Your Gift DOUBLES to Help Deliver Hope and Joy!

Will you become 1 of 583 donors needed today to save marriages and strengthen families this Christmas? Your gift will go twice as far to give families hope through trusted biblical resources!
583 donors still needed today! Choose the amount you’d like to give this holiday season!
$
Please enter a valid amount

Your Gift DOUBLES to Give Hope and Save Lives!

Will you become 1 of 56 donors needed today to save babies from abortion this Christmas? Your gift will go twice as far to give mothers and their babies hope in Christ.
56 donors still needed today! Choose the amount you’d like to give this holiday season!
$
Please enter a valid amount

Help Deliver Hope and Joy!

Your gift DOUBLES to save families this Christmas! Become 1 of 583 donors needed today!

Save Lives and Give Hope

Your gift DOUBLES to save lives this Christmas! Become 1 of 56 donors needed today!

HELP DELIVER HOPE AND JOY this Christmas!

Give families the biblical resources they need to thrive this Christmas season! Become 1 of 583 donors needed today!
Choose the amount you’d like to give
$
Please enter a valid amount

GIVE HOPE and SAVE LIVES
this Christmas!

Double your impact to save babies from abortion this Christmas season! Become 1 of 56 donors needed today!
Choose the amount you’d like to give
$
Please enter a valid amount

HELP DELIVER HOPE AND JOY this Christmas!

DOUBLE YOUR GIFT NOW! Become 1 of 583 donors needed today!

GIVE HOPE and SAVE LIVES
this Christmas!

DOUBLE YOUR GIFT NOW AND SAVE BABIES! Become 1 of 56 donors needed today!
Search

Discussing Transgender Issues With Teens

mother looking at disturbed teen daughter
How can we help our teenage son and daughter when they run across instances of gender confusion in high school?

A close friend of my daughter now identifies as a boy and wants to be treated as one. On the surface, my kids are trying to be cool about the whole thing, but I can tell it’s thrown them for a loop. And how should we respond to school officials who seem to promote the idea that transgenderism is normal?

 


ANSWER:

You’re probably right to assume that your teens are struggling with their feelings. Change is difficult for all of us, but it can be especially challenging during adolescence when kids face adjustment in almost every area of life.

And no matter what school officials or the culture may say, it’s disconcerting when a close friend suddenly decides to try to alter his or her gender. The idea that we should break down our sensibilities and learn to take this in stride as the new norm isn’t wise advice.

How can you give your child firm footing while still being sensitive to their feelings?

Encourage them to talk — and remember that takes time.

Ask them how they feel. Help them identify their emotions and process their thoughts. Create a safe space where they can slow down and voice their feelings without fear of correction.

Remind them of their Christian principles and values.

Your kids might be tempted toward anger or condemnation. Talk with them about compassion, true tolerance, and the unconditional love of Jesus Christ. Encourage them to read John 8:1-12 and consider how Christ cares about people no matter how they struggle. We all struggle.

Remind them that Christ-like tolerance always strives to balance love with appropriate emphasis on moral truth.

It’s easy for teens to get drawn into the postmodern mentality that says truth and morality are relative. This philosophy can be especially attractive when peer pressure and the dynamics of close personal relationships are in play.

If either of your children drifts in this direction, give them plenty of opportunities to talk it through. Ask key questions like, How do you think transgenderism fits in with God’s design for human sexuality? Don’t censure or contradict their answers. Encourage them to commit the matter to serious prayer and thought.

Spend time talking about the divine plan our Creator put in place for human sexuality and marriage.

Above all, clarify the point that He meant men to be men and women to be women. If you need help preparing for this discussion, we have two articles that may be especially helpful: Male and Female He Created Them and Talking to Your Children About Transgender Issues.

What about talking with school officials?

Handle this piece of the puzzle with great care. After processing your own emotions and making sure they’re under control, take time to research and understand the school’s protocol. Be ready to counteract any inaccurate information distributed to students by the administration.

Three free downloadable booklets you might find useful:

Bottom line: Be as diplomatic and non-confrontational as possible when talking with school staff. If the conversation includes any hostility, let it come from their side of the table. Show respect, and appeal to reason and logic. You can do all of this while staying true to your convictions.

In everything you do and say, model a Christ-like attitude. Conduct yourselves as ambassadors for Christ. We may not be able to avoid coming across as an “aroma of death leading to death” in the nostrils of some people (2 Corinthians 2:16). But that shouldn’t happen because we’re intentionally offending others with our responses and behavior.

If you’d like to discuss these recommendations in depth, call us for a free over-the-phone consultation. Our licensed or pastoral counselors would welcome the chance to talk with you.

 

Resources

Understanding the Myths of Gender Identity and Transgenderism

Transgender Resources

SHARE:
You May Also Like