Loree's Mailbox: Boy's fondness for speedos worries mom
Dear Annie: Last summer, my 14-year-old son, "Jonah," and I spent a week in Florida. While he seemed fascinated by the girls in their sexy bikinis, it surprised me that he also paid a lot of attention to some boys who were wearing scanty bathing suits. I have seen boys wearing speedos, of course, mostly in swim competitions. However, the styles we saw looked smaller.
When Jonah asked if he could have a swimsuit like that, I figured there wouldn't be any harm in it, and I let him select a variety of very tiny speedos and even a few thongs. For the rest of the trip, he thoroughly enjoyed himself. After we came home, though, I began to get a bit concerned, because Jonah was the only boy I ever saw wearing such swimsuits around the pool at our apartment complex. Some of the other children occasionally gave him wolf whistles. They had obviously never seen a boy wearing a speedo, especially one in a tropical floral print.
Because of all the teasing, I didn't expect Jonah to continue wearing the suits, but he has taken all of it in stride, and still experiences the same enjoyment he did when he first tried them on. He found some catalogs that offer similar styles in undershorts and has replaced his regular boxers with thong underwear.
I'm starting to wonder if this is just a stage, or if it may lead to cross-dressing. Have these styles simply not reached our area yet? - Jonah's Mom in Toledo
Dear Jonah's Mom: Most 14-year-old boys would not be willing to put up with the teasing that Jonah is getting from his peers. Stylish or not, they would stop wearing the swimsuits. Either Jonah has tremendous self-assurance, or he is enjoying these swimsuits on an entirely different level.
Exhibitionism and cross-dressing are possibilities, but they aren't the only ones. Decide how YOU feel about Jonah's attire, and then ask him to discuss what he likes about it. Be nonjudgmental, so he will feel comfortable confiding in you.