A 32-year-old mother, Shona Campbell, from Scotland never expected to see her 3-year-old son Harry be laughed at by another child and his mother when she went to pick him up from nursery.

The reason for they carry on was because Harry was wearing ‘girl socks’ that had a heart print on them. The child and mother pointed and laughed at Harry for wearing the ‘girly socks’.

In a world where we fight against stereotypes, Campbell was not impressed with the teasing of her son. She told BuzzFeed News, “I for one know children are the most curious little people, my eldest is 13,” she added. “But I would have thought it would be the done thing now for a parent to say to their child it’s not nice to point, or those socks could be for boys or girls.”

What shocked and frustrated Shona more was that the mother took part in the teasing and didn’t correct her own child about the behavior.
Campbell didn’t know what to say to the other mother as she didn’t want to cause a confrontation, but her thoughts on the matter became clearer when she took Harry home.

“By the time I had taken Harry home the words I wanted to say were so much clearer, so I took to Facebook to share my feelings,” she told BuzzFeed News.

To the mother at nursery picking up your child,

You may have thought I didn’t hear you but let me assure you I did!! When your child pointed out my SON had love hearts on his socks, and mocked them for being GIRLS socks you absolutely tore apart my faith in this world, because you agreed and laughed along with your child.
My son is 3 years old, he loves love hearts, he loves the colour pink, he loves to play with dolls and prams. But what he loves more than anything, is having the independence to make his own choices. He chose these socks in the shop, and he chose to wear them today.

Why should we teach our children that certain things are for girls/boys?? If my son wants to wear a dress, he can!! If he wants to wear a big fluffy hat, he can!! And if he wants to wear socks with love hearts, HE CAN!! I am bringing up my son to be whoever he wants to be and I do not appreciate people like you poking fun at him, telling him he’s wrong for what he wears or dictating what he should or shouldn’t do/wear.

This is the perfect age to allow our children to make their own decisions and let them figure out who THEY want to be, not who society says they should be! This is MY SON. And I love him. Love heart socks and all!! ❤ Feel free to share. I’d really like to make sure she, and anyone else that thinks it’s ok to specify gender in clothes/toys etc, see’s this and hopes narrow mindedness is replaced with open mindedness. ?❤❤❤

The letter has been shared over 90,000 times and she has received a mix of positive and negative messages from parents around the world in relation to the post.

Campbell said, “One man told me I shouldn’t be a parent, and I quote: ‘You are the pinnacle of bad parenting in the modern world,’” she said. “He also said Harry should be taken off me if I’m not prepared to teach him what is ‘normal’ for a boy.”

The negative comments haven’t deterred Campbell from the belief that all children, not matter their gender, shouldn’t be judged on what they do or don’t wear, or do and don’t like.

“If your son plays with a doll and pram, little kitchen set or toy Hoover, does that make him any less of a boy? Or if your daughter wants to play football, baseball, basketball, or soldiers? Does that make her any less of a girl?” she said.

“I believe that actually we should be learning from them, who they want to be, and guide them along their way.”

Campbell hopes her viral post will encourage parents to allow their little ones to have an imagination.

What do you think? Do you let your kids choose what they want to play with or what they want to wear even if it’s against the stereotypical norm?