'I Wanted to Be a Boy:' Life as a 5-Year-Old Transgender Child

[OmarsMum]

https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-new...s-a-5-year-old-transgender-child-431696451602

I'm not against gender change, but for me referring to a 5 yrs old as transgender is a bit disturbing

I have a 5 yrs old, on his 5th birthday he asked for jewellery for a gift, when was 2 his fav colours were pink & red and he asked us to buy him a pink pair of shoes with glitters. His fav toys were babies, prams & tea cups. He preferred the company of girls as they are quieter than boys. He used to play with my make up & accessories. Many of his toys were pink! He loved his long hair.

Now he is a typical boy, at 3.5 he started to show interest in trains, then he started to like his cars more, we didn't push it. He still had "girly" toys preferences.

2 months back he started to get obsessed about football, his life is rotating around football, football games, watching football matches & kicking footballs all day. He wears football clothes almost everyday. Now he prefers the company of boys, all his friends are boys,

he still likes my makeup box & my jewellery, and he likes to do my hair

His hair was long then he asked us to cut it as he is a boy, now he wants to grow it long like one of his fav football player.

It didn't bother me when he preferred girls or girls play when he was younger. I didn't question his choices or transform him into a girl. He was only a toddler having fun.

My little boy never fit in, but that is not an excuse to question his gender or blame the body he was born in. For me the mocking excuse at this age is a bit lame, many of my friends dress their girls in jeans & boyish t-shirts, my son was wearing bright pink t-shirt yesterday with green & pink shoes he chose them and no one mocked him, he asked for frozen themed party on his 5th birthday and he got what he wanted.

My aunt was a tomboy, she even had a boy's name (her parents didn't interfere or tried to discuss it with her) she had very short hair, when she became a teenager she started to grow her hair longer, and she was very feminine. She was wild & liked dating boys. She is 45 now and is happily married with 3 children.

My question: do you think it is right at a very young age to label a child as a transgender? For me I think the right age is puberty when the child is a bit more mature to take this huge step in life. For me fully changing a child from one gender to another at a very young age & publicising it is more confusing than just following the child's lead without labelling or making a big issue out of it.

 

[Bex84]

I agree. Children arnt overly aware of differences between girls and boys at that age because there isn't a huge difference then. Just because a child shows more interest in the stereotypical likes of a certain gender does not mean they are transgender. My daughter likes dinosaurs, trains and cars but does not mean she wants to be a boy, she also loves princesses, dolls, babies and my little pony as well. I think its much to early to put a child in a box. It would be better to allow children to show own interests which ever gender and let them to know themselves before making major decision. It does not need to be labelled and that puts a lot of pressure on child very early. Let them just be them and label themselves as they want until they are sure

 

[Tiff]

I'm a fan of letting kids be kids. Claire was never into the whole typical princess thing if I'm honest. Hated them actually for quite a while, in her world the dragons ate the princesses.

That was just her being her though, we didn't label it as well and just went with the flow. Made for some awkward parties where there were princesses there and she wanted nothing to do with them.

If she came to me while going through puberty and said she identified as a boy I'd totally support her. I've seen some videos where there are girls who refer themselves to their siblings as their "brother" etc, I probably wouldn't label then either... just let them be them.

I will say though, I feel that little boys have a rougher go than little girls. It is nothing (as you mentioned) to have a girl with a pixie cut, wear jeans or gender boy stereotyped clothing. You put a boy in a dress though? Man, the comments are unending.

They're just KIDS. Let them figure out who they are going to be.

 

[Natsku]

I definitely wanted to be a boy when I was a child. If anyone asked me I always said I want to be a boy. My parents let me wear boy clothes (except for Church where I had to wear a skirt, urgh) and it was fine in primary school but once I went to secondary school teasing started so I had to start acting more girl-like. Then puberty hit and I no longer wanted to be a boy (though never been a girly girl).

I wouldn't label a child at a young age unless they had been through intense counselling and it was the opinion of the counsellors and doctors etc. that they truly are transgender. But I would definitely support my child, and when it gets nearer to puberty (as I think drug therapy is best started before puberty) and I was sure that they are transgender I would let them start transitioning.

 

[Bex84]

I agree at puberty is a better time. I would be supportive if one of my children were transgender but seems so early to place that label. I think as a teenager its hard to know who you are so how does a 5 year old know. My daughter changes interests anyway. I have noticed some raised eye brows as my baby boy likes playing with his sisters little people princesses lol so I think boys do get more pressure to fit steriotype. I'm fine with my son and daughter choosing what they want to play with and refuse to sterotype

 

[Larkspur]

I think there's a world of difference between little boys who like pink and playing with prams, or little girls who like football and blue, and a kid who repeatedly insists they are/want to be the opposite gender, who wants a different name, who says they're made wrong and dresses consistently as the opposite gender for several years.

Pretty much all my gay friends knew they were gay from a very young age, so I don't see why transgender would be different.

 

[Tiff]

Very true! Up to the parents to make the call on it for sure. Tbh, I'd probably go with it. I don't know that I'd use the term transgender right off the bat, I imagine that I'd wait for a bit longer to see if that was actually the case.

But I'd support my kiddo, no ifs ands or buts. That's just me though, I don't know that there's a real defined way to go about this as its very new.

 

[Andypanda6570]

I think there's a world of difference between little boys who like pink and playing with prams, or little girls who like football and blue, and a kid who repeatedly insists they are/want to be the opposite gender, who wants a different name, who says they're made wrong and dresses consistently as the opposite gender for several years.

Pretty much all my gay friends knew they were gay from a very young age, so I don't see why transgender would be different.

I was going to post that. Everyone, well almost has said they knew from 4 5 6 years of age.. Whatever made my kid happy I would support..I think a lot of people know things are different at an early age not just being transgender.. Look at Bruce Jenner he is so brave IMO and all his kids are supportive, I was so happy for him that they supported himI wouldn't label my child but I would believe him or her even at an early age if they told me they just feel like they are meant to be a boy or girl..

 

[Bex84]

I think you should support whatever they want, I just would make sure they knew it was their choice and allowed to change mind

 

[OmarsMum]

I think you should support whatever they want, I just would make sure they knew it was their choice and allowed to change mind

Agree with this, and IMHO 5 is very young.