@Sablebadger@dice.camp well, it depends how you look at it
children (and future states of being) change all the time, they grow, they go through puberty, they have many formative new life experiences... and those are all normal parts of life
so are they going to change? indubitably.
but are they going to change so much so quickly and drastically that they become unrecognizable as your children? no.
appearance / names / etc. might change a bit scarily quick, and they might also want to experiment with new things, but at their essence, the things that makes them your child will remain (or be transformed, but gently).
the thing is... worries are fine so long as they are worries, and not a symptom of something underlying. our mom was "worried" too, but it came from a place that wasn't purely "oh no my baby is going to have a hard time of things", and that harmed our relationship significantly.
the best thing your child can ask of you right now is love and support (ideally also a best-effort approach to accompanying them in their journey). hopefully they can also get understanding and stability from you.
as a side note: they will - with a strong probability - start to get fucked over by doctors, the medical system, waiting lists, etc. this will hurt them more than they might let on, and is quite pervasive and invalidating.
best suggestion: help them research what it is that is going into their body, what the workings are, what values are expected / good, what side-channels of procurement exist, what side effects are actually desired, what to look out for, etc. --- going through this with some knowledge and some ability to fight back against stupidity or ignorance is significantly helpful, and it can also be reassuring to you as parents.
- posted by maya
