What's a Nice Way to Put This?

[Father Bill]

Let's see now. Let's imagine.

It's what you Americans call "Veterans' Day" and you manage to wangle yourself a gig piping at the local high school. Of course you kilt up. Afterwards, you mingle with some of the students (all of whom think you're cool because you're a piper). On the way home, you stop off at some little shop to make a purchase, then you go home and change.

The high school calls on you to pipe their team onto the field for some special game. (Perhaps you forgot that you offered that.) The folks are impressed.

No discussion, just an experience. After that, you wangle some more opportunities. Slowly the folks get used to the idea. One night you wangle the chance to pipe at a Celtic pub. Your folks come along of course, and they see how popular the piper is.

Slowly the folks get used to the idea that you're known around town as "the piper" and of course they're proud of you for that.

And things evolve. I always recommend evolution over revolution.

Father Bill+
Retired School Principal who's dealt with a lot of kids and parents for a lot of years.

Good luck with it, man!

[Kalok Sundancer]

Ill assume that youre an adult, I that you buy all your clothes.

A long friend asked me once, "Why are you dressing like that? Are you trying to make a statement?". My response was simple, "Because I can.". To many of us, being kilted is a choice we all made. Rather its part time of full time, we are doing it. There will always those that will never understand what it means to be kilted, but we do.

When I started in the kilt journey someone offered me some advice. WEAR IT WELL. WEAR IT PROUD

Good luck

One of my friends responds similar to my kilt wearing. He's convinced that I do it just for the attention I get for being different.

[ratspike]

What sort of people are your parents? Do they tend to be pretty open minded and liberal or painfully conservative? Not their political leanings, just them in general. If they're the former you might have a shot at helping them understand. If they're the latter, maybe not so much. Living in a very red-state-conservative suburb, I've had a lovely opportunity to experience the way that some people have issues with what one might choose to wear.

Also, how old are you? If you're short timing it, it might in all honesty be easier to just wait them out. Once you're out of the house there's no more parental dress code.

[tulloch]

Welcome from the highlands of Central Massachusetts. You may just have to wait. It is a pity to have disagreements with one's family. When you're on your own you can do much more what you want.
I strongly recommend that you take up piping, that you do it every day and that you wear the kilt when you do. Its only right.

[TheOfficialBren]

Lol Father Bill, I give you an "A" for effort. "Wangle." "Wrangle" is the word, blessed sir.

Piper, I have to agree with the many experienced voices here. You are under your parents' roof and must abide by their rules. One thing to consider might be your presentation. How are you approaching them when you broach the subject? (Rhetorical question.)

[Richrail]

Another way to approach is get Dad involved, attend Highland events and festivals. My wife and I home schooled our four children so we were very involved with projects and what not.

[Father Bill]

Lol Father Bill, I give you an "A" for effort. "Wangle." "Wrangle" is the word, blessed sir.

"Wangle" (which admittedly much rarer) has the implication of negotiation, whereas "wrangle" has a more aggressive implication attached to it.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wangle

[chewse]

What may have been brushed over in the thread is where this young lad lives: in the Texas Panhandle. The panhandle of Texas is an extremely conservative part of the state. Of course, with the exception of Austin, Texas is the most conservative state in the union. After saying this, however, there are a good many of us in the state who do wear kilts on a regular basis. But, the parents, I'm guessing, are influenced by the norms and styles in the panhandle which tend to be jeans and cowboy boots. Unfortunately, the parents see very little (or no) kilt wearers in the panhandle. In additional the having the parents view this forum, maybe the young lad can encourage the parents to attend the upcoming (May 2nd-4th) Texas Scottish Festival and Highland Games in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (about 6-7 hour drive from the panhandle). There will certainly be many, many of us wearing kilts and looking quite normal.

[WillowEstate]

Lol Father Bill, I give you an "A" for effort. "Wangle." "Wrangle" is the word, blessed sir.

I beg to differ, Good Sir; in the UK, where English originates, "Wangle" is exactly the correct word in the context Father Bill uses it as in "to arrange for". "Wrangle" is more associated with some kind of (usually minor) dispute, as in this case, it might be applied to the OP's original question.

But then the USA and the UK are two nations separated by a common language!

[MacLowlife]

Anybody see an elephant in this room?

P ot P, this forum includes all sorts and conditions of men (and women), but somewhere in the fine print, there is a description of the kilt as men's clothing. I could be wrong, but in seeing your kilt as "a costume" your parents may subtly be fretting that it is something else. There are other places on the internet to discuss whether or not men who wear unbifurcated garments are "odd" or "quaint" or "different" and other places on the internet to discuss just how different it is to be different these days and just how good or bad that might be.

I am not suggesting that you discuss any of those things here, but I do imagine at least one of your parents might wonder if your wearing the kilt is "different". I agree with Steve's suggestion that you show them this forum, because no matter how often you say "there is nothing odd about wearing a kilt" you are not going to convince someone who thinks it IS odd. On the other hand, showing them pictures of average men doing average things might just help, as going to those games in D-FW as suggested by Chewse surely might.

My final suggestion is to follow the advice of Jock and others- wait until you are grown sufficiently to make your own decisions without upsetting them. Too soon that time will come.