Here's How You Can Support Your Transgender Child
Today, we have realized that there are much more than just two genders and there is a special need for a transgender child. Children and teenagers who do not identify with their assigned gender may have increased rates of sadness, suicide, and self-harm than other youngsters. Research demonstrates that when people have access to what medical professionals refer to as gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy and mental health counseling, their mental health outcomes are better. The below-mentioned steps can be followed to help the needy.
Firstly, try following your child's clues if they question their gender. Some people wish to engage in activities that aren't traditionally related to the gender they were given at birth, and they feel content after making these modifications. Parents in these situations don't need to do much more than offer their support.
However, if a child appears to be struggling with their appearance or in social situations, or if they want a more significant change in their lives, like changing their pronouns or changing their body with hormones or surgery, the parents should offer more support. They can even try reaching out to a local PFLAG chapter, an organization that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health also has a "find a provider" option. Gender Spectrum, a foundation that seeks to build gender-sensitive and inclusive environments for children and teens, is one useful online resource.
Secondly, one can try to widen their knowledge about transgender people. It's crucial to make an effort to comprehend and employ the terminology and utilize the name and pronouns that someone desires you to use. Psychological discomfort can result when one's gender identity does not align with how they are regarded by others.
Nonbinary people "may identify as feeling both male and female, or neither. In contrast to "gender fluid" people, who have gender identities that are "a bit more fluid, in that they can shift over time from one category to another.” It is quite understandable that because the terminology's implications or meanings can change over time, it can be challenging to apply them accurately and consistently. However, the caregivers can try to be receptive to the ideas and do their best to comprehend them as they develop.
Thirdly, it is advised against forcing the subject of gender upon a young child. However, if they do want to talk about it, you should do it with curiosity rather than with judgment or urgency. Parents and other adults should refrain from saying anything that would cause a youngster to feel shut down, rejected, or unsafe.
Lastly, if a family decides to explore medical therapy, there are several options to consider, but proper research should be done before any surgery. Teens can take pills called puberty blockers which put puberty on a wait so an adolescent has more time to explore their gender identity and think about the next steps. These medications can have adverse effects such as hot flashes, headaches, and weight gain, and more research is required to determine how they may affect fertility and brain development.
Hormones like estrogen or testosterone can also be taken out among older transgender teenagers. Sometimes hormone therapy cannot be reversed. Some studies indicate that trans women who take hormones may be more susceptible to side effects such as bone loss and blood clots than other women and adolescents who use hormonal birth control.
Although some physicians disagree with that recommendation, a new draught of recommendations released last year by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health suggests that teenagers receive psychological evaluation before becoming eligible for hormone therapies.
Parents may initially feel overwhelmed or bewildered when their child states they do not identify with the gender assigned to them. Nonetheless, kids figuring this out is a stressful period for the entire family. It is essential for parents to express their love and support to their children and that it's okay to make errors along the road.