The Gender Creative Child by Diane Ehrensaft

Recognizing the complexity of interactions between educators and families, this article provides a set of strategies for opening up conversations and offering support when children’s gender identity or expression do not conform to their families’ expectations.Īs a teacher supporting a young child exploring their gender, you may wince at a family’s resistance, feel torn between the child’s needs and the family’s requests, or be unsure or anxious. For families who are part of conservative religious communities, social acceptance may be of greatest concern. For families who have experienced racism or other forms of interpersonal and institutional violence, fears for their child’s safety may be at the forefront. It is critical to say up front that families will have very different feelings given their other experiences, identities, communities, and histories of access or marginalization. As a queer educator and the creator of a training series on gender and sexuality in early childhood education, I will lay out some frameworks for those conversations here. Freeman, and I explore the case of a 4-year-old child assigned male at birth who asks to be called Michelle and to be referred to as a girl, and her teacher’s ethical responsibility to support Michelle despite her family’s request that she not be allowed to play with “girl stuff.” While that article offers ethical guidance, many teachers may be interested in practical guidance on engaging with families who are concerned about their child’s gender expression. In “ Focus on Ethics: Gender Expression and Identity,” Stephanie Feeney, Nancy K.

The Gender Creative Child by Diane Ehrensaft