I came here looking for advice from other parents who may have been in a similar situation. Instead, many of the responses included insults directed at my ten-year-old daughter and criticism of my parenting, based on assumptions that simply aren’t true.
At no point did I say she has unrestricted access to the internet. She doesn’t. Her online activity is supervised, she doesn’t speak to strangers online, and the only app she uses allows contact with two school friends. As her parent, I’m very aware that the online world can be risky, which is exactly why we monitor her activity.
My daughter is not “weird,” “disturbed,” or unintelligent. Quite the opposite. She’s autistic, highly intelligent, curious, and has a strong imagination. She is involved in extracurricular activities, social groups, school productions, and is currently enjoying activities such as camping with her peers. She spends plenty of time engaged with the real world.
She has never acted like a cat, walked around on all fours, or displayed the extreme behaviours that some commenters immediately assumed. She enjoys fantasy books, imaginative play, and learning about different interests. Hearing other children talk about being a therian sparked her curiosity, nothing more.
What has surprised me most is how quickly some people jumped to the worst possible conclusions. The hostility and judgement in some of these comments felt more like bullying than advice.
I came here because I don’t have a large support network and hoped to hear from parents with experience or insight. Unfortunately, many responses have been disappointing. It’s a shame that asking a genuine question can result in so much ridicule rather than constructive discussion.