Let your child lead the way

Published 8 days ago • 1 min read

There’s no one right way to be transgender, nonbinary, or gender-expansive, and your child’s path is exactly the right one for them.

So when deciding what steps to take next, follow their lead. Because ultimately, this is their journey, not ours.

One parent described it this way: if your kid is the CEO of their gender identity, the parent is the executive assistant. Your kid is making the decisions about who they are, what direction they're going, and at what pace. We can help them get there.

Some parents think they need to check off all the boxes on some master checklist to affirm their kiddo.

But our kids might not even want those items on a [made-up] list, or at least not right now.

And for parents who like to be organized and in control (raises hand), it can be really hard to sit on our hands and wait for our kiddo to tell us how we can help, verbalize how they're feeling, or even just figure themselves out.

So this is your sign to slow down, take a breath, and let your child lead the way.

You're doing great.

There's still time to apply for the Parents of Trans Youth Community (PTYC) in this month's window!

If you're the affirming parent or caregiver of a trans child or young adult, PTYC is the place to make connections with other parents, get support, and learn a little more.

Here's what's coming up in September:

September 9, 7:00 pm CT - Navigating Health Care with Trans Youth Emergency Project
September 11, 12 pm CT - New Member Welcome Call
September 16, 7:00pm CT - Monthly Support Group
September 25, 7:30pm CT - Deep Dive Discussions: Gender Diversity and Neurodiversity
September 29, 7:00pm CT - Book Club: “Cleavage” by Jennifer Finney Boylan

The September application window is open until September 6. Join us!

Apply to PTYC!

Mandy Giles
Founder, Parents of Trans Youth

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