Is your child questioning or exploring how they want to express their gender identity? Have they told you that they are transgender? This series is for you. This can be a trying time for you, your child, family members and friends.
Over the past few years I have watched one of my friends struggle through each of the steps of her daughter's path of transitioning to her son. I plan to guide you through her journey and share some of the ups and downs she has had along the way. Counseling, informing family and friends, changing hair style, changing wardrobe, hormone treatments, name change, pronouns (the hardest) and surgery are all steps in this process. Since each of these steps bring up many emotions in parents, I plan to discuss each one individually.
Food for Thought: I have also heard from a few different individuals about how damaging it can be when parents are not supportive. If you are a parent struggling with your child's choice, you are not alone. You may not agree with their decision but you can still be supportive. Nothing can hurt a child more than a parent not excepting them for who they are. I think it is important to note that "supporting" doesn't necessarily equal understanding or acceptance. You can outwardly support your child while still figuring out how to accept and understand their choice. This is an example of unconditional parental love.
