DADADEL
A Canadian family has demonstrated unwavering support for their eight-year-old transgender daughter, Ella, by hosting a heartwarming gender reveal party. From the moment Ella expressed her true identity, her parents, Nikki and Graham, have been committed to ensuring she feels accepted and loved.
When Ella Scott was six, she confided in her parents that she didn’t feel like a boy. Unsure initially if it was a phase, her parents, Nikki and Graham, decided to embrace Ella’s gender identity when she was eight.
Nikki recalled, “With Ella it’s like she always knew but we just didn’t. We always knew she was a little different when she was little, as she was always friends with girls and played with Frozen toys. I have two other children, Ella’s brothers, two cisgender boys who play rough but Ella never wanted to join in. At age six she wanted to start wearing girls clothes like skirts and dresses.”
“I must admit with Ella being our first child and that being all we knew, I thought it might just be a phase. One Halloween we decided to let Ella pick her own costume and she wanted to be a cat so she wore a skirt and cat ears. Neither of us knew what the right thing to do was so we showed Ella books of trans people because she didn’t have the words to say it. Eventually, she did. She said, ‘I’m not a boy, I don’t feel like this inside,'” Nikki added.
Initially, her parents were uncertain and sought guidance. The Canadian family consulted a psychologist who assured them they were on the right path.
“We were so confused,” Nikki admitted, “asking ourselves if she was too young and were we doing the right thing. We wanted to ensure what we were doing wasn’t harmful or damaging. We arranged a consultation with a psychologist from our local child mental health centre, Reach Out Centre for Kids, and they ensured we were doing the right thing. From here we let Ella take the lead. In grade one she started using she/her pronouns, eventually growing her hair longer and wearing girls’ clothing. Ella did get upset when her hair wasn’t growing fast but apart from that she is a very happy girl with an upbeat character and has been throughout her journey.”
The transition wasn’t always easy, especially at school, but a supportive new environment and understanding friends made a significant difference.
Nikki emphasized, “When she transitioned I found loads of resources for youths but not for kids. In most local clinics the rules are that you need to start puberty before you can get in and that means Ella wouldn’t qualify. I want parents to feel they have a safe space because we didn’t have anyone else us to help at the start of our journey. My page is to raise awareness of transgender kids and a supportive community for the parents.”
With the social media page to document Ella’s journey, the Canadian family is aiming to offer support and resources to other parents with transgender children.
