should a parent support a young child's wish to be a different gender?

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No, I wouldnt humor or encorage them, I would get them help get through it. If they are over 18 and out of my house they can do what they want within reason But I would not accept it.

Reply 41

tazarooni89

Original post by cherryred90s

That's why dinosaur costumes exist. Let them dress up and pretend to be a dinosaur and if they want to be a dinosaur at age 18, they can go and get surgery done tbh

The difference is that, when a child dresses up as a dinosaur, they tend to know perfectly well that they're just pretending, and there's little risk of it resulting in an identity crisis.

Reply 42

cherryred90s

Original post by tazarooni89

The difference is that, when a child dresses up as a dinosaur, they tend to know perfectly well that they're just pretending, and there's little risk of it resulting in an identity crisis.

Err no not really. Young kids tend to believe that they are whatever costume they're dressed in. It's very much believable to them, especially when the parent goes along with it. Have you never pretended to 'take their nose' and they genuinely believe it?

Reply 43

tazarooni89

Original post by cherryred90s

Err no not really. Young kids tend to believe that they are whatever costume they're dressed in. It's very much believable to them, especially when the parent goes along with it.

You actually believe this?

You think that a kid dressed in a dinosaur costume literally believes they are a dinosaur, that they are no longer human, that their diet now consists of leaves and raw meat instead of human food, that they are physically powerful enough to destroy trees and buildings, that they can no longer understand english and can only communicate in roars and screeches, and that they have no idea that the costume can be removed?

I don't think any parent has played along with this dinosaur act long enough for the child to be incapable of knowing the difference between imagination and reality.

Have you never pretended to 'take their nose' and they genuinely believe it?

All it takes is to look in the mirror or touch their hand to their nose to see that it's still there.

Reply 44

cherryred90s

Original post by tazarooni89

A small child doesn't think as technically as all that stuff you mentioned. They know that it can be taken off yes but still feel as though they've transformed into it once the costume is actually on them. They may even cry if you use their real name and don't refer to them as 'dinosaur' or 'princess'.

I don't think any parent has played along with this dinosaur act long enough for the child to be incapable of knowing the difference between imagination and reality.

It's hard for the child to differentiate the difference between imagination and reality.

All it takes is to look in the mirror or touch their hand to their nose to see that it's still there.

are you around kids a lot?

Reply 45

tazarooni89

Original post by cherryred90s

Well then they don't literally believe they are dinosaurs, do they? They still behave differently than actual dinosaurs used to behave.

are you around kids a lot?

Yes, I currently have 16 cousins below the age of 7, several of whom like to dress up as superheroes and jump off the stairs as though they can fly, but none of whom have ever actually tried to jump off the very top step believing that they won't hurt themselves.

For a parent to fuel their child's imagination to that extent, such that it is utterly indistinguishable from reality, is probably not a good idea.

Reply 46

cherryred90s

Original post by tazarooni89

Well then they don't literally believe they are dinosaurs, do they? They still behave differently than actual dinosaurs used to behave.

Yes, I currently have 16 cousins below the age of 7, several of whom like to dress up as superheroes and jump off the stairs as though they can fly, but none of whom have ever actually tried to jump off the very top step believing that they won't hurt themselves.

For a parent to fuel their child's imagination to that extent, such that it is utterly indistinguishable from reality, is probably not a good idea.

That's not what I meant but ok

To the last part though, why is it not a good idea?if they want to be a dinosaur, who is it harming?

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 47

tazarooni89

Original post by cherryred90s

To the last part though, why is it not a good idea?if they want to be a dinosaur, who is it harming?

Well if they literally believe that they are actual dinosaurs/superheroes and have no idea whatsoever that it's imaginary, then of course it harms them. My "superhero" cousins might have jumped out of windows believing they can fly. The "dinosaur" child might have gone to live outside and started becoming violent and destructive.

The child has to still know that it's imaginary on some level.

Reply 48

cherryred90s

Original post by tazarooni89

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 49

tazarooni89

Original post by cherryred90s

well yeah, they can't literally and realistically live as a superhero or a dinosaur, but whose to say that they can't feel like one or want to look like one so badly that they want surgery to resemble one?
With transgender, the biological male cannot literally and realistically be female (can't change his Y chromosome to an X) but that's not to say he cant still feel female and get surgery to become as close to one as possible.

Well they can, and people do. Just as there are people who get surgery to resemble the opposite sex, there are also people some people who get surgery to resemble animals (look up "Stalking Cat" and "The Lizard Man").

They're not harming anyone else, but for their own sake it would be irresponsible for a parent to encourage dissatisfaction with their bodies. They can never really become a different sex or species, but surgery will leave them neither here nor there.

Reply 50

S2M

Original post by tazarooni89

.

They're not harming anyone else, but for their own sake it would be irresponsible for a parent to encourage dissatisfaction with their bodies. They can never really become a different sex or species, but surgery will leave them neither here nor there.

Don't forget out "Dragon Lady".

Reply 51

LisaNikita

Why did I immigrate to England?

Reply 52

cherryred90s

Original post by tazarooni89

Yeah I know that there are people who have surgery to become animals, that's why I used dinosaur as an example .

So if it were your child, would you allow them to transition to the opposite sex at a young age?

Reply 53

tazarooni89

Original post by cherryred90s

I certainly would not, any more than I would allow them to "transition" to being a dinosaur.

Reply 54

cherryred90s

Original post by tazarooni89

I certainly would not, any more than I would allow them to "transition" to being a dinosaur.

Why? Is it because you feel they are too young to make such a decision?

Reply 55

tazarooni89

Original post by cherryred90s

Why? Is it because you feel they are too young to make such a decision?

I wouldn't encourage them to make such a decision even when they're older (though by that time I'd have to accept that I have no power over them).

But when they're young, I don't want to be the person who makes them believe that they need to transition to be happy, when they can be just fine as they are.

Reply 56

Jammy Duel

No more than they should support a psychopath's wishes to stab things.

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Reply 57

heineken

Original post by Hassan2578

it could just be a phase

It's always a phase.

Reply 58

Saoirse:3

Original post by tazarooni89

Do you think transgender people transition for shits and giggles or something? When a gender identity different to that assigned at birth is consistently expressed, transitioning has a very strong track record of improving people's reported happiness.