The brutal honesty of children!

[Amy R Lynn]

Being a father, I have always admired how brutally honest kids can be. I was attending a Haunted Hay Ride with my kids Cub Scout pack. My kids were playing with another little boy there. The kid looks at my son and says very plainly (and didn't sound like he was trying to be mean, but just stating a fact) "Your Dad looks like a girl!" The boys mother quickly apologized for his comment. I told her that it was ok. It didn't bother me because I do have long hair and ear rings. I was actually a little impressed that it really didn't bother me. I was completely ok with being told that I look like a girl when I wasn't trying to present as one.

Has anyone else ever had anything like that?

[Phydelia]

Yeah... i was grocery shopping not that long ago and had a young kid asking very loudly "Are you a boy or a girl?" "Mommy, is that a boy or a girl?"... Again, long hair and earrings. i'm a big ugly guy, any adult would clock me in a second, and i was dressed very drab... But for the little girl, that long hair was enough.

[Beverley Sims]

Yes I have had that, you feel a cultural cringe inside of yourself a little bit but it's kids and it is a correct observation.
If you want to do something you bear the consequences. From any one really.

[Cynthia Anne]

I have a few times! But not near often enough!!

[marshalynn]

I have had this happen to me a lot of times, still don't have a good answer for young children, just usually say no I am not a girl..

[Jean 103]

Was at a customer's house hair under my hat and her young daughter asked why I was wearing a wig. I have sence given up on growing it out.

[Zaack]

Had the following exchange with a young girl a few weeks ago at church:

-past-shoulder-length hair had fallen out of the ponytail it was in so I took off my hat, took out the hair tie and preceeded to put it back in-

-girl looks up at me-

"Are you a girl?"

-smiles- "No I am not, what makes you think that?"

"You are wearing a hair tie."

xD

[Jeri Ann]

In the past I have had several experiences with children remarking to someone that I looked like I was wearing makeup when I was not. The reason for this, I can only assume, is because I did electrolysis many years ago and have no shadow or stubble. The comments did make me uncomfortable because I was not trying to present as female. In more recent years, in my profession, I have been yes ma'med many times during office consultations. The other person is always mortified at their obvious mistake, puzzled as to how they could do such a stupid thing, and extremely apologetic. Again the clues are smooth face, softened features (HRT) and thin brows. The kicker is that I am tall, large hands, and have a deep voice.

[Janice An]

I'm not sure how to say this but children simply say whats on their mind. They have not been forced into the world of the politically correct yet.

[Marcelle]

I can't say this has ever happened and most likely not going to happen in my case. While children tend to be more honest with their expressions it has a lot to do with cognitive development and how they process information. When an adult processes a person they have never met we run through a complex schema to identify male/female and as we have a much more developed schema on what identifies a woman from a man, we can typically clock a CDer quite fast (unless they are 100 percent passing). Children have a limited schema and will process the salient like "long hair" "softer features" "clothing" to determine gender.

Just my two cents.

Hugs

Isha

[reb.femme]

It's not got going to happen to me in drab, unless the kids have been brought up with women around suffering with male pattern baldness and a Fred Flintstone beard shadow .

I only had it happen when I was 19 and had hair down to my shoulders. I heard an old guy from behind me say, "excuse me luv". Was he surprised and apologetic when I turned around. I wasn't even aware that I was a T-Girl then. Would love that to happen now, but there's more chance of my winning the lottery without buying a ticket .

Rebecca

[PretzelGirl]

I agree with Isha. It is a learning process and kids deal with what they have been exposed to. Once they are exposed to it, they have learned. It probably has happened a lot to me and it is when I smile, answer, and move on. The one that probably struck me was the first time when growing my hair out. I was walking in a parking lot and after I walked by a boy with his mother I heard "Mom, he has girl's hair".

[Kate Simmons]

Yep, kids say the darndest things for sure. I know, I had three of 'em and now four Grandkids.

[Amy R Lynn]

Kids do say exactly what is on their mind. I have two of my own. They have made some comments to me about things that they have seen, but I try to keep Amy away from them as much as I can. My youngest son asked me one day if I was a boy girl? He saw my painted toe nails. They really don't have that Politically Correct filter at all.