Veljko Raznatović protests after son at Plavi čuperak was dressed in a skirt

Veljko Raznatović publicly confronted staff at the Plavi čuperak kindergarten in Titel after his wife found their two-year-old son, Isaija, wearing a red tulle ladybird costume that the family says is actually a women's skirt.

Family reaction and kindergarten reply

Raznatović posted a photograph of the garment on his Instagram account and said he was upset and intended to remove his children from the state-run nursery. He wrote that when his wife, Bogdana, went to collect their youngest child she discovered him dressed in the costume.

In his Instagram message he complained that staff told the family children could choose any costume because "all costumes are free for the children and the child can take whatever they want." He added that when he asked whether a teacher would explain gender distinctions to the child — "Son, this is for girls, this is for boys" — he was told the kindergarten's new programme forbids making such distinctions and that if the family did not like it they should change kindergartens.

The director of Plavi čuperak, Jovanka Andrić, responded after public pressure, urging adults to see the episode from a child’s perspective. She wrote that a two-year-old picking a skirt as part of dress-up had done nothing alarming and that for the child it was simply an interesting piece of clothing and part of play, without the adult meanings assigned to garments.

Raznatović called the practice "progressive" and unacceptable and said he would withdraw his children. The post quickly drew support from family members: singer Svetlana "Ceca" Raznatović reshared her son's post and his sister Anastasija, who is in Spain, also publicly backed him.

The episode highlights how early-years dress-up and gender norms can provoke strong reactions from parents, even when nursery staff describe the activity as innocent play. Local messages of support were shared with Raznatović, including one from a resident of Titel who urged a parents' initiative.

Photo: press material from the event