I was watching a talk show the other day when they did a special on transgender children. The kids who appeared on the show were all in elementary school and were being raised as the gender they identified with. I was extremely surprised to hear that children as young as 8 had were so sure that they were born the wrong gender that they wanted to change their entire lives over it. A few of the parents refused to acknowledge the children's wishes to be raised as the opposite gender while there were some who fully supported their children. If anything, I thought it was amazing that someone so young could be so sure and secure with who they were that they were able to make such a drastic change in their life.

I was just curious as to what everyone thought about the idea of children as young as 8 being transgender. How would you deal with a situation like this in your classroom? ---especially in regards to how the other students will treat this child.

That is very interesting. I am also rather puzzeled that 8 year olds knew they were being brought up the wrong sex. Especially because I have heard of 60 year olds finally coming out with the fact they had been brought up in the wrong way. It would definately be a struggle in the classroom. It would help if the classroom and students were already used to change and diversity. That way this would help the transition significantly. Yet Kids will be kids and I think in a 3rd year old classroom this would be very hard, and even harder if there was no parental support. I think that as a teacher we would have to be extremely helpful and accepting of the child.

I agree with you, Brooke. You definitely have to be accepting and helpful. I believe that an 8 year old can fully make that decision. I have a few friends that are transgender and they have been struggling their whole life with being stuck in a body that isn't really them. I know that in college there are support groups for that, but for an 8 year old child...I doubt they do have one. So being supportive is very important...even if you don't believe in that. Being a great listener and having an open mind is important to have. Maybe if there was a way to teach about it in classrooms would make it to where the student would feel more accepted.

I am a little confused on this topic simply because of the way that I was raised. When we discussed the first time that we felt our "gender" I began thinking of all of the times, as a tomboy, I wished that I could do everything that boys could do and sometimes wished that I was a boy. I am not sure that at the age of 8 you can be sure of what gender you are, because as we were shown, "Gender is socially constructed", and I found as I moved through life that I changed slowly into a young woman from the tomboy that I was. I am just unsure that if I was given the choice at age eight that I would have been so certain.

When we discussed gender that day outside, it struck me as probably one the most difficult issues an individual would ever have to confront in their lifetime. The truth is I am not quite sure how I feel about the entire situation. Personally, I think every person should have the right to live as whatever gender they wish and those who chose to do so when it contradicts their orignial gender are some of the bravest people. As far as children as young as 8 wishing to live as another gender, I think each individual knows best and that they should be able to make their own decisions. However, at that age I would question whether it was a genuine desire or rather a result from societal pressure.