapy? It doesn't bother me one bit if he wants to play with so-called girl stuff, but I need to know how to handle it when kids make fun of him. I just want him to be happy. I feel like it's too early for him to be having a gender identity crisis. Is this all just innocent kid stuff that I'm blowing out of proportion? Please help me with the best way to handle this...Thanks!

Yes, his dad is around. They do rough and tumble wrestling, baseball, fishing, digging for worms, etc. every day. He goes to Montessori preschool during the day, and has friends of both genders there.

I think you are handling this well. Society generated norms for boys and for girls. Boys are supposed to like blue, girls like pink...blah blah blah. Your son doesn't know what society wants him to believe. He is just expressing what he truly likes. Good for you for letting him be happy. I'm sure society with contort his beliefs in time. Don't worry.

When I was growing up I desperately wanted to be a boy. I had a short bowl cut and played with bugs and snakes and all that. My best friends are still guys. I'm straight and getting married in November! Just let your son be happy like my parents let me. He'll be thankful.

I really suggest you to stress him on this. Im sure parents would want their child to end up to change their gender or maybe act girlish. The way you handle this matter is very proper which I salute you for that. Try to make him play and put interest in boys stuffs (eg ; cars and so on). This is somehow normal, but Im just worried if the child end up getting worst when he grows up..

cheers

It sounds like he is very close to you. And since you are a girl....he wants to be just like you . You may want to get him more involved with males in the family. Get dad to take him to a ball game or fishing you know rugged manly things. Try getting him to spend more time around males and a little less around you. I know its hard to let him go with someone else but it may prevent ridicule later in his life.

He is going through a phase. Just let him talk about it. If he is still saying that he wants to be a girl when he's 10, he may be a homosexual. Homosexuals do not need years of therapy. It is a normal c