When Do Children Develop Their Gender Identity?
Published on in Health Tip of the Week
Published on in Health Tip of the Week
Exploring gender identity and sexuality is part of every child’s healthy development, says Linda Hawkins, PhD, MSEd, LPC, Co-director of the Gender and Sexuality Development Clinic at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). The clinic offers medical and psychosocial assessments and support for transgender and gender expansive children and youth.
“Gender exploration is like any other exploration,” Hawkins says. “It’s like trying on different clothes. Children try on all sorts of things, hats, boots, you name it, they’ll try it on and see if they like it personally and see if they like the response they get from people.”
A child begins to have an innate sense of their gender identity between ages 3 and 5. Around this time, they also start to pick up on the subtle and not-so-subtle gender expectations in their family, their daycare, their church and their community.
For some children and youth, the gender expectations that are connected to the sex they were assigned at birth don’t match or fit. Some children and youth will clearly identify that their gender is actually the opposite of the sex they were assigned at birth, indicating a transgender identity. Other children and youth may feel more in the middle when it comes to gender expectations, indicating a gender expansive identity.
These children and youth might feel different, alone, misunderstood or unsupported, which can result in negative physical and emotional outcomes. Experiencing body changes that don’t fit with or are the opposite of a child’s gender can be equally distressing. These children can experience distress, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. In addition, stress about where to go to the bathroom at school can lead to disordered eating and gastrointestinal issues.
Hawkins’ advice to parents of children who indicate a transgender or gender expansive identity is:
If you believe your child is exploring their gender identity, you may have additional questions about how to best support your child. Visit the Gender Clinic website for more information or email us at genderclinic@email.chop.edu.
Contributed by: Linda A. Hawkins, PhD, MSEd, LPC
Categories: Health Tip of the Week
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