If you're reading this, then chances are you've already come to terms with your own personal pronouns. Maybe you identify as cisgender and use she/her pronouns, or maybe you identify as transgender and use he/him pronouns. Or maybe you use they/them pronouns because you feel like neither gender label fits you perfectly. Whatever your pronoun situation may be, at some point you're going to have to tell your parents about it. And that can be a really tough conversation to have.
Here are a few tips for how to approach the conversation with your parents:
1. Pick the right time and place. You don't want to spring this on them out of nowhere - try to find a time when both of you are relaxed and not distracted by other things going on in your lives. Maybe it's during dinner one night, or while taking a walk together on a weekend afternoon.
2. Start by explaining what pronouns are and why they matter. This is especially important if your parents aren't familiar with the concept of gender-neutral or non-binary pronouns. Help them understand why using the correctpronouns is important to you.
3. Be prepared for questions (and potentially pushback). Your parents might not understand why you feel the need to use different pronouns than they initially assumed for you based on your appearance or birth sex assigned at birth - and that's okay! It's normal for them to need some time to process this new information about their child. Be patient with them and answer any questions they have as honestly as possible. Hopefully, over time, they'll come to accept and respect your pronoun choices just as much as they do everything else about who you are