Aug 3rd, 2005
LGBT Parenting tip: Talk about prejudice early on.
Too many LGBT parents put off initiating a conversation with their children about dealing with peers because they think their children are “too young.” Not true.
Many children face prejudice and don’t tell their parents about it. For some children, this starts as early as nursery school or day care.
Here’s what I advise parents in my book:
“Before parents send their children off to school, they should talk about what makes their family different, and how some people might criticize them for those differences. While it is sad to have to introduce this reality to children, it is preferable that they hear it from their parents first, in a supportive setting, before they encounter it on their own.”
This tip excerpted from Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is (p. 101).
See Chapter Four, “Out Into the World” for more on the experiences of kids of LGBT parents in schools and communities.