The Boys has the bug

[JayFilomena]

I took the whole family to the Richmond Higland games, and bought my 7 year old a kilt. Childrens sizes are very difficult to buy off the rack. Matt Newsome tells me I bought him a Forrest, or Forrester tartan and he wants to wear it all the time. He asked me to wear it to school for school photos, and again tonight for a going away party at our Tae Kwon Do School. I still need to buy him a childrens sporran, and I gave him my $8 Sgian Dubh. He is very excited to be dressing like dad and looks forward to any occassion to wear it. He wanted to wear the tam we bought in Scotland, but it just looked geeky. I couldn't let him do it.

How many other parents have children that request to wear kilts? What are some issues I should be aware of, i.e. teasing, name calling, and how did you deal with it? The last boy that bothered my son received a finger strike to the eyes, and has never bothered my son again. God Bless Tae Kwon Do. I am sure I will restrict his wearing of his kilt for special events, and avoid another eye injury and suspension.

Jaybird

[wesd]

GOOD DAY, Just this summer at the Kansas City highland games I saw young boy about 10 years old, he had found a kilt that fitted him at a venders tent. Dad was trying one on there also, it was just like Christmas and his birthday all rolled into one. I guess that the little guy had been looking for a kilt for soon time, and this one fit. He asked his dad if they could get it for him and dad said sure. Well right there the little guy reached up under his new kilt, undoing his pants and dropped them right there and stepped out of them. He had a new kilt that fit and he was free from his pants I bet that he would stay in that kilt until he had out grown it, a true X er if I ever saw one. THANKS Wes



The more people that I meet, the more I like my dog.

[sorcererdale]

I think that is great when kids like to do what dad does! One thing though, I know he shouldn't be taking a Sgian Dubh to school. No weapons are allowed in school and he could be suspended. Other than that, he probably should wear boxers or something under, just in case.

But I bet wearing the kilt will make him more proud, and be cool, at least with the girls! haha Maybe you can post a picture sometime, it sounds awesome.

DALE.

[Dirk Skene]

....... The last boy that bothered my son received a finger strike to the eyes, and has never bothered my son again. God Bless Tae Kwon Do..........
Jaybird

As a youngster I was in Tae Kwon Do also. The big difference in the use of it between adults & children is that we know how to differentiate between a real threat and something to be ignored. A child understandably views ALL of these episodes as serious and acts accordingly. Which we as adults rightfully call "overreacting." The strike to the eye was wrong. It was a small insult undeserving of such severe retaliation. But I am sure your 7 year old son did not see it as such at the time.

Personally I would see if your son's Tae Kwon do teacher could coach him on what is & is not necessary retaliaton.

I'll never forget what my teacher told us "If you can go your whole life and never physically harm anyone you are a good black belt"

[Kizmet]

My 15 year old son owns 2 kilts.

He's also a black belt in American Freestyle Martial Arts. He's 6'2". Nobody is going to bother him, he's simply too tall.

We have several young men in kilts at church. Prester John's 2 boys both wear kilts, and another kilted gent has a son with a passion for one. Another family is currently awaiting Grandma's production of three kilts for boys ages 11, 7 and 5. She's using the Ethnic Folkwear pattern to make them each one with a plaid fabric purchased locally in time for the Kirkin' o'the Tartans.

Considering the preteen jonesing going on at church, I don't think that these boys will have much of a problem once they get their kilts. They all are too excited about having them, and if anyone disses them, I expect it will be ignored.

I had expected a lot of teasing for my son, but none has developed that I've been told about. Prester John's boys seem to have no problems that I've heard about.

Long-winded to say: don't worry about it. Make sure your son wears a sporran and knows not to draw a weapon in a fight, should you give him a letter opener or an pint-sized knife. And post pics!

[herminator]

Just be glad your son has the guts!!
See here:
https://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21944

[corbinj]

My son wears kilts,16 yrs old. he hasen't had many problems. i let him wear them anywhere he feels comfortable. the one serious problem he had was minor in my eye (his mom felt differently). Iver got sucker punched at school by a guy who's girlfriend was paying too much attention to Iver. kilt on

[Panache]

My son (the Mighty Sinbad) is 6 years old and he has two kilts, a Royal Stewart Sport Kilt and a Nicolson Tartan wool blend kilt my lovely wife made for him. My wife also has actual X Marks the Scott tartan waiting to be made into his next kilt. He hasn't had a lot of teasing, but then again last year his kindergarten class was used to seeing me kilted before he started.

Cheers

[Alan]

My son (8 years old now) has been wearing kilts for about 5 years now. He wears it whenever he likes. He wore it to school one day for show and tell. When one boy asked him why he was wearing a skirt, my son informed him that it was not a skirt, it is a kilt. He wore it all day even though we sent pants with him so he could change. He was 5 years old at the time. In fact all of my kids wear kilts. We all wore them to the Atlanta zoo this past summer and along with a few strange looks we got a lot of complements. Of course with the nature of my business, all my children want to wear kilts.

[TheSp8]

The strike to the eye was wrong. It was a small insult undeserving of such severe retaliation.

Bothered can cover a whole range, especially if a person tends to under state things. If the bothering included the other boy laying hands on Jay's son then I would view it as an acceptable response. If conflict can be avoided then fine, but there comes a time when you cannot honorably avoid confrontation. Once that point is reached, you make the point short and quick to end the situation, which it sounds like happened. Remember the old saying, the best defense is a good offense. I'd warrant that Jay's boy has had less trouble from others since that day.

Jay, the main problem I see with a son wanting to wear kilts is that his kilt wearing could cut into your kilt budget. The rest comes with growing up anyway.

YMOS,
Tony