When my son Leo came out as transgender, I spent hours trying to learn everything about what that meant. I wanted to know all the terms and acronyms, so I didn’t mess up when I spoke to him about it. I tried to learn all the different types of transitions to understand what his next… Continue reading You Don’t Have to Have It All Figured Out
My son came out as transgender in a Facebook post six years ago. During the hours of that cold January day, I spent a lot of time on Google. I searched for answers to questions and looked up words I didn’t understand. It did nothing to make me feel better. If anything, all that searching… Continue reading So, Your Child is Transgender. Now What?
For the second year in a row, the most-read post on this website is “You Can Grieve and Support Your Child.” This year, it has almost 4,000 views. When I wrote it in the fall of 2019, it was in response to a New York Times article that said parents who grieve after their child… Continue reading Support for Ourselves So We Can Support Our Child
Gender: Your Guide – A Gender-Friendly Primer On What to Know, What to Say, and What to Do in the New Gender Culture by Lee Airton, Ph.D. is a book that should be on every bookcase in America. You don’t need to have a transgender child or family member to read this book. The book… Continue reading Review: Gender: Your Guide by Lee Airton
When I became a parent, I worked hard to remain true to who I was. I engaged in hobbies and maintained friendships, and even went back to school at the age of thirty-nine. I knew that there would be a transitional period when my children left home as I adjusted to not being a full-time… Continue reading When You Feel Like You’ve Lost Yourself
It’s the holiday season. If you are like me, you have personalized ornaments and stockings in your storage bins waiting to be hung up. But, what do you do with personalized items when your child comes out as transgender? How do you navigate the holiday season when there are so many decisions to make? What… Continue reading What to Do With Personalized Items
As parents, we all have a collection of items from when our children were babies through their childhood. Maybe you have a favorite blanket or stuffed animal. Perhaps some baby outfits or the first pair of shoes. There might be art projects and school awards. Then, when our children are grown, we have something to… Continue reading Creating a Memory Box
The year Leo told us he was transgender, I skipped gathering with our extended family for the holidays. It wasn’t that I was trying to avoid them; I was overcome by grief. My Grampa died that year, and it compounded the grief I felt around losing the idea of having a daughter. I didn’t have… Continue reading Make Space for Grief This Holiday Season
October 20 is International Pronouns Day. It’s a day to commit to learning about and sharing your pronouns. Before my son Leo came out as transgender, I never gave a single thought to my own or anyone else’s pronouns. It never occurred to me that people would have pronouns that didn’t match the gender they… Continue reading Sharing Your Pronouns is an Invitation
October 11 is National Coming Out Day, and many LGBTQ+ folks use this opportunity as a chance to come out to the people they love. When my son Leo came out as transgender, it was through a Facebook post that I read shortly after waking on a Saturday morning. I was so overwhelmed by all… Continue reading Your Child Just Came Out. Now What?
