1. Kids confuse “boy things” and “girl things” with actually being a boy or girl
Many detransitioned women recall that, as children, they simply wanted the freedom to enjoy toys, clothes, or hobbies their friends called “for boys.” One woman remembers a five-year-old who announced she was a boy: when the mother asked why, the child answered, “I liked science, but one of my kindergarten classmates told me liking science was for boys, so I wanted to be a boy so I could like science.” A short talk—girls can love science too—was enough for the little girl to drop the idea completely. quendergestion source [citation:4bdeee00-de5b-427c-97f7-84e99f79ffbe]
2. Childhood “I-want-to-be” wishes are usually short-lived fantasies
Children’s self-images shift daily. The same kids who swear they are dinosaurs one week may announce they are the opposite sex the next. Detransitioners stress that these statements rarely last. “Young kids will honestly answer that they want to grow up to be a mermaid, President Batman, or a princess robot… There is literally no limit to a child’s self-image.” majnyx source [citation:58f5cee8-290e-4438-a447-9784dc0559e5] Because the fantasy usually fades on its own, treating it as a life-long identity can freeze a passing phase into a permanent medical path.
3. Rigid gender roles push children toward transition instead of toward self-acceptance
When society labels certain feelings, styles, or interests “wrong” for a girl or boy, kids may conclude their body is the problem rather than the rule. One parent watched her daughter jump from tomboy play to “I must be a boy” after classmates mocked her for short hair and karate trophies. “Gender roles are rigid and if you don’t fit your birth gender then you must be the ‘opposite’ gender… I want to change the world, not my child’s perfect body.” DrFood1 source [citation:5ad887d4-b901-4b9a-937b-35ed8b94fc90]
4. Most people naturally outgrow or reframe early gender feelings
There is no research showing that childhood wishes to be the other sex behave differently from any other childhood fantasy. “Most people either grow out of them or reframe them as they get older and form a new and evolving sense of themselves.” UniquelyDefined source [citation:e64f4616-74c8-4b43-b378-04315d67e315] Allowing that natural process to unfold—without hormones or pronoun declarations—lets children discover that personalities can expand while bodies stay exactly as they are.
Conclusion
The stories show that teaching children they can literally change sex risks cementing temporary, stereotype-driven feelings. A healthier route is to challenge the rules—“girls can love science,” “boys can wear sparkles”—and give kids time. When gender non-conformity is celebrated rather than medicalized, children learn they don’t need a new body to be their full, wonderful selves.