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Preteens

Parenting a preteen can be a minefield. Find support here.

DD wants to be non binary, age 12

90 replies

Y0gamummy · 13/08/2025 15:45

My DD (just turned 12) has told me that she's not happy being a girl and wants to be gender neutral/non binary. In her mind this should involve a new name and using 'they' pronouns. I've been caught completely off guard and am not sure I'm striking the right balance between keeping open communication and keeping this sensible. I know she has been struggling with puberty and also that she feels like an outsider sometimes amidst other more girly girls in her class so I feel that this is related. My initial response was to say that there are a million different ways to be a girl and it's her choice how she embodies that. I did say that I thought the pronouns and labels were unnecessary while she's so young and figuring out who she is, and that there were plenty of other ways to be more gender neutral. She has now asked me what I think those ways are and I'm a bit stumped. She dresses exactly as she pleases and that's pretty neutral and she recently had her hair cut short. She is regularly mistaken for a boy now with the short haircut which makes me feel a little sad if I'm honest and confused as to how that is more neutral. She broke her phone a few weeks ago so I've not been able to check it but her search history on laptop shows this to be very recent and mostly searching for info from sources like NHS. I guess I'm concerned that she will go down a rabbit hole with this and then me up persuaded that she needs a label just because she doesn't want to wear make up or talk about boys? That possibly shows my own naivety (judgement?) re this topic. Any tips on being supportive and non judgemental but at same time not encouraging her to make big identity decisions when she's only 12 and still figuring everything out? I'm gutted to think she's unhappy in herself and feel out my depth.

OP posts:
Y0gamummy · 14/08/2025 15:24

Can I start by saying how helpful all these replies have been. I'm feeling much more confident in tackling this now and I'm going to take a look at some of the resources suggested (thanks for those). Not keen to go down any affirming route. Feel it would be a bit neglectful to be honest - I know she's finding puberty tough and has had a tough year with her peers so allowing her to label herself as non-female as a response to that feels irresponsible. I will continue to be supportive, make sure she knows I am 100% behind not confirming to gender stereotypes but I won't skirt around the biological reality that she is a girl and a pretty awesome one at that. The feminist in me is actually furious that current identity politics has left her feeling like she needs a new label. Her new phone will be a dumb phone and I'm keeping a much closer eye on what she's reading. She loves books and I think some of this may have been influenced by books she has read from the library. Been a bit of an eye opener for me as I'm pretty liberal and I know that if she had told me she was gay I would be 100% supportive. Something about her not being sure she's a girl that just doesn't sit right with me though.

OP posts:
porridgecake · 14/08/2025 16:03

Parents should also be checking very carefully what sort of books are in the school library. Some of them are really shocking.

Juniperberry55 · 14/08/2025 16:13

Y0gamummy · 14/08/2025 15:24

Can I start by saying how helpful all these replies have been. I'm feeling much more confident in tackling this now and I'm going to take a look at some of the resources suggested (thanks for those). Not keen to go down any affirming route. Feel it would be a bit neglectful to be honest - I know she's finding puberty tough and has had a tough year with her peers so allowing her to label herself as non-female as a response to that feels irresponsible. I will continue to be supportive, make sure she knows I am 100% behind not confirming to gender stereotypes but I won't skirt around the biological reality that she is a girl and a pretty awesome one at that. The feminist in me is actually furious that current identity politics has left her feeling like she needs a new label. Her new phone will be a dumb phone and I'm keeping a much closer eye on what she's reading. She loves books and I think some of this may have been influenced by books she has read from the library. Been a bit of an eye opener for me as I'm pretty liberal and I know that if she had told me she was gay I would be 100% supportive. Something about her not being sure she's a girl that just doesn't sit right with me though.

Glad to hear it op. You'd feel different if she came out as gay because it's a totally different thing and most gender critical parents wouldn't care less if their child came out as gay. Its not a case of transgender and gay people being part of a single entity. They are totally different, even if they lump it all together with pride now.

Momstermash94 · 14/08/2025 16:21

As PP have mentioned, do you think she she has started her periods and is feeling a bit lost and confused with her body now? I know you mentioned she has been struggling with puberty

When I was about 11 and started my period I kept talking about how I really wanted to be a boy, that I wished I was born a boy and I truly hated being a girl. I threw myself into tomboy stuff and started acting like a boy, dressing like a boy and I became really unhappy as a girl. I begged my parents for a sex change which was met with "don't be ridiculous" . (To be fair, I was 11!)
Truth is I was just secretly really struggling with puberty and I wasn't coping with the idea of having periods and the huge life change I felt it brought me, I felt like my life would never be the same having to deal with a period every month. The constant puberty talks and sex education from everyone scared me more than they educated me, girls seemed to have it all so much harder and it really terrified me.
I grew out of that whole wishing I was a boy phase completely after a year or two when I got used to having periods and I accepted that puberty was going to happen regardless and I started to mature into a teenager. Since then I have never questioned my gender again and I'm glad I am a girl, and I am so glad my parents never rushed me to the doctor for puberty blockers or dived head first into fulfilling my wishes of being a boy at that time.

Lucy2586 · 15/08/2025 00:48

Momstermash94 · 14/08/2025 16:21

As PP have mentioned, do you think she she has started her periods and is feeling a bit lost and confused with her body now? I know you mentioned she has been struggling with puberty

When I was about 11 and started my period I kept talking about how I really wanted to be a boy, that I wished I was born a boy and I truly hated being a girl. I threw myself into tomboy stuff and started acting like a boy, dressing like a boy and I became really unhappy as a girl. I begged my parents for a sex change which was met with "don't be ridiculous" . (To be fair, I was 11!)
Truth is I was just secretly really struggling with puberty and I wasn't coping with the idea of having periods and the huge life change I felt it brought me, I felt like my life would never be the same having to deal with a period every month. The constant puberty talks and sex education from everyone scared me more than they educated me, girls seemed to have it all so much harder and it really terrified me.
I grew out of that whole wishing I was a boy phase completely after a year or two when I got used to having periods and I accepted that puberty was going to happen regardless and I started to mature into a teenager. Since then I have never questioned my gender again and I'm glad I am a girl, and I am so glad my parents never rushed me to the doctor for puberty blockers or dived head first into fulfilling my wishes of being a boy at that time.

This is exactly what I have witnessed with my dd so then for others to say ok you’re boy is just so maddening. I found out the last day of primary school the kids were referring to her by a boys name. The teachers didnt but they knew and said nothing. I was blind sided by her new high school welcoming a boy. I have shit it straight down went to head of education in my city and received an email saying all teacher will refer to her with her birth name. I have sent her previous school as strongly worded email about turning a blind eye. Schools are running scared and they just wanted to hand over to the next school but I found out and I’ve been ridiculously furious.

Momstermash94 · 15/08/2025 08:08

Lucy2586 · 15/08/2025 00:48

This is exactly what I have witnessed with my dd so then for others to say ok you’re boy is just so maddening. I found out the last day of primary school the kids were referring to her by a boys name. The teachers didnt but they knew and said nothing. I was blind sided by her new high school welcoming a boy. I have shit it straight down went to head of education in my city and received an email saying all teacher will refer to her with her birth name. I have sent her previous school as strongly worded email about turning a blind eye. Schools are running scared and they just wanted to hand over to the next school but I found out and I’ve been ridiculously furious.

Exactly. This happened for me in the early 2000s and gender identity wasn't a thing in children's lives yet. As far I knew I just wanted to be* *a boy, I didnt know there was an option of identifying as one and getting everyone to treat you as one. Being a tomboy was the only acceptable thing at the time.

If I was a child today going through the same difficulties in a world where changing your gender has become so common and children are told they have the choice I probably would have tried to identity as a boy and maybe even changed my name and pronouns if I knew that was a thing I was allowed to do. Its scary to think that if I was a child now my parents might have taken me to the doctor for puberty blockers! Or like you said, notified the secondary school that a boy was to be joining instead of a girl this year and changed my whole identity around what really was just a phase. Kids find it hard to come back from that when they have gotten in too deep. I'm so glad my parents just rided out the phase and waited for me to grow out of it instead of reinforcing it

surprisebaby12 · 15/08/2025 08:38

Lots of great advice on here but I’d also suggest getting her into several sports clubs. Bonding through team activities can really help kids and teenagers to build social skills and confidence, and reduces their reliance on social media. She’s trying to establish her identity and understand herself, so it’s worth surrounding her with people and opportunities to grow into a rounded and happy person.

Betty91 · 16/08/2025 15:00

Ask her gently - what she thinks she can do as a "non binary" that she can't do as a girl - but ultimately this is a sexist ideology which is predicated on the notion that being female / male = looking like someone from Love Island or having really firm ideas about behaviours which are attributable to a certain sex.

There are sex differences which are baked in and our biology. But if we accept there is as neutrality between those two sexes we are just saying "my personality isn't the stereo typical male / female" - and that's because someone has a narrow view of what men and women are allowed to do or be. This isn't our children's fault - they've been bombarded with this messaging - from school assemblies to librarians deciding what books to push on them. But it's as logical as a toddler refusing to drink out of a pink cup. I hope parents can help our kids know they an absolutely perfectly OK version of whatever sex they are.

Lucy2586 · 16/08/2025 23:50

Betty91 · 16/08/2025 15:00

Ask her gently - what she thinks she can do as a "non binary" that she can't do as a girl - but ultimately this is a sexist ideology which is predicated on the notion that being female / male = looking like someone from Love Island or having really firm ideas about behaviours which are attributable to a certain sex.

There are sex differences which are baked in and our biology. But if we accept there is as neutrality between those two sexes we are just saying "my personality isn't the stereo typical male / female" - and that's because someone has a narrow view of what men and women are allowed to do or be. This isn't our children's fault - they've been bombarded with this messaging - from school assemblies to librarians deciding what books to push on them. But it's as logical as a toddler refusing to drink out of a pink cup. I hope parents can help our kids know they an absolutely perfectly OK version of whatever sex they are.

Seriously having being embroiled in this myself with her school. It so insane now theu do not dare just socially transition your child but they allow your 11 year old to transition themselves and stand by and say nothing. So what happens is the whole school knows what’s going on but the parents. Yeah that’s great for a child’s development, teaching them it’s fine to confide in anyone but thier parents leaving them
open to all kinds of abuse. I will say it teachers are fucking idiots and need to look for another job as far as I am concerned. Personally as a person with morals and compassion I just couldn’t do it. Selling their fucking souls

Betty91 · 17/08/2025 08:08

@Lucy2586 I will never forgive the teachers who told my kids this crap - and made me feel like I'd advocated for corporal punishment when I said it was wrong. All done with a teacher head tilt. The ones I spoke to - well let's say they weren't that bright and thought they were on some mission. The best I can say for schools is the government (last one and this one) were woeful in their guidelines and left a lot of heads floundering - so they allowed the loudest activist to set the tone for the school - (this could be parent, pupil or teacher). This is why we needed supreme court ruling. Everyone "haha it's obvious" hasn't had a child go through school in the past decade. It isn't obvious to the schools spending vast sums changing their loos and policies while they claim to be unable to afford glue sticks or school trips.

If you really want to limit the influence - get them off social media. And probably CBBC too .. Grin

Louisetopaz21 · 17/08/2025 08:35

My ds did the same, however it was because she was exploring who she was and she was actually gay, not non binary. Just don't make a big deal about it and she will find out who she is.

Lucy2586 · 17/08/2025 08:42

Louisetopaz21 · 17/08/2025 08:35

My ds did the same, however it was because she was exploring who she was and she was actually gay, not non binary. Just don't make a big deal about it and she will find out who she is.

Gay is absolutely no problem. I had a feeling she was I am trying not to make a big deal of it by being as present as I can be and spent lots of one on one time with her. She won’t discuss but to see her uncomfortable in her body makes me sad. The schools do need to listen to the guidelines and stop being enablers to this. I have had to sit on this all of the holidays bevause I only found out the days before theu closed so being unable to actually be heard is causing me so much emotion.

sashh · 17/08/2025 09:18

Osmosisfreight · 13/08/2025 15:48

Theres a few organisations that may be able
to help you have a look on Google.

Mermaids
Gendered Intelligence
The Proud Trust are a few I think

Do not go anywhere near these.

You seem to have been given some good advice though.

RavenPie · 17/08/2025 10:26

It’s really common in girls this age. The teenage years are tough - periods are inconvenient and often uncomfortable, breasts are embarrassing, she will have been exposed to sexual “banter” and sexual harassment and will see herself being funnelled down a path to objectification and unrealistic expectation that she wants to jump off. Somehow it doesn’t matter how many “normal” or diverse girls and women that girls know and see irl - the media content sticks and the message is overwhelmingly that girls and young women are sexy support animals and older women are ignorant, boring, Karens. Who wants that? “In my day” opting out of your sex was ridiculous and unthought of whereas young people today are having it presented as a completely legitimate solution to patriarchy.

Obviously sex is binary - you can’t be a non binary sex, although DSD conditions have been hijacked to pretend that nobody knows what sex they actually are (but they do know that some people are really the opposite one) and mermaids and others encourage removing or hobbling sex characteristics - their ex CEO famously blocked the puberty of her own son with hormones sourced from the USA and then flew him to Thailand at 15 to have his penis and testicles surgically removed on his 16th birthday. They ghoulishly sang “happy birthday” in the operating theatre. This (the castration, not the singing), lead to a change in the law in Thailand but is still the “gold standard” of “trans youth healthcare” advocated by a section of gender identity advocates.

If she understands that her sex is binary and she is female then what is it that she is non binary about? Gender? Explore what that is? Is it an internal sense of self? In what way is it tied with names, pronouns or sexed bodies? How do you “feel” a different sex? What is that feeling? Can you feel a different race? A different age? Is it anymore than not conforming to your own rather limited expectations of what people of your sex can do, be, or feel? What is it she thinks she can’t do as “girl” or “female” that she can do as “non binary”? Does she think other women and girls should not demonstrate the behaviour that isn’t conforming (whatever that is - be specific about what she thinks - is it a performance of femininity? Do ALL the women and girls she knows do this performance? Is it wearing particular outfits? Haircuts? Hobbies? Jobs? Childcare and domestic labour? - what women does she know who don’t conform to whatever stereotypes of women she has - are these women “non binary” or “trans-masc” or “trans” or are they just having their own personality plus a female body? Can you play rugby as a girl? Drink pints? Work as an engineer? Fart? Have a cheap, short, natural coloured haircut? Have short nails? Wear trousers? Have male friends? Tinker with cars? Say “I’ve emptied the dishwasher for you”? Specifically what is it that she is non binary about that other women and girls are “binary”?

I don’t see gender as an identity or anything internal at all. Gender is a hierarchy that positions males at the top (the natural leaders - logical, sensible, strong and clever) and females at the bottom (emotional, can’t drive, stupid, the service class) so naturally I want to opt out of it - but that can’t be done as an individual - you can’t just say “I’m not like those other girls - they are stupid , over-emotional, hair obsessed sex objects who need to be in the kitchen making the sandwiches, I’m an actual human”. She’s just as female as the rest of us and society doesn’t just decide to oppress those who opt in to their oppression. Does she think the girls who identify as girls should be subjected to the negative consequences of femaleness that she wants to avoid in an individual level? If you can identify out of oppression, then the logic extension is you can identify in - it’s the fault of the oppressed, not the oppressor. One of my biggest beefs with non-binary identities is just how rude (and privileged) this stance is.

Same sex attraction is an additional complicating factor often heightens at this age - even amongst girls who will ultimately grow up to have exclusively heterosexual relationships - both sexes often “practice” sexual attraction on their own sex as it has a safe familiarity - girl crushes are entirely normal (and likely) and she might actually be bisexual or lesbian and confused about this in terms of “gender” and sex. For some people being a straight boy is preferable to being a lesbian girl.

My advice - don’t “socially transition” - definitely don’t medically transition, challenge the misogyny and conformity of it (the “girls think/do/like X and I don’t therefore I’m not a girl”) and let her know how loved she is for her unique personality in her perfect body that belongs to her. Actively demonstrate how other women are achieving things and having fun in their female bodies. Point out the legions of women globally who manage to do exactly what they want despite being “binary”.

Ohdearwhatcanthematterb · 17/08/2025 10:33

@RavenPie 👏

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