Parenthood is a state of nonstop learning and adapting. I love being my kids' mom more than anything. And it's a good thing I like a challenge because it is also the hardest thing I’ve ever done. 

Parenting is hard for so many reasons - even when you’ve got a neurotypical, cisgender kid with no mental health issues. Parenting a neurospicy, gender expansive kid is a whole other level of challenging.

And being a parent shines a big bright light down on all of our own stuff. The lifetime of stuff we have been pushing into the dark corners to hide from the world and ourselves. 

As parents, no matter how much we love our child, our own stuff comes up. It creeps in. It gets in the way of us being able to show up for our kids in the ways they need us to, and the ways we want to. We can be resentful of this, or we can see it for the gift of reflection that it is.

Today’s Camp Wild Heart guest is brave dad, David. David is the father of Jimmy, who is 17 at the time of this recording. David, his wife, and their whole family have been on this gender journey together now for six years, and they’ve experienced the growing pains lots of families feel when a child transitions. There is no one way to parent any child. David kindly shares with us some of the ways he, his wife, and Jimmy have written the playbook for their family, and some ways he’s had to grow as a dad in the process. 

Check out the full episode to hear about:

• How David and his wife found community and understanding with other parents of trans kiddos
• The impact of transition, from haircuts to top surgery, on Jimmy’s mental health and wellbeing
• How David and Jimmy’s relationship has evolved and deepened over the course of his gender journey

Find out more about Mackenzie Dunham:

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