Yeah, right. At 18 months old a toddler is barely able to speak a dozen words and does a lot of babbling in imitation of the adult conversations the child hears. Also, a toddler has begun to realize that every toy, every animal, every person, everything, has a name. And the toddler relies on the parents for labels.
Via Daily Mail: A mother is allowing her four-year-old twin son to wear a dress to school because he has believed he is a girl since he was 18 months old.
Little Logan Symonds told his mother Emma, 34, he wanted to wear girls’ clothes to school and she happily let him. Now Logan, from Gloucester, wears a pinafore so he can ‘be like all the other girls’. He has also started growing his hair after first declaring to his mother that he was a female aged just 18 months.
At first his mother ‘brushed it off’ and thought it was a ‘phase’ but Logan started to throw tantrums and became ‘aggressive’ when he wore boys’ clothes.
Miss Symonds said: ‘Letting Logan wear a pinafore to school was a big step for us all. I’ve been letting him life as a girl and wear girls’ clothes since he turned three, and a couple of months ago I agreed he could grow his hair long. During Easter half-term he told me he wanted to wear a dress to school, to be like all the other girls.‘
Initially, Miss Symonds worried how others would react, but soon gave in to Logan’s pleas to wear a girls’ school uniform. She added: ‘Luckily, the school, Logan’s friends and their parents have all been so supportive. It’s a life-changing journey for Logan, but I’m going to support him all the way.’
The full-time mum-of-four was delighted when she discovered she was pregnant with twin boys in 2010. Non-identical twins, Logan and Alfie were born on April 30 2011, but despite their closeness, the single mom quickly noticed Logan was different. She added: ‘Logan would always play with his older sister, Daisy’s toys, while Alfie played with cars and trucks. He was just 18 months old when he first declared he was female.’
‘At first, I brushed it off, but he kept on telling me he wanted to wear girls’ dresses instead of shorts and trousers. I was adamant it was just a phase. Soon after he started throwing tantrums and becoming aggressive whenever I put him in male clothes.‘
When Logan was two years old, Miss Symonds decided to buy him a pair of pink ballet shoes to try and curb his aggression. Seeing his behavior change for the better, she decided to let him wear dresses and skirts inside the home.
And a year later, realising it wasn’t a phase, Miss Symonds approached her father Michael, 58, a theater operations manager, for advice on how to handle Logan’s gender identity issues.
Miss Symonds, who is a full-time mother to Daisy, 11, and Charlie, six, said: ‘Logan has always shown feminine traits, so it wasn’t something that shocked my family. My dad suggested I let him live how he wanted to. So, that Christmas, when Logan asked for a pink ballet dress, girls’ shoes and dress-up jewelery, I bought those gifts for him. When he opened them on Christmas morning, I could see how happy he was.’
Although Logan seemed content, his mom worried about how strangers would react if they discovered he was dressing as a ‘girl’ at home, so she continued to dress him in boys’ clothes when he left the house. She said: ‘I could tell he was unhappy wearing the same clothes as Alfie, but I didn’t know how to handle the situation.’
And as Logan grew older, he continued to reject his ‘male’ identity. Miss Symonds said: ‘One day I was out with Logan and Alfie when an elderly lady approached them, telling them they were beautiful little boys. ‘Logan’s face was like thunder, he immediately shouted at her that he was a girl and not a boy. I soon began to realize this wasn’t a phase, but instead something Logan truly believed.’
In summer of 2014, with the support of her family, Miss Symonds let then three-year-old Logan wear dresses in public and have his nails painted. Miss Symonds said: ‘I still remember how happy he was the first day he wore a dress outside the house. And from that point on, I knew I had to let him be who he wanted.‘
Miss Symonds admits that, while she supports Logan’s decision to live as a girl, others haven’t always been so kind. She said: ‘When I take Logan out and he’s wearing a dress or nail varnish, we receive negative comments from strangers. Some people tell me I shouldn’t let him wear girls’ clothes and that I’m forcing him to be a girl. But I already have a daughter so why would I force my son to dress as a girl?’
Now, Logan has been living publicly as a ‘girl’ for the last two years, and Miss Symonds insists her son has never been happier. She added: ‘I’ve finally let him grow his hair and now he goes to school dressed in full girls’ uniform – pinafore dress and all. At the moment he’s happy still being called Logan, and I refer to him as my son, but that may change in the future.’
‘His twin Alfie has been supportive throughout. He even suggested a Frozen themed party for his brother last year for their fourth birthday. He realises how much Logan wanted to dress up as a princess.‘
Now Miss Symonds is planning to visit a specialist for advice on how to move forward with Logan’s gender journey. She said: ‘I don’t know what the future holds, but I’ll support Logan no matter what.’
Dr. Polly Carmichael, Gender Identity director at Tavistock and Portman Clinic, says: ‘It sounds as if Logan’s mom is being very thoughtful and caring. She is letting Logan express his gender in the way he chooses, while keeping options open for the future. In an ideal world young people would be free to explore their gender and how they choose to express it without pressure to conform.‘
DCG