Raising trans children

[Shana A]

Raising trans children

By Terri Schlichenmeyer on July 26, 2012

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/07/26/raising-trans-children/

It's hard to imagine or understand the feelings of confusion or isolation that come when a young son says he's really a girl or a daughter swears she's a boy trapped in the wrong body. In the new book "Transitions of the Heart," edited by Rachel Pepper, mothers faced with those dilemmas share how they cope.

Even though it's a problem most parents never face, it's interesting to hear how those who have addressed it. Several say it involved a transition for both the child and parent. They write of gradually realizing their daughter isn't just a tomboy or their son wasn't "just going through a phase." More than one mother admits that she knew her child was different when she was firmly corrected on pronouns and clothing choice.

Many women felt relief and were astonished when they realized that as their children were allowed to openly express their true genders, they were seeing their sons or daughters happy for the first time. As the stories unfold, it's especially poignant when this joy has followed suicide attempts.