Please help me. I have a darling little girl, age four, who is bothered daily by the fact that she is not a boy. I kept hoping this issue would resolve itself, but it is clear to me that this something that really is a problem. Especially now that we are shopping for school clothes. More and more, we fight about her clothing. The other day we came home with nothing because she refused to buy anything in the girl's section. Sometimes she tells me she will wear something that I suggest, only to come to me later and say that she hates it but just told me she liked it because she wanted to make me happy. She asks me to call her Benton, told me she wants a boy's hair cut because it is "awesome", and recently confessed that she likes a girl at school. At four years old! My heart broke for her. There are several other signs that she is headed in a direction that I do not want for her, only because I believe in the Lord and His Word. Also, I do not want her life to be difficult, as I have seen the pain that others have suffered because of being gay.
Ultimately, I want her to be happy and whole, and feel I and others in my family will cause damage by not allowing her to dress the way she wants to. I don't want her to ever feel like something is "wrong" with her. My question is, how far do I let this go? Is this normal? What can I do to ensure my child's emotional health? And should I discuss this with her teacher at Head Start?I don't want her picked on at school-but she is my child and I want her to feel loved and accepted by me of all people. Please help us. Thank you.