Hubby thinks crocheting is for "GIRLS"

[acrhrttcwgrl]

I am stuck between a rock and a hard spot, my 8 yo son wants to learn to crochet:cheer and I am willing to teach him, he has had a rough couple years and I think it would be good to do something next to mom:hug but the problem is my husband tells him" it is for girls":kick and gets upset with me when I talk about teaching him. My son spent time this summer with his bio. dad and step mom, who tought him to scrapbook..and he loves it. He is very a very artsy child always has been. Loves to color, make things, paint, draw, and he is good at it. How do I get it though to my husband that it is ok and not just a "GIRL" thing.

[jessc031778]

Maybe you could direct your hubby to the Crochet Dude's site and have him look around...or appeal to his wallet and remind him that there are SO many cool things that your son could either ask they be purchased or work them up himself which would be cheaper...

 

Or you could point out that just like there are girls who grow up playing with trucks, there are boys who enjoy creating something themselves and the worst thing that could possibly happen is that your son enjoys a new skill set and gains some more self-confindence just from playing with some yarn...

 

I hope this helps!! Good luck!!

 

Jessie

[jessc031778]

You might also want to check out the thread that's in this same forum entitled " Any one SEE Annies today/men who crochet (merged posts)" for some ideas...

 

Jessie

[Crocus58]

Also, remind him it's good for his motor skills and would help playing pool, poker, etc. It's also helpful for his developing hand-eye coordination, which is beneficial for football, soccer, baseball, etc.

 

A well rounded, well adjusted child is more likely to succeed in life than one who is ridiculed for his interests.

[RachelG]

Ummm, the Crochet Dude was just in Hollywood (well practically) FILMING...because....drumroll please:

 

He crochets.

 

Nuff said.

[Empress Busy Bee]

Most things that are thought of as 'girly/womanly' started out as man's work. Knitting started out as a male thing.

Personally I think you should teach him and let your husband get over it.

[knit-errant]

Tell him that subscribing to outdated gender roles is for weak minded people who find comfort in being pigeon-holed. I bet he'll love that! (No offense intended, btw; I'm just being silly.)

 

OK, that's probably not a good idea. Don't do that.

 

I'm with Empress Busy Bee -- it most likely did start out as a man's thing. Supposedly knitting grew out of merchants and sailors making fishing nets. Maybe there was some similar mess of events that eventually led to the development of crochet.

[InStitches]

I can see where your hubby is coming from. My husband is the SAME way! And I don't agree but I also know that unfortunately it's most of societies view too. So maybe your husband is worried about how other people will think about your son if he's seen or tells people he crochets. It's a sad fact but people today are cruel!

[christinacoghill]

let Hubby know its a way for you and son to do something together and be closer. Maybe after being away from mom he justs want to spend some time with you and this is his way of asking. Since kids grow up way to fast they don't always want to come out and say Mom I miss you. Ok, I hope this is what my kids are trying to say to me when they want to follow me around and have me teach them things...

[acrhrttcwgrl]

Thanks for all the advice. I am going to teach Paul to crochet and hubby can just "DEAL WITH IT"

 

 

You might also want to check out the thread that's in this same forum entitled " Any one SEE Annies today/men who crochet (merged posts)" for some ideas...

 

Thanks did not even see it..Blonde moment:morcoffee or just need more coffee.

Thanks again

[Gaby]

I agree with everyone ... teach your son to crochet! Your husband can deal with it. Don't a lot of sports figures do needlework??? One more thing, your husband can disagree, but he's not allowed to critisize or tease your son for whatever interests him! Your son sounds very talented!

[SDmom]

Please tell hubby that it is not just a girls thing! My son and several of his friends like to crochet, even in daycare! It lets them be creative, keeps them fairly quiet and calm(which is good for 10 year old boys), and also uses up some of those odd leftovers of yarn that I have! There was an article in either Crochet! or Crochet World that talked about boys and crocheting, how it calms them and gives them something to focus on.

[TamiCrochets]

oh heck have your husband email the crochet dude as he is in the forum have drew himself explain the bennifits of male crochet:) Drew isnt the only male desiner either ... My Fiance Crochets with me at times he is a truck driver and uses it to calm his nerves after a long day on the road! It helps him to sleep!!!! My Fiance can tell your hubby its not at all just a girl thing! HE would encourage guys to learn .. Here is an idea have your hubby learn with your son heck teach your whole family and start a family crochet night once a week! Your husband should never critisise something he knows nothing about! Tell him to try it then to tell you its not a guys thing!

Weak minded people are dumb and boring!

[xampx]

I like creative guys. Id love my bf to learn, but he doesnt have the patience to sit still whilst i teach him Its ok though, he is a graphic and web designer, so he at least has some sort of creative streak

[Twinnish]

I think I've read that a possible origin of crochet was fishermen making nets. If that's not manly, I don't know what is!

[Tampa Doll]

http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1090

 

This article was in our local paper last March 2005. The picture not only shows girls, but boys working with the yarn and there is a great article that goes along with it.

 

This may help. I think it is great that he wants to learn how to crochet and we have plenty of men on this forum to prove it is not a girls only craft.

[fireyeyes]

send him to CrochetDude blog spot...this is a man that makes money selling crochet patterns...and being artsy is great...I was taught to hunt as a child...glad that my dad didn't think it was a "guy thing"

[eurolyons]

Tell your husband that the great football player Rosie Greer (big ol' guy) did needlepoint...and I agree with everyone else. if your son has expressed an interest, then teach him...if you had a daughter and she expressed an interest in playing a male dominated sport, I bet you'd encourage her (and I believe you should IF she's expressed an interest...)

 

Have fun...

 

Just saw that you're gonna teach your son and that's great...set some ground rules with your husband about not teasing or criticising your son...and like everyone else has said, show hubby Crochet Dude's blog...

[Closet O' Yarn]

My nephew crochets hats and blankets and SELLS them at school! (He's 14) He also hunts, fishes and does other "manly" things. I dare him to tell Emeril or Mario Batali they're sissy boys for cooking . . . Tell him redheart has camoflage yarn, my DH loves it when I make stuff for him (he's a hunter) and the boys with it.

[SaxDragon]

Tell him it's a pre-engineering skill - all that mental math and imagry to create a shape like a hat or a stuffed football without a pattern. Someday, such an experince could enable him as an engineer to create a stronger, flexable shape materials for NASA.

 

It can also be a pre-survival game show skill - marooned on an island, he'd have some clue about making clothing, fishing nets, sleeping hammock, etc from trwined vines, while the others run naked and hungry :-D

[Ambersafghans]

Just a note on boys crocheting. My brother is 8 and he has done his own lapghan.

Also, kind of funny. I was at a farmer's market and had one of my water bottle holders with a bottle in it on the front table. One family came by and the girl said to her Dad "Look Dad, you do those with plastic". Yes, He crochets water bottle holders with plastic bags and even pulled a crochet hook out of his little tool pack that he had on his belt!!!

 

 

Amber

[anu_paradox]

Isn't it funny when guys get that way? I just want to say "Really? So learning new skills and being able to do for yourself is girlie?" Hopefully once your son starts learning then your husband will see the light! or hook.

[creativepassage]

Tell him that if needlepoint is good enough for Rosie Greer (sp?), a famous oldtime football player, then there's nothing wrong with a guy doing crochet!!! My second son learned to crochet and did so for awhile, but other persuits have gained his attention since then. Maybe one of these days he'll pick up the ol hook again

 

Oh, and tell him that men used to knit socks for commercial sale in the past, and what about the profession of tailor, or sailors who knot fishing nets...which is suspiciously like making tated lace????

[aurora]

Four words.

 

Arty. Guys. Get. Girls.

 

Seriously. (Okay, make that five!) My friend who is a male ballet dancer has never had to look far to find a gaggle of adoring female admirers!

 

The Yarn Harlot has a great quote in her book - I think it's from Gloria Steinem..."Many of us now have the courage to rasie our daughters like our sons, but few of us have the courage to raise our sons like our daughters". Interesting, huh?

[SDmom]

Check out the thread from Crochetdude regarding Marines crocheting.