I'm going home in two weeks for my summer visit with my family in Texas. My sisters have left it to me to explain to their children that their aunty is really their uncle and what's in my future as far as medical procedures.
My youngest nephew is 4 and the eldest just turned 12. I need to find a way to explain it to them so they can understand. I know children are usually pretty accepting when it comes to differences. Heck, two of my nephews are being raised by my sister and her awesome girlfriend, so my nephews and niece are very open minded. Still, I wanna be sure I do this right. I was never very good when it came to relating to kids. Any suggestions or relation of experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks y'all!
The hardest part of explaining trans stuff to kids is their parents, so if your sisters are already supportive, explaining it to the kiddos shouldn't be too hard.
With kids, the younger they are, the more flexible they're likely to be with new concepts. I recommend setting up a time to tell them, like "I have some news for you guys, so let's go out to dinner and talk!" Make it sound exciting, not grim. Your approach/mood will totally impact how they react to the news. When you get there, just tell them-straight forward that you're actually a boy (along with the basics, like what you want to be called). Then, for the more detailed stuff, ask if they have any questions and then answer their questions. If they ask anything too personal, either give a vague answer or tell them it's private... but do try and answer as many as you can. Kids are curious creatures. They may seem like they're being nosy, but really they're just trying to learn more about the world. The more open and honest you are with them, the more likely they are to trust you, and the more they trust you, the more likely they are to respect you and accept what you're telling them.
If you're feeling especially ambitious, you could even do something like having a little party (almost like a small birthday party) for your new name/gender with balloons and a "Welcome to being a boy, Uncle Gene!" cake or something equally fun and silly (maybe even get the kids in on planning it), to help drill home that changing identities are something to celebrate, not bad news.
When we (my spouse and I) told my nieces and nephews ... they ranged from age 4 - 16 ... the younger ones were like "I told you R.. was a boy" to their parents and the teenage ones were like 'Oh, okay" ... it really wasn't that big of a deal.
Quote from: Crow on July 27, 2013, 11:44:00 AM
If you're feeling especially ambitious, you could even do something like having a little party (almost like a small birthday party) for your new name/gender with balloons and a "Welcome to being a boy, Uncle Gene!" cake or something equally fun and silly (maybe even get the kids in on planning it), to help drill home that changing identities are something to celebrate, not bad news.
I love this idea! A party would be a great way to inform the kids. My mind is already buzzing with ideas for games and activities. Thanks so much. :D
Huzzah! Glad to be of assistance.
Have fun! You'll have to tell us how it goes.