09. Catherine: Living With Love, Not Fear

Camp Wild Heart

Remember that time before you were a parent and you thought you at least had some clue what you were getting into and that you’d be good at it?

I know I did. I knew it wasn’t all snuggles and giggles and that it would be a lot of hard work, but caring for others is part of my wiring.

Of course, none of us are really prepared for what waits for us in parenthood. Even after you’ve had your first kid, you can get thrown for a loop on the second, third, and so on because every kid is different and you’re different too.

When we sign up to be parents, we don’t get to choose the kids we’re going to raise. We don’t know what personality traits they’re going to have or what genetic anomalies will unfold. We get hit with all kinds of unexpected adventures and challenges, and nobody handed us a manual for our kids.

Today’s episode is a parent story. We’ll hear from Mama Bear, Catherine, about how she and her family navigated her child’s coming out and transition, and how different her experience has been as a parent from one kiddo to the next.

Check out the full episode to hear about:

• The challenges of having a younger trans child who can’t fully express what they’re feeling
• Why Catherine says that aiming for gender neutral parenting may have actually caused her to miss some early signals from her child
• How parenting a trans child adds an extra layer of vulnerability to being a parent
• How raising a trans kiddo challenged Catherine’s sense of herself as an ally
• How Catherine set difficult boundaries with family members to protect her kiddo

Find out more about Mackenzie Dunham:

• Wildheartsociety.org
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