Heres how she parents.
Tell us a little bit about your family and your career.
Ive been a single mama since my daughter was three years old.
Im lucky to be co-parenting quite amicably with her dad.
(Im also about to get remarried, so my daughter will be acquiring a stepdad soon.)
I work as a public radio producer.
Did life happen mostly as planned or were there surprises?
She was a girl.
), I realized I wasnt going to win that battleand that the battle was hurting my kid.
Since age four, shes been living happily as a girl, and has never wavered in her identity.
When my child started saying he was actually she, I kept on recording.
Take us through your morning routine.
What are your best tricks for getting out the door?
(Sorry, honey!)
So mornings are tough.
Ive just learned to accept that.
), I realized I wasnt going to win that battleand that the battle was hurting my kid.
How much outside help do you get as a parent?
Who or what cant you live without?
Im really lucky to be co-parenting with my childs dad, who has her nearly half the time.
Im not sure how Id manage on my own without some time off.
The dirty little secret (shhh!)
I have to admit that the early days of single momhood were rough.
Now that my daughter is older, its heaps easier.
What are the gadgets, apps, charts or tools you rely on?
Im as dependent on my iPhone as everyone else is.
My aging mom-brain just isnt up to it.
I also love my Kindle.
Its the kind that you might only use for downloading and reading books.
When my daughter asks for more screen time, I hand it to her and say Read!
and feel like Im not a shitty parent.
Has becoming a parent changed the way you work?
I think its made me more efficient.
In my pre-kid life, time was plentiful; now its scarce and precious.
However shall I use it?
How do you involve your kid in your work?
I want her to feel a sense of control and ownership of it, and I think she does.
But for now, shes more interested in Legos than podcasts.
What does your evening routine like?
She builds something awesome out of Legos while I make dinner.
Usually we dont finish but it starts a good conversation.
Then its bath, snack, and stories in bed.
What do you want your kid to learn from your example?
I like to think this is a good thing for her to witness.
Im not great at these things (except maybe the silly part), but Im trying.
Whats the hardest part about being a parent?
What would you like people to know about transgender children?
Two things:
One: Shes pretty much just like every other kid out there.
Shes totally typical and (like all humans) totally unique.
And being transgender is just one detail among the thousand other details that define her.
Two: Being a transgender kid is hard.
Public bathrooms make her anxious.
(What if someone looks under the stall door?)
Getting dressed can be a minefield (Do these pants hide everything?)
And we havent even hit puberty yet.
It wont be easy, but it will be OK. Just keep loving and listening.
