Childish Bufoonery

My daughter fell in love with Wicked. She has Care Bear versions of Elphaba and Glinda. She has a Wicked sweater that she adores. Yet, I recently noticed she has stopped wearing it. I asked her today, and it was because a peer criticized her for wearing something that is childish. This is the same reason she stopped wearing a Muppets Covid mask during the time of mask mandates.

I hate this.

First off, the statement is silly since Wicked is beloved by many non-children, and like Muppets, it wasn't even initially made for kids. So, it isn't even a true statement.

It bothers me that some people care so much about what other people wear. Or that they judge what other people love. No one should be the gatekeeper of other people's interests.

Or that we get to decide someone is immature because of what brings them pleasure or how they act to cope with life.

It is obviously a form of ableism in that many neurodivergent people tend to gravitate towards things that may be deemed childish. It is a reason why I carried so much shame or felt less of myself for decades for being a real grown-up due to my play-acting or love for cartoons.

I don't want this for my daughter. I told her that she should be able to wear whatever she wants, and you're never too old to wear clothes with characters you love. 

It has made me want to buy a whole slew of Sesame Street shirts or other supposed childish things for myself, so my daughter can see how ridiculous this stance is.

I'll continue to encourage her to wear that sweater, though never force her to.

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