Parenting LGBT and
Questioning Kids –
At A Glance
Puberty is a common time for kids to start developing
crushes and feelings for others, and some may realize
that they have feelings for people of the same gender. One
out of four families has a member who is lesbian, gay,
bisexual or transgender (LGBT). Even more families may
have people who question their sexuality at some point
(the term “questioning” is used to describe them). There
are millions of LGBT and questioning kids in the U.S.
today. During adolescence, most LGBT people experience
the same joys and challenges as other youth. However,
because of bias and lack of inclusivity, life can be dif-
ficult during these years. Some kids run away from their
families. Millions live in fear of losing their families’ love
and support if it is discovered they are not heterosexual.
More and more families are looking for ways to help their
questioning children feel loved and secure.
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LGBT and questioning kids need to know that
we will love them – no matter what.
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They need our help to be safe and find their
way in the world.
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Kids who have come out as LGBT and / or
questioning also need support from the broader
LGBT community.
Families, for more information
about parenting LGBT and
questioning kids, please visit:
healthservices/health/personal/
famplan/educators/
parents.aspx
-
parenthood.org/parents
During puberty, it’s not just our bodies that grow and
change. Our relationships with those around us may
start to change, too. You might feel like spending more
time hanging out with friends. You may also notice
butterflies in your stomach when talking to a certain
someone in your class. These feelings are very normal.
Chances are, many of your friends are thinking and
feeling the same things.
Crushes
Even kindergartners can get
crushes. But as you approach
puberty, you may find that your
crushes get more intense. A crush
is a little hard to define: it is the
feeling of really wanting some-
one to like you, or having your
tummy feel funny when they
walk in the room or you hear
their voice. You may have a crush
on someone of your own or a
different gender. These feelings
may or may not predict who you
will have crushes on when you
grow up. It can take time to
figure that out. There is no rush!
Source:
This material
was adapted
from the
FLASH
curric-
ulum
found
at www.
kingcounty.
gov/health-
services/
health/per-
sonal/famp-
lan/educators/
FLASH.aspx
Being a Friend
Learning to be a good friend is like any skill. It is something
that you can get better at with practice. In which ways are you
a good friend? In which ways could you be a better friend?
When You No Longer Want
to Be Friends…
Sometimes you may feel that you do not want to be friends with
someone anymore. Maybe you notice that you don’t share the
same interests as you used to, or you don’t think that person
has the qualities that make a good friend. What would you do?
Friendship
Activity
It is hard, but
sometimes I just
tell the person
how I’m feeling.
I try to do this in
private so that
nobody gets
embarrassed.
Sometimes ending a friendship hurts even if you know
it’s the right thing to do. It can help to talk about it with
friends and family, and get out and try new activities.
A friend was calling me
names once, and that hurt. I just
ended all contact. No calls,
texts or Facebook.
Sometimes
it just fades out;
like when your
friend moves away,
goes to a different
school or starts
doing different
activities.
Source:
End-a-Friendship
