I agree with the dad and step dad
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Hereās my stanceā¦one day all of us will be dust and it wont matter one way or the other if he liked to paint his nails so he should be able to do what makes him happy! Those that mind dont matter and those that matter dont mind 
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Heās your kids and realy young if he likes it let him do it
My son is 16 and paints his nails. Right now they are red and black. Let them be.
let that kid be a kidā¦ he has his whole adult life ahead in responsabilitiesā¦ let him play. my son is 2 likes nail paintā¦ and then goes off to play with trucksā¦ spoons whatever
Very sadā¦ nail polish is for everyone, he took his time and chose his colour! Go to the shops, let him chose a colour, go home and paint his nails! He has a right to express himself! There is nothing wrong with it!
Tell your husband that you can disagree with it but itās not your body so not your choice!!
Both my sons get their toes done when I paint mine and they get excited to show their daddy when he gets home! My eldest so helped me chose a new colour at the shops the other day!
So I guess what Iām saying is nail polish wears off, kids are aloud to be kids!!
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Stand up for your children and dont allow this kind of behavior from this man. Stand up and make boundaries for yourself and your child.
If your husband doesnt understand thatbor respect your decision, then CLEARLY he doesnt respect you or your children!
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My 3yo son likes to paint his nails, my nails, dads nails really anyone who will sit stillā¦ he also likes to powder his face with my translucent powder if Iām in the bathroom putting on makeupā¦neither myself or his dad careā¦ no one action defines a person and self expression is IMPORTANT for ALL people! That is my opinion and the world will break my childrenās spirit soon enough so I am not going to contribute to the hurt!
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My son is 20 months and has his own makeup bag with leftover things I had laying around. My husband and I donāt care what our son wants to wear or do as long as heās a good person.
Damn I feel bad for some of yāallās kids (not @ OP) but damn canāt kids enjoy things? I didnāt like playing with any āgirlyā things as a kid and now I get my nails done all the time. Letting him paint his nails is not a bad thing and definitely shouldnt be a gendered thing especially if he was so upset about taking it off. Screw what everyone else thinks, let that kid be a kid!
My four-year-old grandson likes to have his nails painted and he also paints his motherās and heās very good at it. Itās something he takes pride in, not a thing wrong with it in my book. My older grandson can paint nails too, Heāll be 17 next month I donāt see anything wrong with it he also bakes, cooks and cleans house.
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Oh just live with it. Has he not seen the boys in the world trying to make their mark in our crazy world? Count himself lucky there are no drugs. Nail polish wonāt kill you but heroin and coke will.
Iām an ECE teacher and I think its great the he is painting his nails. Its not going to make him gay or a cross dresser - thatās natural selection. I think if thatās what he wants to do then fabulous!! No shame in it what so ever. Men need to stop being so macho and just let their children do as they please.
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Husband and ex-husband are correctā¦stop with this gender neutral crap.
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Sounds like the āmenā in your life have masculinity issues. Let YOUR son express himself. I was playing football with me brothers, playing video games, etc. I STILL do the same thing to this day, but a little more girly. Just cause he likes to do girl things doesnāt mean he wonāt grow into a loving, responsible adult. Let your son express himself and be who be wants to be. He will resent you later if you donāt. I can promise you that. My dad would let me do his makeup for godās sake. Do not let your son be surrounded by fragile āmen.ā
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Iām sorry but I feel like u should have stood up ground not only for yourself but for your son . I would repaint his nails .
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Self expression at any age is important and beautifulā¦is the foundation to SELF-ESTEEM & SELF RESPECT! 
The inner child is individual and creative and innocentā¦if only the world could feel FREE, allowing THEIR inner child at age to be vulnerable and creative for any and all reasons! Allow your spirit to soar 
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Your child, your choice.
I have girls only so choice is easy.
Let your son express himself!
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Soooo heās not his father so whatever to what he says honestly . I wouldnāt even let him have a say so in your son
Stand up for your son. There is nothing wrong with him having his nails painted if he wants to. The husband and ex-husband need to get over it.
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Just be sure to paint his nails the colour of his choosing, and F everyone elseās opinions 
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Say fuck you to the macho culture & have a bonding nail painting day with your son. Nail painting is not gender exclusive.
I think its great thats he is expressing himself i have a 2 yr old boy and a 3 yr old girl and I know there will be a point when he wants his nails painted like his sister and I am 100% okay with that its not about it being a gender thing its about kids having good self esteem and feeling loved and supported no matter what choices they make
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I say let your son express himself. Everyone expresses themselves in different ways, and painting your nails is a work of art if you ask me. A lot of good talented nail artists are males. And that doesnāt make them any less then a man who does construction for living. If your husband and ex husband cant expect it then itās just sad because they have a wonderful son right in front of them and they should love him no matter what.
I would have told hubby hes your kid and if he wants painted nails, its fine with you. I actually would have told hubby off and had him sleeping on the couch.
Stand up for your child. Make a scene. Paint his nails again if itās what he wants! Jesus let the kid decide and support him
No matter what. Unlearn the gender role stereotype of how boys āshould beā because itās suppressive and harmful to their development. You make the call as a mom. Protect your son and his self expression.
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Not a huge fan honestly but itās also not the end of the world. But also kinda out numbered and need to pick battles. Itās a hard one 
More so not a fan of the ones saying āheās not the dadā but would probably slam him for not helping you raise him in a different post if it was about that.
If my son asked me to paint his nails Iād tell him thatās for girlsā¦ but thatās just my opinion 
Paint his nails. Let him be a kid. All these people saying itās for girls turn around and say āwell why canāt my daughter play with trucks ?ā. Hypocrites. Kids donāt see gender roles, they see their friends or parents doing something they think is fun and want to copy. Each dad sounds like they need to get a grip. One day your son will be a teenager coloring his own nails like a lot of them do, usually with sharpies or black nail polish, and Iām sure they wonāt be grabbing him by the hand and trying to take it off.
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Lots of grown straight men get pedicures and manicures and many men paint their nails. 
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Absolutely not. Toxic masculinity at its finest. Let the kid paint his nails, who cares. He was doing it to please you. Because he thought you would love it. Donāt let a man make you feel like shit for doing what makes your kid happy. You felt in your gut you shouldāve let it be, but he manipulated you into thinking he was right and made you take it off. Tomorrow go surprise himā¦ pick up a new color, maybe neon pink, just to piss your man off, and paint that boys nails. Tell your son youāre sorry and you know it makes him happy but dad (if he calls him that) made you think he was wrong. Tell your husband he can shut his mouth or leave. Itās your kid.
For any of you saying youād tell your child painting their nails is only for girls, please never have them watch movies with these men in it. Donāt let them listen to rock music or idolize rock stars who paint their nailsā¦ It could taint their way of thinking 
My husband and I have talked about this kind of stuff and really itās not a big deal. That being said, I rarely allow my daughter to paint her fingernails. (only toes) and I gravitate to light shades. I also only allow light makeup and only special occasions. (dance recitals or chapstick during family pictures) I would do the same with my son if he wants to do these thingsā¦ And he most likely will. He wears his sisters hair clips and wants to do everything she does. Its not a gender thing.
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Painted nails are for girls. I wouldnāt like either. You want him to be girl?
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I would have spoken with my boyfriend at the time about how I parent and discuss major matters. Imo id be telling hubby ummm,no! This IS ok , this ISNāT happening. Simple or bye smh . nope .
My sons both love having their nails painted. They are children having fun. One of my male friends always has painted toenails as his little girl paints them for him, he draws the line at finger nails because work
Kick both of those so called āmenā in the nuts and let your child paint his nails.
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My 2 year old son watches me paint my nails. When he was 1 he would ask me to paint his nails also and I would. Now that heās 2 he doesnāt like it anymoreš¤£
Stand up to both of them. Your son wants his nails painted because it makes him happy, let him be happy. How is a little nail polish hurting anyone? If those men are so insecure in their own masculinity that a little boys nails being painted hurts themā¦ no offense, but maybe theyāre poor choices in role models for that baby of yours.
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I also had a similar situation with my boy and his father. He liked pink and yellow and painting his nails. I refused to allow anyone to make sexist comments about it and will still defend him until the end. A couple months ago the same lil boy, 15 years old now, came to me and said āMom Iām differentā If I had went along with placing and keeping him in his āassigned groupā he never would have been comfortable coming to me when he really needed me. Thereās nothing wrong with him wanting to wear nail polish. However there is something wrong with making him feel bad about it and like heās not a normal boy. I pray you find the strength to support your babies in everything they are not just the socially acceptable pieces.
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Both of those men are buying into toxic masculinity and breaking the boyās spirit. There is nothing inherently feminine about makeup and nail polish. The men by their actions are saying that girly things are bad and by extension being womanly is bad. This breeds misogyny. He is your son donāt let these broken men break him too.
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Some men weāre raised that this behaviour is wrong and I look at it this way the parents that taught these men itās wrong weāre wrong in doing so as long as your little guy is happy thatās all that matters I have had this experience with all my boys I have four of them so itās fine in my eyes just give him the support he needs
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You and your husband need to have a serious talk without kids around. I truly believe clear boundaries should be set at an early age and all adults (including teachers) should be on the same page.
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Fuck em, thatās your baby , your kid, they wanna squish his joy and freedom of expression they can get out. Kids needs support, doesnāt matter if itās one mom, a couple, aunt, or grandparents. Kids will remember WHO really stood by them. If he says he doesnāt like it, tell him where the door is at.
Father of 2 girls. They paint my nails and I do/have gone out in public with them painted. I usually keep my pinkys painted if they did them unless I have to physically be at work (I work remotely).
There is nothing wrong with having your nails painted. There is nothing girly about it when famous people (Penn Gillette, pick a rock star) or TV personalities do it. Lucifer (TV Show character) has massive eye liner on - we allow TV characters and personalities to wear other forms of make-up.
Seems to me, here, is some homophobic issue or fear of it affecting the sonās sexuality - for which there must be additional context from the hubby.
At least that is what I read.
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Support your child always especially if youāre not against it mom is always supposed to be their safe spot to express themselves we all grew up in a different era Support youāre child to be himself no matter what that means to him at the moment just Support him men will come and go if youāre husband loves you heāll Support you and youāre decisions about your child
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Like that child explore and enjoy childhood, let him find himself naturally. By letting two men edit his desires because of their insecure macho BS. Theyāre doing more damage internally then you can ever imagine!
He will never forget that moment you took the nail polish off, trust
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Because most men donāt want girly sons, at whatever age. Most Men donāt like it. I agree with both your men. I wouldnāt let my son paint his nails. Period. Thereās other ways he can express himself and explore whatever he needs to explore.
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So could it be that this is being blown out of proportion? My almost 21-year-old, when he was 16ish, let our little neighbor girl paint his toenails and went to football practice later. He is very much a manly man, but also great with kids and would let them do almost anything for entertainment.
And our youngest, when he was 7 or 8ish, was at a friends (they have 3 girls) - dad was doing the girls nails so they painted our sons too. The girls thought it was hilarious and we all got a good laugh. And trust me - he is definitely a manly-man too.
And our youngest used to like to do my make-up from time to time.
So just maybe this was all in fun and kids need to be kids sometimes. And this doesnāt, at 7-years-old, need to be all about what we perceive as what is appropriate for boys or girls.
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Sounds like maybe the dad needs to do more with him? Fishing, playing ball?
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That is absolutely horrifying. Thereās nothing wrong with boys playing with makeup lipstick nail polish Barbies dressing up who cares let them be themselves and let them play with what they want. Have you seen the century weāre in?? It is normal! And if he has a problem with it then he can grow up and be a real man and stop being so judgmental towards a child and simply get over it. Iād tell him to fuck off and let your child do as they wish. This is just sad no child should feel this from any parent.
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From a fatherās point of view in this day and age you let a young boy put nail polish on next heās wanting to be called bae. And thinking he was supposed to be a girl. It sucks but it what it is. If the fav color is orange then get him some clothes or a basketball not paint his nailsā¦ Cool back then not in this age.
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Paint his nails again for him, tell him heās allowed to like nail polish, and not to let anyone tell him otherwiseā¦ especially the father and step father!!! Father and step father need to be put in their place that your son will not be shamed for expressing himself however he wants to! Men who are uncomfortable with stuff like this are toxic! If he does come out as LGBTQ+ later down the road, I can see step dad, and real dad being a major obstacle to him feeling safe and loved. Good luck! You have my sympathiesā¦ This is going to be a tough one
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My son liked his nails painted. Had the same problem with my dad and brother. They flipped out. My son was 3 last day of prek teacher brought nail polish in and painted the kids nails if they wanted. He also used to like putting hair ties or bows in his hair. If I was doing my hair he wanted me to put his hair up so he had tiny pigtails. Hes 10 perfectly fine. The kids dont understand boy and girl things. Itās just fun for them. Leave them be. I let my son bbn keep his nails blue till it wore off which was only a couple days. Got yelled at by my dad and brother but my kid my decision.
I was a nanny for a couple years and one of the little boys I would watched loved to let me paint his nails,his parents had given me the okay but Iād asked him why he would always want his done when I did his sisters and heād always tell me that it allows him to be unique and allowed him to express himself through his nail color,it also allowed him to bond with me and his sister.
Iāve got a 3 year old boy of my own and he loves to play with my makeup so I let him play with my makeup brushes and got him his own ālipstickā which is just a chapstick but it allows him to do what makes him happy and be himself so I see no issue with it and heās usually around more women so itās only natural heās goons be interested in it.
As far as his dad and your husband not liking it sit them down and tell them that it makes him happy and he should be allowed to express himself in whatever way he feels he needs. My sons dad nor my fiancƩ would ever feel the need to separate things by gender.
Although I wouldnāt care for it either. These men need to grow up, it is only nail polish . I support my kids!!
As a parent or stepparent, you do whatever you can to make your child feel loved, special, and cared for. You guys should all have a nail painting party, fathers included! Have fun with it! Try not to make it about sexuality or anything like that, just pure innocent fun!
My 9 year old puts makeup on from time to timeā¦he also paints his nailsā¦when he was 2 he would run around in my heels better than I couldā¦lolā¦my partner tryās to say something but I stop him immediatelyā¦ I see absolutely no problem with itā¦ in my sonās kindergarten school photo, he looked like Ronald McDonaldā¦bright red lipstickā¦lolā¦So, damn cute!
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My son wanted his nails painted and bows in his hair because Mommy and Sissy had it done. My son is now 16 and no he isnāt Gay because of it. He felt involved when we did this.
My 7 year old great grand son came to the nail salon with me and my 2 granddaughtersā¦he asked to try having his nails polishedā¦I didnt think twice said yes, we can always take it offā¦these ladies all help each other, love doing the kiddies in between appountments, so all 3 kids had their nails paintedā¦it wasnt 20 minutes and he asked to take it offā¦lolā¦
Sorry the world is not rainbows and butterflies. If a boy is around other boys his age wearing nail polish, he will be made fun of. So either you teach your son to accept the teasing or keep the nail polish for home. I think these men need to be more involved in this childs life. This child needs to have stronger male influences. It doesnāt matter if a child is straight, gay or trans, having strong male influences at a young age will only strengthen him as he becomes an adult. Men teach boys how to not be victims in this society.
My son painted his nails , played dress up in girls clothes playing with his sisters,& is a NORMAL 54 year old today, with two girls,& a granddaughter of his own . Donāt cave in to these two macho men !
I hope your son is okayš.bighugs for himš
Hes just amazed by it,i have a daughter and her bestfriend( a boy) (theyre both 3yrs old ) painted their nails together they even play lipstick together,I have two nephews ( both 6 years old,)and when i see their nailsš they have painted it. They even show it off its a beautiful color they say. They just wanted that color to be on them. But when they grow theyll know.
Evrytime the colors off of them they paint it again and say wow theyre happy seeing their feet with colors.
We just tell them are u gay.
They answer no were not, they even said cant u see we have musclesš
This could have been avoided if you had told him when he was young that nail polish was for girls instead of encouraging it. We need to raise sons who become men not effeminate women. You need to talk to his teacher. Our educational system is so screwed up. Why is she painting nails during school?
Stand up for you child always! Squashing his creativity is much more damaging than allowing him to be creative And Explorer Things around him Without feeling judged! Painted nails again today and tell your husband to kiss your ass
I dont have a dog in this race but I bet the step and real dad are probably not wanting them to be gay, because nail polish is a femaine thing. Sorry your heart is hurting mine would be too
My boy wen they were little they ask about it an I told them it was for girls only an that works Iām sorry but i think a little boy should no wat is for boys an same with little girls that way you dont have all theses confused adults my opinion.
My 5 yr old son paints his toes. His are about to be pink and thats what he chose. My sons adopted mom asked me if I had any problem with that.
Maybe point out to your husband how many rock and rollers paint there nails. Has nothing to do with sexual orientation. Even if it did he shouldnāt be putting pressure on such a young child heās just being a kid.
Everyone is entitled to their OWN opinions 
Everyone has different beliefs, religions, ect. No need in being rude!!! But I also agree with BOTH dads, I donāt think little boys should be doing āGirly thingāsā. 
ALSO Iām one that believes there are NO other sexes than a Boy & Girl, and God made you who you weāre ment to be.
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Oh those poor men and their fragile masculinityā¦it has nothing to do with the child, its about them. They are worried about the boy āappearingā feminine and that somehow reflecting back on the father. This is selfish. I would say that the mother needs to stand up and tell both of those men to take a fucking walk, because he childās self expression and creativity are more important than their fragile masculinity.
Iām sorry I agree with your husband. Parents treat their boys like girls. They call they sweethearts and coddle them, just the way they talk and treat them like they would a girl, then act surprised or say stupid shit like they identify as a girl. Well do you think!!!
Start treating boys to be men and girls to be woman and stop trying to be their damn friend and do your job that YOU signed up for and thatās to be their damn PARENTS!!!
Itās People like you that are to Blame for the Why these kids of today are STILL kids!!!
My son wanted to paint his nails green, orange and black when he was little ā¦he has a sister and wanted to do what she does(she is older) he painted his nails til he was about 9yrā¦it doesnāt make then any less boy or a pansyā¦its just a phaseā¦those men need to step back and love him for him just being himselfā¦he isnāt hurting no oneā¦thatās whatās wrong with men they think that boys are to be manly and just play with cars and dig in dirt do what they call boy thingsā¦when the simple fact could have been that your son just wanted to see what it was like and for just a split second do something like mom or sissyā¦he didnt hurt no oneā¦ If youāve raised him to be expressive in what he doesā¦then hun stand your groundā¦ no need changing now or heāll clam up and not Express himself again for fear of being scold or feeling like a disappointment.
Tell him to watch the new movie released on Apple TV called āPalmer.ā It could teach him a great lesson!!
Fuck them. That hurt you feel for your little? Imagine his. Itās just nail polish, ffs. Their reaction to this is foul. Donāt let them break that baby down and turn him into a joyless, close-minded drone.
Itās nail polish! No worries at all. Let the kids have fun
Hahahah my 6 year old and my 2 year old do it bc they see mama has hers done
And you hear women complain all the real men are gone for this is example why
Children only like what they are introduced to.
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You have to put your foot down, your son doesnāt understand
Nope. Not cool. Not okay. Boys can have painted nails!!!
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Love that boy no matter what and show step dad the door!!
My father is like this, but worse. He will refuse to acknowledge his grandsonās existence until all āgirlyā things are gone. I donāt remove them until my son asks me to, though. And he always does ask me to, bc his heart is breaking from being ignored by his grandfather. Yeah, people out in the real world can definitely be cruel, but sometimes the cruelest people are the ones with which we share a roof.
Tell em to go fuck themselves. Seriously. That is all
I have all girls. 4 of them. I now have 4 grandkids, 3 girls and 1 boy. Heās 2 and wants to do everything his sisterās does. His mom refuses to let him play with make up and nail polish. She says most momās thinks itās not ok to teach a boy to be a boy. Her son will grow up knowing heās not a girl.
You need to talk to your husbandā¦
Your husband has no say , his father can dress him how he likes when with him , let him be who he wants to be with you and donāt cave to another mans pitiful perception of whatās masculine or feminine
Sit both of those insecure assholes down and explain to them that YOUR son is allowed to express himself in whatever way he wishes, and that if they ever again make him feel less for what he likes then they know where the door is.
Kid come first. Always.
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Hmmmm, my 7 year old paints her dads nails on a regular basis! He does it because it makes her happy, we are not teaching her that boys canāt have polish! He wore those nails proudly! Itās up to you what you want to instill in your childās mind . But I personally see nothing wrong with it.
I paint my 6 yr olds nails and he plays with my make up. Hubby protested at first but could care less now. Also, my brother (who is a yr and a half younger than me) did the same thing. Itās no big deal.
Iād have the same problem!!
Thereās sites you can join to help you. Itās called Pflag on fb.
My son wanted a kitchen set. We found a blue one. He liked helping me in the kitchen and playing with a girl across the street. We let him do his thing, what he liked. He is grown up now and he is gay but itās the way god made him. We love him no matter what. Just love and support them. Thatās all we can do as parents.
I have a friend who is a single mom of only boys and we ran into the same issue Itās completely normal if they see mommy painting her nails and want to do it too. They are going to want to because young children learn by watching and imitating what their primary care giver does they will eventually grow out of it and if anything it shows mom is doing a good job because they want to be like their mommy
Yep, you should have supported your son. Why supress who he is? He may turn out to be gay, may notā¦whybdoes it matter? He may want to wear dresses and paint his nails, why not? Do you love him less? Sounds like it upsets yours uhusband on how your child is andā¦you let him suppress that spirit about him. He probably wen to bed feeling unacceptable, like he was wrong and hinestly.itll probably be something he will always remember now. Hope it doesnāt scar him for life. My heart breaks for that boy and how Iāve was treated last night. As his mama, support him! That is a 1950s mentality, surprising individuality is so sad and has repercussions. Its important u remind him he can be who he is and be proud. In fact, grab him up go get manicures tomorrow or do them at home together. Then go get your husband under control and remind him how he is Not going to make your son feel again.
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Marriage and child raising comes with compromises.
Your husband and the childās father should realize that gender norms and gender rules sometimes halts the creative process and may slow the childās development. Also at that age when you do not let a child make choices for themselves they will develop shame and doubts within themselves on who they truly will become. Let your husband and his father know that your son is learning in this time that he is being creative. For example, he is learning cognitive skills by making choices of colors to use, motor functioning skills and kinesthetic skills by having to learn how to have a steady hand, patience by having to hold still during the drying process. He is also learning that it does not take much to do his future wifeās nails when she is pregnant or the colors that would go good when itās time to buy his future daughters lipstick.
That being said, His father and his dad said he cannot have his fingers painted. Agree to that and set a boundary for yourself and your spouse that you will let your child have time to be in his creativity. Let your son understand that he cannot wear or use makeup outside of those creative times (play time), but you can still take pictures and put it in an album, to show his development and so that he has a reminder of his creativity.
Use your creativity to find alternatives for your son. There used to be a barbie studio online that I used to play with as a kid that you can paint barbies nails and do her makeup. He can do your nails and your toes and his sisters nails and her toes, and his if he understands that he will have to remove it after play time. Let him do your lipstick and your daughters lip stick when he wants to be creative and take silly and cute pictures after to show his good work.
Also it may be a good thing if your husband and his father teaches him guy norms, which is taught by modeling. Like sporting around or doing other guy things that you and your daughter canāt show him. Kids learn best by modeling so just taking him to sport events, maybe to visit fire stations, car shows, and other guy things that I donāt know about because it was not fostered in me.
Hope this helps 
Your son might grow up to be gay. Itās how he was made. But I wouldnāt push him into anything. Just let him be, pray for him and let nature run itās course.
You all handled this like shit. Poor kid.
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I say take your son out shopping for some new orange nail polish and ask other colors he might like. Go home and paint his nails want to have him paint yours. If stepdad has an issue tell him where to shove it. With this day and age there is nothing wrong with a child especially a boy wanting to make their nails.
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