He wants to be called Cinderella and insists he is a girl, sometimes when he's not playing Cinderella. I'm starting to worry about this. Gayle Peterson, Ph.D. MSSW Gayle Peterson, MSSW, PhD is a family therapist specializing in prenatal and family development. After all, mothers are important people in their lives and they are women. It is understandable that your son will emulate the gender he is most in contact with at this period in his life, in order to incorporate some of the positive qualities represented.
Women remain the major caretakers for young children.
Perhaps this is why it is more common to see boys dress up as girls, than girls as boys. Do not charge your son's behavior with anxious interpretations. Pretending to be the opposite sex is not a sign of gender confusion. It is more likely to be a part of the process of finding their identity by trying on different qualities represented by the roles they play. Identification with the feminine can add to a boy's growing identity.