Supporting siblings of trans identifying children

[cariadlet]

I wondered why I couldn't post on a thread with a similar title. Seems it had been quickly zapped for breaking talk guidelines.
No idea why as it was just someone looking for advice.

I can't remember the name of the original poster so I'm hoping that this doesn't get deleted and that she manages to read it.

I had copied my original reply so here it is:

I would contact the Bayswater support group for advice.
It's for parents whose children have been caught up in this so I should imagine there will be people who have experience of explaining the situation to younger siblings.

www.bayswatersupport.org.uk/

Good advice. Stella O'Malley speaks well about siblings in her podcasts as well. The impact on siblings is significant.

Good advice cariadlet. Parents can really struggle to manage the impact that one child caught up in a belief has on their siblings. I think we're not allowed to call it a cult which is why posters who use the word can get cancelled? I'd also copied my advice :

I'd focus on "we all know that sex is real but sadly some people have been persuaded that it's not. It's a belief like religion and some get very sensitive when facts, science and women's rights are pointed out. So it's probably worth avoiding getting into a drama with them - just keep loving them as your sibling, and this will likely blow over as they get older".

Make sure that everything you do with both of your children as a parent reinforces that you love them, you're interested in them & have "got their backs" and that, even though you disagree over this, you love them unconditionally.

That relationship is far more important than this ideology. We have to make sure our kids know how important they are to us and that the family unit is always there as they grow into independence and sometimes discover that others are not the good people they claim to be in the outside world.