Season Wilwert, mother of 8-year-old Ethan, gave her son what he wanted most this past holiday season: a makeup lesson, according to Buzzfeed. It may be unconventional to some, but I think it’s pretty awesome. Wilwert feels this is just another form of creativity, stating:
“He is a very artistic child and loves to express himself creatively, whether through drawing, gymnastics, or performing arts. This is just another form of that expression.”
So, Ethan’s mom set up a lesson with makeup artist Joey Killmeyer, who said the two got along famously. Ethan already regularly watches Youtube makeup tutorials, so he wanted to learn how to do them himself. Because of this, Killmeyer completed one side of Ethan’s face, and then allowed the 8-year-old to do the rest himself.
Wilwert claims she’s never seen her son so happy before, stating: “I don’t remember the last time I saw Ethan so happy or so confident in himself.”
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Unfortunately, not all of the media attention has been positive. Killmeyer said there were a few commentors who essentially implied Ethan must be gay or a drag queen (which is fine if he was), but it’s no one’s business, nor is it appropriate to make comments about a child’s sexuality. One commentor even called Killmeyer a pedophile for posting the image. But regardless, he’s happy he helped Ethan, stating:
“Ethan is young and who knows what he will do in his life. But I posted the story because I was so touched that his mom was supporting him in what he wanted to do. As an artist, I love bringing joy to my clients and Ethan was so happy and confident when we were finished with the lesson. There are too many kids whose parents ignore or deter these things.”
Wilwert smartly made the choice to stop herself from reading any of the negative comments, because other people’s opinions don’t matter. It’s just about Ethan’s happiness, she explained:
“Our children should be encouraged to freely explore and discover their identities, not just be handed them…This is a pivotal moment in my son’s development, and I know that by letting him just be Ethan, regardless of what others may think, that I am doing something right as his mom.”
Well done, Mom. Well done.
