Kin
"I want to incorporate femme-conscious parenting, but femininity, dresses, and frills are so impractical. My daughter always wants to wear her dresses to the playground, and it's just not suitable!"
Unpacking the Concern
Maybe you've had similar thoughts. If so, you're not alone. Many well-intentioned parents struggle with the perceived impracticality of femininity in everyday life. But let's pause for a moment and unpack what's going on beneath the surface of this concern.
Questioning the Double Standard
Ask yourself: Would you feel the same concern if your son wanted to wear a superhero cape to the park — even though capes can pose safety hazards like strangulation? Probably not.
So what is it about femininity, specifically, that makes it seem less appropriate, less safe, or less practical for play?
Why do we treat dresses and tutus as incompatible with mud, movement, or rough-and-tumble activity, when those same limits aren't applied to more stereotypically masculine or "neutral" clothing?
What makes a dress less washable than a pair of shorts?
The next time you catch yourself thinking femininity is "impractical," pause and ask: Is it really impractical — or have I been taught to see it that way? Femme-conscious parenting invites us to question these assumptions and let our children explore the full range of self-expression.
© We Are Family, 2026
