Always My Child: A Parent's Guide to Understanding Your Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, or Questioning Son or Daughter

Description

The first book to focus on the day-to-day experiences of adolescents dealing with sexual identity issues, Always My Child provides the insights and practical strategies parents need to support their kids and cope themselves. Parents whose children are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or who are going through a "questioning phase" are often in the dark about what their children face every day. As a result, offering support that will comfort and fortify them feels like solving a puzzle with missing pieces. In Always My Child, Kevin Jennings supplies the missing pieces by guiding parents through the world their child inhabits. He explains what these teens often encounter -- teasing and harassment -- and offers solutions for parents who want to better understand their LGBTQ children and learn how to protect their self-esteem. He offers advice, including how to: Initiate constructive communication with their child Respond effectively to frequently asked questions Recognize depression and signs of drug abuse and harassment Successfully advocate for their child's well-being outside the home Always My Child makes it possible for parents to create the kind of relationship with their children that allows them to grow into emotionally healthy adults. Review: Excellent guide for EVERY parent - Kevin Jennings, Executive Director of GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) has co-authored the definitive book on guiding, understanding, and - hopefully - accepting in love your GLBTQ child. It is primarily targeted toward parents struggling to help and deal with their questioning or coming out teenage child. This book is not specifically about dealing with transgender children, although there are about 30 pages devoted to dealing with issues and problems of Trans teens. It also talks to people of color and includes young peoples' input to parents. Cultural messages of gender and sexuality are discussed and techniques of dealing with these messages are offered for consideration. Many of the popular myths about homosexuality and transgenderism are analyzed, with facts presented to aid in accepting and understanding. Suggestions are provided for dealing with friends, your teen's friends, neighbors, and coworkers. Signs of trouble are discussed, along with suggestions for helping your teen deal with them. While the advice is directed toward sexual and gender diversity, the advice applies to dealing with any youth. The principles of dealing with children apply globally. So what is the secret? The title says it best - "Always My Child." Your child's needs come first, no matter what. Love your child; don't pressure them, but encourage them to discus their feelings, fears, and problems. Review: Important to read - The book is written with sensitivity and understanding of both the teen's and the parent's feelings and fears, without sugar coating. The book is a few years old now and it is amazing how much has changed in this country in respect to popular cultures attitudes towards the LGBT community, but the book is still very relavent and we still have a long way to go.