Out of the mouths of Babes

**UglyMike** · 8th August 09, 07:58 PM

My 5 year old neice had a great comment about my kilt. Her father is a cross dresser and the first time she saw me in my homemade kilt she turned to my mom and said "Grandpa's the only boy left in the family, isn't he?"

Mike

**dfmacliam** · 8th August 09, 08:28 PM

she reasoned that pretty fast...LOL... My 5 year old grandbaby saw a picture of me in a kilt... and asked her mom why I was wearing a skirt... so my daughter explained the cultural element, and that men wear kilts, she pulls up pictures on the computer of men wearing kilts... she just looked at her mom and asks... why does my grandpa and all those men wear skirts?.... she has told me.. I am going to have to explain this one.. so she can understand it...LOL

**Fit2BKilted** · 10th August 09, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by peacekeeper83

she reasoned that pretty fast...LOL... My 5 year old grandbaby saw a picture of me in a kilt... and asked her mom why I was wearing a skirt... so my daughter explained the cultural element, and that men wear kilts, she pulls up pictures on the computer of men wearing kilts... she just looked at her mom and asks... why does my grandpa and all those men wear skirts?.... she has told me.. I am going to have to explain this one.. so she can understand it...LOL

My serious recommendations on how to approach this would be to explain that a long time ago, before sewing machines, people generally wore simpler clothes; in most cultures both men and women just wrapped lengths of cloth around themselves for protection from the sun, and the cold (sarongs, togas, sarees, belted plaides, etc.), but because of the different things they needed to do, different groups of people wrapped themselves differently in order to be comfortable doing their jobs. It wasn't until most people started to ride horses (before cars were invented) that pants were invented. In Scotland, they used the same tartan material to make their pants as they used to make their kilts, and called them 'trews'. For a long time, only men were allowed to wear pants, or ride horses, and because they rode everyday or worked in factories where loose clothes might get caught in the machines, they started to wear pants more than their traditional clothes, which were then only worn for special occasions. It was a very long time before it became commonly acceptable for women to wear pants or ride horses, and in that time lots of people forgot about their traditional clothing and generations of men lived their whole lives only wearing pants. Nowadays, people don't need to ride horses everyday---now that cars have been invented---and so pants aren't as practical, because clothes like kilts have always been more comfortable, unless you were riding a horse. Lots of people value the traditions of their ancestors---Scottish people being only one group---and in learning how their people used to live, have rediscovered their culturally traditional clothes, and begun wearing them again both to show how they value their heritage as well as because the clothes are comfortable and practical again.

The kids will probably fall asleep before the explanation is finished, but they might be spurred to attention if they 'really want to know'. ;)

**The Guy in the Kilt at UC** · 11th August 09, 07:16 AM

I don't have kids, so I never get asked the question. Though I can overhear their parents getting asked.

**Iolaus** · 11th August 09, 07:53 AM

Most kids aren't stupid, and aren't fooled as easily as adults might like to think; and they are very quick to reduce things down to their basic components in order to understand them.

I think that those of us who wear the kilt as "clothing" rather than "uniform" are all show offs - even those that say "I don't give a d@mn," because those who claim they don't care are showing off their independence and lack of concern about others' opinions. Like it or not, in wearing something as "different" as a kilt in the modern environment, the causal wearer is directing attention to themselves and saying "hey, look at me."

The kids are looking at you.

**Phogfan86** · 11th August 09, 10:22 PM

I was pleasantly surprised at WalMart the other day. I was wearing my Douglas Modern USAK casual, and I was with my 17-year-old son, who was wearing his standard uniform which includes 3 hoop earrings in each ear. Each of about 3/4" in diameter. Not too big, but they aren't exactly hiding, either.

We both love little kids. In public places, we'll wave or smile or make a goofy face when Mom and Dad aren't looking, just to see their reaction. My son started making eye contact with a little red-headed shaver, about six years old. He and mom were just up the shaving cream aisle from us. After a minute or so, the little guy took a couple of steps closer and smiled broadly. He pointed to his ears and asked my son, purely out of curiosity, "Why do you wear all those?"

My son was caught a little off-guard, so I stepped in, kilted, and said, "I don't know, but what in the world am I doing wearing this?"

He kept smiling but said, matter-of-factly, "That's a kilt -- I know what that is. But why does he wear all those on his ears???" I was pretty impressed.

Epilogue: By that time, Alex had gotten his feet back underneath him. He squinted at the little guy and sneered, "'Cuz I'm gonna be a pirate when I grows up -- yarrrr!"

The little guy giggled and walked away. Apparently that was good enough for him.

**sorcererdale** · 12th August 09, 04:51 PM

A picture of you in your kilt and your son with his earings and what ever else he wears or has would make for an interesting conversation.

That's cool, to connect with little kids. I love to do that too. I make them giggle when they are peaking over a booth seat at a restaurant,and then the parents tell them to behave. Sometimes I explain what I was doing to make them laugh.

DALE.

Originally Posted by Phogfan86

I was pleasantly surprised at WalMart the other day. I was wearing my Douglas Modern USAK casual, and I was with my 17-year-old son, who was wearing his standard uniform which includes 3 hoop earrings in each ear. Each of about 3/4" in diameter. Not too big, but they aren't exactly hiding, either.

We both love little kids. In public places, we'll wave or smile or make a goofy face when Mom and Dad aren't looking, just to see their reaction. My son started making eye contact with a little red-headed shaver, about six years old. He and mom were just up the shaving cream aisle from us. After a minute or so, the little guy took a couple of steps closer and smiled broadly. He pointed to his ears and asked my son, purely out of curiosity, "Why do you wear all those?"

My son was caught a little off-guard, so I stepped in, kilted, and said, "I don't know, but what in the world am I doing wearing this?"

He kept smiling but said, matter-of-factly, "That's a kilt -- I know what that is. But why does he wear all those on his ears???" I was pretty impressed.

Epilogue: By that time, Alex had gotten his feet back underneath him. He squinted at the little guy and sneered, "'Cuz I'm gonna be a pirate when I grows up -- yarrrr!"

The little guy giggled and walked away. Apparently that was good enough for him.

**Abax** · 12th August 09, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by Gopher

She replied with "Oh so your a show off".

I believe a child would intend and undertand that you were showing off your confidence as well as your garb. Projecting confidence is a virtue in U. S. culture - perhaps balanced by the ostentatious apsect of your dress. Is that why so many people say nothing . . . they don't know how to add up those two things?

Abax

**Phogfan86** · 12th August 09, 08:46 PM

Little kid update: My pipe band rehearses at a local middle school on Wednesday evenings. Since we're preparing for a competition, we rehearse in the parking lot.

Today, my youngest (12) and I were standing in the shade near the locked entrance to the school, waiting for band mates to arrive. A soccer team of five-year-olds was practicing in a nice big green space near the school. One of the youngsters needed to use the restroom, so she and her young dad jogged over to the school in hopes that a door might be unlocked. No such luck.

They got to door my son and I were near, and when she saw it was locked, she looked really disappointed until she saw my son and I holding our pipes.

"Can you let me in to go potty when you go in?" she asked, very earnestly. I explained we weren't going in, that we were practicing outside.

"Then why do you have those?" she asked, pointing at the pipes. Well, I said, we practice outside. We're just waiting in the shade for others to get here.

"Oh," she said. Long pause, then she asked, "Are you going to put on a dress?"

That's when her dad said, "Uhhh, honey, we need to get back to practice." He'd turned a wonderful shade of red.