Q to Kilted with school-aged children

**ccga3359** · 15th February 07, 06:38 PM

I am newly kilted this year and have worn my kilt only a handful of times at kilt nights and one meeting. The reasons I don't wear it more often is; it is below freezing here, the wife is not overly impressed with my kilting and my children.
I have two kids, a boy aged 9 & a girl aged 6. My son seems fine with the kilt and calls it a kilt but he won't wear one himself which is fine. Let his mother and him wears the pants in the family. My daughter revels in calling it a skirt, like her mother.
My question is this; have you known or have your school-aged children ever experienced problems from school "chums" from you wearing a kilt? We know how kids can be so mean to other kids. I've experienced this when I emigrated from England at the age of ten and was the funny looking and talking kid with Prince Charles ears. And again when I was 18 and lost a finger tip. Back in my day stuff like this was settled after school without adult supervision but in my children's school fighting is an automatic suspension/expulsion. Bullies we know are relentless in seeking out something to make fun of and are so unwilling to let it drop Any time soon.
I have not yet had any problems but I am sure that there will be some. The only instance we've met with was my daughter's friend and our neighbour saw me in my kilt and said to my little girl "your daddy's wearing a skirt" to which my daughter, bless her heart, responded matter of factly "it's a kilt". Nothing further was heard from that but I fear, that next time one of my kid's school mates sees me or hears about me wearing a kilt the teasing will start. It most certainly is not fair that our kids go through this a some point in their school career but do we really have the right risk having our children go through this?

**PaulX608** · 15th February 07, 06:58 PM

When I first started the kilted life, my 6 year old daughter was a little weird about it, calling it a skirt and such. Since then, she's gotten really interested in Scottish things and seems very proud that her Daddy expresses this part of his heritage in this manner. My older 14 year old daughter is still not a big fan. She and her mother, my late ex-wife, enjoyed poking fun at me whenever I went down to visit kilted. No problem at all from my high school age boys.

**mddock58** · 15th February 07, 07:03 PM

My son is 16 and for the last year and a half, I have been wearing Kilts. At his birthday parties for the last two years, all his friends have seen me kilted.

I received mostly positive comments.

**KiltedCodeWarrior** · 15th February 07, 07:57 PM

Well I have 2 young'uns, both girls, and currently 3 and 5 (they will turn 4 and 6 in the next 6 weeks). I began wearing kilts when they were 2 and 4. And at the time I took them to school every day of the week, so their friends and teachers, and other parents, were very familiar with seeing me kilted. They never seemed to have any problems, and the teachers never mentioned a problem. The youngest one now goes to a pre-school that is part of a program at the local high school. Some of the high school students help out at the pre-school, so I see them when I drop her off. So far, no problems there either. I am all for protecting my kids, but putting on a face that is not me because I am concerned what their friends/schoolmates might think of me and take out on them is counter-productive to me. There will always be people who will make fun and give you a hard time about anything. My girls are comfortable enough that what I wear is not a concern to them and they would not (I don't think anyway) be upset if somebody called it a skirt or anything else. In fact my oldest, when she was 4, corrected some of her friends when they called it a skirt.

Kind of long-winded, but my 2 cents.

**O'Neille** · 15th February 07, 08:28 PM

I'm almost a full timer but still wear pants w/ suits and jeans for the motorcycle. My Daughter age 6 is very supportive of my kiltedness and likes to wear hers along w/ Dad sometimes. We usually ride bikes to take my Daughter to school but most often pick up kilted. I've never heard any remarks to her and she says that there has not been any problems but I have heard "why is that guy wearing a skirt" a few times from older grade school boys when I'm at her school for lunch or events. I've also been spotted all over Southern Arizona by other parents who recognize me as the kilted guy from Sierra Vista. So to answer the question, no real problems. O'Neille

**ccga3359** · 15th February 07, 08:32 PM

I glad to hear that thus far no one has reported any major issues but still knowing kids in the playground...

Martin S · 16th February 07, 02:25 AM

My grandaughters have never seen me in anything but a kilt, and the only comment has been "If Grandpa feels cold, he should wear tights under his kilt."

At the beginning of the school year, I took the 5-year-old to school each day in a cabin towed behind my cycle, which attacted some attention, and walked in and out of school without hearing any comments about my various kilts.

More recently, I have had a conversation or two with other parents who have been to Scotland, etc, but the kids coming out of school don't even seem to notice that I'm wearing something different from the other adults.

I really don't think anyone cares one way or another about other people's clothes.

Even my daughter's ex, who dislikes me intensely, apprently makes no comments in front of the kids (I'm sure they'd repeat it if he did).

Martin

Martin S · 16th February 07, 02:26 AM

ps:
What does the subject line mean?
"Q to kilted" ???

Martin

**PaulX608** · 16th February 07, 03:44 AM

Originally Posted by Martin S

ps:
What does the subject line mean?
"Q to kilted" ???

Martin

I'm guessing he means "Question to kilted(members) with school-age children."

**Panache** · 16th February 07, 08:11 AM

Grant,

Your son is in 4th grade so that is a little different than what O'Neille, the KiltedCodeWarrior, or myself have experienced. We have younger children and exposed them and their peer group to kilted outfits at a point where they are still pretty open to new things. I wear one one at least once a week taking by son to 1st grade and daughter to preschool and it really isn't a big deal. Most of the kids have seen me already. I just make sure that you and your son are talking and if something occurs with teasing or bullying you can be on the same page. Our kids are lightyears more important than a bit of cloth, no matter how nice the tartan.

Cheers