21st CENTURY PARENTING: How Can I Convince My 3-Year-Old They’re Transgender?

Dear Jane,

I’ve been in such a state of perpetual turmoil ever since giving birth. My child, pronoun “they”, is now 3-years-old. I have been mired in a heinous state of chronic depression because “they” do not want to play with girl’s toys. It destroys me that “they” might be another white CIS male, and another future agent of the patriarchy. That’s just not the type of lifestyle I can support or agree with. “Their” father has also been deeply despondent over our child’s reluctance to conform to our stance and ideals on gender. My husband identifies as gender neutral, and whenever “Xe” (my husbands current pronoun) witnesses our child playing with toy trucks and trains, it triggers “Xer” so hard that “Xe” crumbles into a quivering pile of inconsolable PTSD jitters.

My question is, how can I persuade my child to blossom into the fabulous transgender individual that I know in my heart “they” truly are? All I’ve ever wanted was a trans child, and the fact that “they” seem so drawn to boys toys and refuse to don the lovely dresses I so painstakingly choose for “them” just crushes my soul. What can I do to make “them” understand the harm that they inflict on our family through their identity as a CIS-gendered white male? Please Jane, help us, it’s tearing our family apart.

Sincerely, Ariana

Ariana, thank you for your touching letter. Truly the phrase, “a mother knows best”, has never been more appropriate than here. No one wants a white, CIS male child, and the people who pretend they do are merely deluding themselves.

But do no fret. There is still time for your child to see the light of femininity. One of the best ways to do this is to deprive them of male clothing, toys, TV programming, ect. If they never know toxic masculinity exist then it cannot tempt and/or hurt them.

Parody? Who can tell anymore?