Peer-reviewed article
Children with Trans Parents: Parent–Child Relationship Quality and Psychological Well-being
Susan Imrie, Sophie Zadeh, Kevan Richard Wylie, Susan E. Golombok ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined 25 children aged 8-18 with transgender parents to assess their psychological well-being and relationship quality. Parents, children, and teachers completed standardized assessments of relationship quality, parenting, and psychological adjustment. The research found that children in trans parent families reported good-quality relationships with their parents and showed positive psychological adjustment.
Key points
- Parents and children in trans parent families reported good-quality relationships as assessed by both parents and children
- Children showed good psychological adjustment across measured outcomes
- The age at which a parent disclosed their trans identity to the child was not significantly related to child outcomes
- The study involved 35 families with 37 trans parents, 13 partners, and 25 children aged 8-18 years
- Findings challenge concerns about negative effects on children of having a trans parent
Limitations
This was an exploratory study with a small sample of 25 children recruited primarily through social media, which may not be representative of all children with trans parents. The study does not clarify which countries the families were from, limiting generalizability.
Abstract
SYNOPSISObjective. Families with trans parents are an increasingly visible family form, yet little is known about parenting and child outcomes in these families. This exploratory study offers the first quantitative assessment of parent–child relationship quality and child socio-emotional and behavioral adjustment in families with a self-identified trans parent with school-aged children. Design. A sample of 35 families (37 trans parents, 13 partners, and 25 children aged 8–18 years) was recruited primarily through social media. Parents, children, and teachers were administered a range of standardized interview and questionnaire assessments of parent–child relationship quality, quality of parenting, psychological adjustment, and gender-related minority stress. Results. Parents and children had good quality relationships, as assessed by both parents and children, and children showed good psychological adjustment. Child age at the time the parent communicated their gender identity to the child was unrelated to child outcomes. Conclusions. Parents and children in trans parent families had good quality relationships and children showed good psychological adjustment. The findings of this exploratory study challenge commonly held concerns about the potentially negative effects on children of growing up with a trans parent.