Explaining To 6-year Old Little Brother

[Guest JordynK]

So I recently came out to my family, who have all been amazing so far, but I raised one concern to my mother, whom I currently live with along with my 6-year old little brother. How are we going to explain it to him? My main concern, along with hers, is that he looks up to me and tries to mimic me every chance he gets. How can we explain it to him so that he knows that while there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, he shouldn't do it because he wants to be like me? We're just having a little bit of a hard time trying to think of what to say, but since I've already started transition and hormones, we can't really delay it for long.

Does anyone have any suggestions or advice? I really do appreciate it.

[Guest kelise]

One thing to keep in mind is that small children do not have as hard a time with this as people think. We have to remove this absurdity that transgenderism and homosexuality is any more an adult issue than cisgenderism and heterosexuality are? Do we not allow kids to see Disney movies because the prince kisses the princess and we don't want them to know grown-ups kiss each other? Do we fear that lead to discussions of what Snow White and Prince Charming are gonna do later in their bedroom? It's non-sense. As long as we keep it on their level there's no reason kids will get confused were they to see Prince Charming kiss Prince Eric. Unless of course, we actively tell them people DON'T do that. Yes, kids have a tendancy to enforce gender stereotypes shortly after toddlerhood, but only because from the day they are born, that's what we shove down their throats. Boys like blue and girls like pink, and they can learn otherwise when they get older. Older? That's when they'll get confused! If we teach early on that sometimes boys like dolls and girls like trucks, and sometimes boys grow up to like boys and girls grow up to like girls, and sometimes boys really are girls inside and vice versa, they'll never get confused.

As for the mimicry however, that's another topic altogether. Someone else will have to give input there.

[VickySGV]

I came out to my 8 and 5 year old grandson's a few weeks ago. I have a real treasure in my purse just now. It is a list of questions that they wrote down to ask me. Their mom and dad had talked to them about me several days before hand, and earlier in the day, the oldest boy had written the questions he and his brother had. Some of them were purely the type of questions a child would ask, would I wear makeup, did I wear boy or girl clothes, and so on, those mostly came with their normal grins and wiggling around on the sofa. On two questions though, they both became very serious and attentive.

"Do you still like us?" Answer (with a hug). -- I not only like you, I love you very much!!

"Are you still going to be part of our family?" Answer--I very much want to be especially since you two are part of it!!

Have your mom sit down with your little brother and let her tell him that she loves both of you and its her love for the two of you that will make your life and his something to look forward too. She will be his safety net, that is not your job. Your brother is just at the age when HE is ready to become HE hopefully, MY nearly 8 year old grandson is going through a period of "normal sexism" and his one almost disdainful comment to me was I had "tricked him" into putting together a BARBIE puzzle, and don't I dare tell his friends about that!! Our evening was back to normal and they had no fear in dealing with me.

[Guest MiraJ]

hmmm. i have a similar problem. only that its not pressing yet, since i wasent out.

My sister, told me....they live in Germany......she has no idea how to tell or explain that to her children now 5 yrs old.

I couldnt really tell her right now, but i guess as the time gets closer that they will end up seeing the real me they prolly would understand.

It all depends on the parents.

Thanks for the input....helped me too.

Mira

[Guest Gwendolyn Elizabeth]

I came out to my two kids (5 and 8 ) back in november. I told them that this is something I have been dealing with for a long time, and that I was never happy being a boy. I went on to say that i have been thinking very hard about this and that im going to start living as a girl and that im taking medicines to make me more like one. I let them know that I love them very much and that we will keep doing the same things. I also let them know that they can always talk to me an can ask me any questions.