If you feel anxious or uncomfortable, you're not alone.
It's important to accept your child and let them know you love and support them, whatever their gender identity is. How can I support my child?Ĭhildren sometimes worry that if they tell you how they feel, you will not love them anymore. Some children who have continuing, strong feelings of a different gender identity will go on to live full-time in a gender different from their sex assigned at birth. Others will feel their gender is outside of male and female and may identify as non-binary. Some may feel they do not belong to any gender and may identify as agender. In many cases, gender-variant behaviour or feelings disappear as children get older – often as they reach puberty.Ĭhildren who do continue to feel they are a different gender from the one assigned at birth could develop in different ways. Will my child grow up to be trans or non-binary? This is in addition to psychological support. If your child has lasting signs of gender dysphoria and meets strict criteria, they may be referred to a hormone specialist (consultant endocrinologist) to see if they can take hormone blockers as they reach puberty. If your child continues to be upset or confused about their gender identity and is nearing puberty, you and your child may be seen more often by the team at GIDS.Įach child or young teen will have different needs and goals for how they wish to express their gender. will discuss with you the support they can offer to your child's nursery or school, and local Child and Young People's Mental Health Services (CYPMHS), if appropriate.will help you keep your child safe and reduce any stigma around exploring their gender identity.works with family members, children and young people to help manage anxieties and ease emotional, behavioural and relationship troubles associated with gender identity.Its main clinics are in London and Leeds.Īfter an initial assessment with you and your child, the team at GIDS: GIDS is the NHS service specialising in providing gender identity development support for children and young people, and takes referrals from anywhere in England. Other NHS professionals, teachers, local support groups and relevant charities, and counsellors can refer them too. Your child's GP can refer them to the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. The physical changes that occur at puberty, such as the development of breasts or facial hair, can increase a young person's feelings of unhappiness about their body or gender. You may seek support for your child before puberty starts, which can begin as young as age 9 or 10. It's also possible that such behaviours will have been noticed at school. Signs of distress in a child can include anxiety, withdrawal, destructive behaviour or depression. If your child is strongly identifying with a different gender and this is causing significant distress to them or your family, see a GP. However, for some children this may continue into later childhood and adolescence. We now believe that gender identity is on a spectrum that includes male, female and a diversity of gender identities such as non-binary and agender (no gender).Ī young child's exploration of different gender identities is quite common.
You may worry that your child's exploration of different gender preferences and behaviours is not "normal". With toy stores dedicating floors to colour-coded boys' or girls' toys, as an example, parents may expect a child to closely match expectations of how male and female genders should behave. It's common for children to show an interest in clothes or toys that society tells us are associated with a different gender. But there is help available to support you and your child. If your child seems confused about their gender, it's usual for parents to also feel puzzled or worried.