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You might have two dads. You might have two moms. You might have one mom, one dad, or a mom and a dad. You might live with a grandma or grandpa, or with foster parents. Maybe you have one brother, or two sisters, or a sister and a brother. Maybe you are an only child. Maybe you were adopted. There are many different kinds of families. Every family is a real family. Every family is special.
Sometimes, you might feel like the only one at your school or in your neighborhood with a family like yours. Kids and teachers at your school might assume that you have a mom and a dad. They might be confused when you tell them you have two moms or two dads.
How do you talk about your family when you feel like you’re the only one?
One way is to think about how your family is the same as other families. I bet there are lots of ways that your family is like your friends’ families. What does your family like to do on the weekends? What do you do all together? What holidays or other special days do you celebrate? What games do you like to play?
Maybe you eat dinner every night with your dads, just like a friend eats dinner every night with her mom and dad. Maybe you and your moms like to play soccer, just like your friend plays soccer with her dad. Maybe both of your families are made up of two boys and two girls, even though you have a mom and a dad, and your friend has two moms. Even if your families seem different at first, there are probably some things that are similar. Once you and your friends learn how similar your families are, it’s easier to talk about how your families are different.
No two people are completely alike. Even twins who look a lot like each other probably feel and think differently about many things! And no two families are completely alike, even if they look the same on the outside. Maybe you and your friend both have two moms, but your family likes to go to the mall, and his family likes to go camping. Maybe your family and your friend’s family both like to play softball, but she has a mom and a dad, and you have two dads.
Talking about the differences helps people to understand that the most important thing about families is how people love and take care of one another. Most of the time, that’s all they need to feel more comfortable and less confused. But what if that’s not enough? Next month, we’ll talk about what you can do if kids tease you about your family, or if teachers or other adults don’t seem to understand.
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