Mommy, I’m a Girl! My Acceptance Journey Mothering a Transgender Child

"What I want people to understand is that being transgender is not a choice."

Tasha Kuxhausen's son was just three years old the first time he said, "Mommy, I'm a girl!" When Tasha Kuxhausen heard those words, she knew in her heart it was time to embrace a reality her mind had been unwilling to accept. Charlie's obsession with all things female wasn't a phase; he wasn't confused; he wasn't gay. Although born with male anatomy, Charlie's brain and heart were that of a girl. And he knew it by the time he was three years old.

Told from the very personal perspective of a loving mother torn between social constructs and her son's gender-nonconforming behavior, Mommy, I'm a Girl! Takes readers inside the mind of a parent coming to terms with raising a transgender child. Kuxhausen candidly and poignantly traces the highs, the lows, and the missteps during the first seven years of her now daughter Elsa's journey, from fleeting moments of calm when Charlie would do something stereotypically "boyish," to Tasha's growing anxiety when Charlie's declarations that he was female grew more frequent. She chronicles key moments like telling teachers, other parents, friends, and family members.

In following her child's lead, Kuxhausen found acceptance. This is the story of how her daughter's life changed her own, and she hopes it brings clarity to others.