For many, school started again last week. That is how Sietse started his further education. A moment that sparked conversations between us in the past. Well, that sounds a bit heavy. Rather, it was a kind of attunement in which I asked him how he wanted to go about it, …
The preliminary results of a small-scale study show that at least half of the mothers of transgender children experience feelings of sadness and loss. I didn’t have that image eight years ago. Then I felt very lonely with my feelings. Not only did my environment not understand me, I didn’t …
Opposite me at the table is a mother of three grown daughters. After a deep sigh, she candidly says that everyone always asks how her transgender daughter is doing. But, she says, no one asks how I am. That sigh comes up regularly in the conversations I have with parents. …
Every once in a while it pops up: an article in a newspaper or magazine by someone who is worried about ‘all that gender stuff’. Last week Friday, August 13, 2021 it was that time again. In fact, it’s always about the same thing. It always starts with that biologically …
Today is the last day of the three-day conference of the European Professional Association for Transgender Health (EPATH). There are many professionals involved in transgender care in this organization. The conference will take place physically in Gothenburg, Sweden, but can also be followed online. And although I would very much …
It was at the beginning of the summer of 2013. My transgender son loves football and wants to play football. He also knows exactly which club. We will complete the registration form together. A simple job in itself, but with transgender children, ordinary questions can provide some food for thought. …
Every transgender person who goes into transition makes a choice about the name. Sometimes the name is gender neutral and is not changed. In other cases the name is slightly modified, but it is also possible that a completely new name is chosen. My daughter was named Emma. Definitely not …
It has been 6 years since my transgender son started menstruating. In January 2015, he was allowed to start with the puberty inhibitors, so his last menstrual period must have been in that period. Because he menstruated early and went on the inhibitors late, he menstruated for almost 3 years. …
Some time ago I made an e-book about loss processing for mothers of transgender children in Dutch. That e-book has already been downloaded many times. Now I am also working on an English version of this e-book. Not a big pill full of text about how to deal with your …
From the moment Sietse was given puberty inhibitors (and later testosterone), he has stopped menstruating. That is now 6 years ago. Every month the menstruation was a very big drama. I saw that he was suffering, but only realized how much it has done to him since a few months. …
