Last Sunday (3/10) in Seattle about 8 families with tweens gathered. We talked a lot about puberty and puberty blockers, medical providers, and therapists.  It’s hard to tease apart what behavior (depression and anxiety) is fueled by puberty vs gender dysphoria.  While one family found addressing their child’s depression made everything else easier, including the gender piece, another family found that addressing their child’s gender had been the key.  Which is to say, supporting your kid just can’t go wrong…   Puberty-wise, there are some outstanding providers in our area, but there was some sage advice for those who are using the Seattle Children’s Gender Clinic – they sometimes present a course of action as if it is the only pathway. In reality, there are other very experienced providers who competently offer multiple pathways.

We talked about coming out to extended family – write letters? don’t tell them? let your kid decide?  In our group, we had a couple of families who had success writing a letter.  One parent said they also an ally in the family be point person for questions, processing, and complaints. Brilliant!

We also shared our experiences with trying to get our kids through school while they are transitioning.  Grades are important. So how do we get our kids through it!? One family in our group admitted they avoid this all together by homeschooling. Another family said they adjusted their expectations after coming to understand the constant “noise” trans kids have in their heads. If we’d had more families in these conversations, I have no doubt the experiences shared would have run the gamut!