given the fact of how long it took me to finally walk outside dressed properly and the fact that I was incredibly introverted and shy. I started recently to wonder if I would have been able to face the classmates in grade school when one day I'm in male clothes and then the next day I'm properly dressed with a slightly different name . Given the fact I would have been presenting male for a number of early years before I changed. I think about it all the time and I just don't know how that would have turned out because lets say the first 3 years I'm male then the rest of the years to 8th grade I'm female. Would your classmates be totally understanding or would you be cursed until you graduated. I know I was continuously haunted by the bullies through out grade school because I was a cry baby. The bullying mostly stopped around 3rd grade , but it stayed with me my entire life to the point I've never gone back for a reunion even though my sister was in charge of the reunions for a long time. I think in my case it would of been very difficult to do that in grade school.

I think that that was pretty much unheard of up until fairly recently. If I could go back in time, I'd totally do it. I had a thing for stuffed animals when I was a kid, and brought a few to school before, with disastrous results, lol.

I guess it would be manageable if the kids accepted you transitioning. I know though that there  would be some rough patches.

Kids are pretty accepting of the ways things are, without much expectations for how they ought to be, it's their parents, your parents, and school staff that would indicate to them what was, and wasn't appropriate, or normal.

I was born in a time where it wouldn't and didn't happen, plus I was at a catholic grade school.

In the 80s... I would have had to change schools and have different parents.

as long as my dad was on deployment or not home my mom was ok with it. her motto was ,"whatever keeps them out of trouble and out of my hair"

I think so I mean it is something I always wanted and it makes me quite sad thinking that I had to put up with all those years being unable to.

I know since starting transition it's a constant reminder how wrong it was back then.

just remember its not all sunshine and rainbows. as a kid they are already cruel and look for any reason to pick at you or pick a fight. I was so lucky to actually have a few real friends who did stand up for me. where as some teachers made it known they were disgusted with me and let other students get away with bad behavior towards me. Joining a seasonal sports did help some though because if you pulled your weight those people treated you ok and respected a little. funny saying but a true one. ,"It was the best of times and yet the worst times" haha

oh and the absolute worst thing of all. No sleep overs aloud anymore with guys once your parents know for sure. and no closed doors. talk about being kept on a short leash. but it does help to give you a different perspective on things

I'm not sure that I completely understood what was wrong when I was a young child in elementary school, so I don't know if dressing in girl's clothing would have made a difference. I'm not sure it would have even occurred to me. I grew up with this persistent feeling in my gut that something wasn't right, but it wasn't until puberty that gender issues came to light.

I did - I really did, even back in 1965! Believe me I was considered "VERY STRANGE!"

Common question from 100% of kids - "Are you a boy or a girl?" My answer was always "I'm a girl in disguise!"

Common reaction was a shy laugh - and then it was ok. I became the class eccentric which in a very exclusive British boarding school full of kids from the aristocracy and minor royalty was not a bad way to exist.

So yeah I could and I did. The real shock for me was when I came to 16 and puberty started. I sought medical help and I was told to go away and try to learn to be male... For me the awkward years were really while I was at university and pretending to be a rather traditional bearded pipe smoking tweed jacket wearing professorish type.

Yes, I'd do it. I'd be bullied to kingdom come but that was happening anyway.

To some extent i did but sure would have done so completely if given both the opportunity and safety to do so. I wore as many of my sister's things as she would allow. Sometime in my HS years i stopped raiding my mom and sister's underwear drawer and started buying my own. I was bullied a bit but then i also played sports which helped mitigate that. Indeed my non-standard way of presenting myself at times, attracted a lot of people and they would ask me questions etc. This was in the 80s.

In grade school i played with only girls and would wear feminine things if i could, i remember begging my older sister to purchase a pair of girls pants for me from a garage sales and she did.

I high school hung out with two groups of friends, the jocks because i was on teams and pretty good at athletics and the "dungeons and dragons" players, who were pretty close to a counterculture back then and use to role playing and more open to alternative ideas. My heros included David Bowie and Prince because both of those guys dressed androgynous. After i saw "Purple Rain" i ran out and bought a ruffled white shirt and pinned the collar closed with a rhinestone broach. I was all about standing out and all about contradictions.

My sister accepted me first, my mom was pretty reluctant at first but did by the time i was in college. She kept thinking it was a phase for me, but finally realized it was not. I lived with my sister for a summer when i was about 19 and she helped me dress, learn some makeup, put colors together etc.

In a heartbeat, or less.

If I could have done it WITHOUT getting made fun of, and that's a big if, then yes, absolutely.

That was the biggest hindrance to my gender expression, was the pressure of "don't you dare do this or you'll be laughed at by every single person here," which kept me from even trying things that I probably would have tried if I'd had the option, and DEFINITELY would have started wearing full-time in middle school and high school if I had the option.

Growing up in the 80's, I was able to pull off a lot of androgynous looks and it was ok in my close circle, but I got bullied and abused in school quite a bit. My sister and I shared a lot of clothes and she didn't seem to mind. We still go shopping together to this day Sadly, I think living in such a conservative part of the state has beaten me down to a point where as an adult I don't feel as comfortable wearing more "feminine" clothing. I present myself as male, but hopefully that will change over time after I begin HRT and become more myself.

Thank you for the question. It may sound odd, but growing up, I thought we all did; until I reached middle school and realized differently. By 'we' I mean those who I thought were in my situation. I knew of three others growing up. I've written about one of them somewhere along on the site. She was from the 1950's and her life ended badly. There is another on this site as well. I grew up in the 60's along with my best friend. It was for the most part -normal- for us. Normal for those around us. Other than 3rd grade when my father attempted to 'normalize' me against my wishes (ugh-dark days of existence), it was all just fine for the most part. Grew up with my older and younger sisters (I was a middle child). We all had a blast. We still do. Would not trade my life growing up for anything - -but I would trade my part between my legs  .  And I grew up in the southern parts of Texas. Maybe it was the culture, maybe it was the water, maybe it was our over protective parents, maybe a combination of all?? who knows.  I could go on, but yes I dressed appropriately but I thought nothing of it. I guess I should have thought something of it?

I constantly think about it. Oh so how I wish I could of been my self. The problem was the time in the 50's and the neighborhood I grew up in. The Grade school had it's own gang and the mentality of the guys was geared to the neighborhood gang. I was constantly harassed for crying all the time the first three grades. I really hate to think what would of happened if I transitioned in 3rd grade , I'm afraid it would of been a nightmare. I had to  literally fight my way through 8th grade for being the odd ball. If I could of I sure would of wanted it , but I not quite sure what would of happened.

If I'd only known back in Kindergarten that that was what was so different about me, I would, and could, have been wearing girl clothes easily. My parents actually always wanted a daughter, but they got boys all four times. If I'd started back then, I could have stopped puberty in its tracks... but I'd rather be optimistic - I'm lucky to live in such an accepting time.