My Dd is a boy

[Sproutsandall]

So she told me today, anyway. She’s not quite three.

So I have started her on puberty blockers and am saving up for gender affirmative surgery.

Nah, I’m joking, obviously. She’s not quite three and therefore has no real concept about what being a girl or a boy really means.

I’m a bit at sea because I want to be as open as possible with her, but in an age-appropriate way. She barged into the bathroom the other day when I was changing my tampon, and I didn’t really know what to say to her about it. She’s obviously too young to understand periods,but is old enough to be disturbed by mummy bleeding. (She advised me to put on a plaster.)
She’s my only child, so I don’t have any experience.

Are there any books or other resources about what’s appropriate to tell a child about how bodies work and what biological sex is, without resorting to gender stereotypes ?

I always remember the woman,who said she was a tomboy all her life, never wanted a dress or long hair...
She married a man who like pretty colours and cooking and was effeminate,. They have 3 child, she works he keeps house...
She said she was so glad her life was like this....

My 3 year old told me yesterday that Boy George was a girl (we were watching the Karma Chameleon video). It's understandable that she would think that at her age, but I just told her very matter of factly that no, he was definitely a man and that having long hair with coloured hair ties or painting your face didn't make you a girl.

I've just told her that sometimes grown up women bleed from their vaginas, but it's normal and it doesn't mean that I've hurt myself and the reason I wear a pad in my pants is to catch the blood. She was happy with that but I like the explanations others have given here for why the blood is there in the first place.

I just try to be matter of fact about female and male bodies as much as I can while keeping it simple enough that she will understand.

Well! I'm glad that people don't think she's too young to start learning about biological differences. That will make explanations a lot easier. Also, thanks for the tips about what to say about periods.

Just to clarify, I'm really on board with telling her she can do whatever, without limiting her options by sex (I grew up a feminist, thanks to my feminist mother), and I'm really not worried about her wanting to be a boy/dinosaur/cat.
I was just asking about how to teach her about biological sex in an age-appropriate fashion as - as this thread shows - I wasn't sure what is age-appropriate or how much she can understand at this stage. She'll only be 3 next month, but is still charging ahead of my expectations of her development. To me, she's still my baby.

Also, she still gets really distressed when I hurt myself, which is why I was hoping to hide my periods from her for a while longer, but as it turns out, she wasn't very distressed by the blood in the end.

Anyway, thanks for all the information and tips. (Although if anyone knows of a Parents' Guide to Explaining Stuff to your Child, I'm all ears still. )

I just always tell the truth but keep it simple/matter of fact. They don't have any preconceived ideas about what is "yucky" or "naughty" - those come later on!

My just turned 3 year old knows she has a vulva and her baby brother has a penis. I'm not sure she realises all people have one or the other though.

What I found fascinating was he used to give me his doll to breastfeed. Very young children are aware of biological reality.

Yep. My son was certainly around 2 when he did this, with a little conversation around why.

@RogersVideo She knows she has a vulva - that’s what one wipes when one has a pee - but I don’t think she réalisés that ‘boys’ have other equipment. She’s seen her dad naked quite a bit, as he goes into and out of the shower, but has never commented on the difference, so I don’t know if she sees it or not.