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in Blog on June 6, 2022 by Jayme Sherrod

LGBTQ+ Resources For Parents (And Anyone Who Wants To Learn!)

Three years ago this summer I sent a listener question into Meagan and Sarah asking them how they approach discussing LGBTQ+ topics with their children. In hindsight, this was a bit of an unfair question, given that it was socially-loaded and quite non-specific. But what did they do with it? They answered it. On the show. They may have answered the question imperfectly (because nobody does this perfectly), but as a queer mom, their willingness to be uncomfortable meant a lot to me.

When it comes to LGBTQ+ issues, the fact is, none of us (not even me) will get it right every time. Not with each other, and certainly not with our kids. But it’s important that we keep showing up and having those conversations anyway, and that’s why I’ve put together this list of resources that can help. Because while Pride Month has certainly become rainbow-washed (i.e., when a brand uses rainbow colors in their marketing to suggest support of the LGBTQ+ community without doing much of substance to actually support the community), when we keep talking to each other with kindness, humility, vulnerability, inclusiveness, and love, we can carry forward year-round the tenets that define both the heart of Pride Month and The Mom Hour: Love and support for all.

LGBTQ+ Resources For Parents (And Anyone Who Wants To Learn!)

You may have landed on this post for a variety of reasons. Maybe you have a transgender or queer kid. Maybe you think you do. Maybe you are a family member, friend, or ally of the queer community wishing to learn more. Or maybe you are on your own journey of gender and sexuality exploration. No matter why you’re here, I am grateful for it and hope you will find this resource list to be a good starting point for your learning.

PFLAG

Since 1973, PFLAG has served as a national organization aimed at providing education and support for parents, friends, families, and allies of LGBTQ+ individuals. With over 400 local chapters around the United States, its positive impact on communities is felt far and wide. PFLAG is also the creator of one of the most extensive and digestible Glossary of LGBTQ+ Terms.

PFLAG National can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

Serendipitydodah – Mama Bears

Founded in 2014, the Mama Bears Private Facebook Group is comprised of a group of moms with LGBTQ+ children. It is a safe online space for moms to discuss challenges, victories, and life as it relates to being the parent of an LGBTQ+ kid. Mama bears can also volunteer to stand in as a supportive figure for LGBTQ+ youth without supportive home environments.

Stories of real Mama Bears can also be publicly followed on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

GLSEN

GLSEN is a national organization striving to create safer and inclusive school spaces for LGBTQ+ youth. They are the force behind several annual school campaigns – such as Solidarity Week and Day of Silence – that bring more awareness to the needs of LGBTQ+ youth in school.

GLSEN can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

It Gets Better Project

With the goal to inspire and encourage LGBTQ+ youth across the globe, the It Gets Better Project has been giving youth hope since 2010. With a catalog of over 60,000 videos sharing a variety of LGBTQ+ Personal Stories, It Gets Better gives hope not only to LGBTQ+ youth but to their family, friends, and allies.

It Gets Better can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

The Trevor Project

Established in 1998 in response to a gap in accessible suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth, the Trevor Project aims to provide help for LGBTQ+ youth considering harming themselves. Expanding off the original toll free lifeline, The Trevor Project now provides 24/7 – 365 days a year access to a counselor through phone, video chat, text messaging, or online chat. The Trevor Project also conducts an Annual Survey LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health which sheds light on the continued challenges faced by youth today.

The Trevor Project can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

LGBTQ+ Educators on Instagram

Sometimes the best learning and experience comes right from the mouths of LGBTQ+ individuals themselves. Below you will find two reputable creators on Instagram who have massively improved my knowledge across a variety of LGBTQ+ issues.

Zoe Stoller @zoestoller is a queer, non-binary educator who shares excellent information surrounding the continuous evolution of LGBTQ+ identities.

Schuyler Bailar @pinkmantaray is the first trans NCAA Division 1 men’s athlete who educates on a variety of transgender topics through an intersectional lens.

Related

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: family culture, hard stuff

About Jayme Sherrod

Jayme and her wife Amanda live in a suburb just outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, with their son and daughter. Before her motherhood journey began in 2018, Jayme worked as a Registered Nurse and has since transitioned to being a full-time stay-at-home mom of two kiddos and three fur babies. When able, she loves baking, hiking, and sipping (hot!) coffee on the porch – no matter the time of year.

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Comments

  1. Elizabeth Johnson says

    June 9, 2022 at 8:04 am

    Wonderful resources! I would add to this list the Mama Dragons (www.mamadragons.org). They are a nonprofit with a mission to support, educate, and empower mothers of LGBTQ+ children. They have several private Facebook groups for support, a website with blogs from mothers of LGBTQ kids, and a e-learning program, Parachute, designed by parents, for parents to help parents of newly-out kids to better understand, affirm, and celebrate their children.

    Reply
  2. Joanne says

    June 9, 2022 at 11:08 am

    “They may have answered the question imperfectly (because nobody does this perfectly), but as a queer mom, their willingness to be uncomfortable meant a lot to me.” I think about this all the time–getting comfortable being uncomfortable so that we can make progress… Thanks for putting these resources together!

    Reply

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Sandy (@hopefulsmiles) give tips for implementing a successful quiet time routine AND rounds up products and activities that help make independent play more likely - even in young preschoolers. Check it out by clicking this image at the link in our bio!

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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

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Would love to hear what you're celebrating about your older kids! Everything from learning a new skill to blossoming independence - leave us a comment! 

PS - Listen to the episode in your favorite podcast app, or by clicking this image at the link in our bio!

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...what it means to be “ready for kindergarten” 
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...learning to read 
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...making school decisions for a special needs student 
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Here’s your January reminder to save shoeboxes f Here’s your January reminder to save shoeboxes for February and March classroom projects! Valentine boxes and leprechaun traps are around the corner, and shoe boxes are so much harder to come by these days. Consider this a friendly head’s up from a mom who’s been there.

Want more help and tips, plus reassurance that you’re doing a great job? (You are.) Search for The Mom Hour in your favorite podcast app and hit subscribe!

#kindergarten #firstgrade #valentinebox #leprechauntrap #shoeboxcraft #roomparent #roommom #classroomvalentines #parenting #momlife #parentingtip #tipsformoms
Looking to implement daily "quiet time" for presch Looking to implement daily "quiet time" for preschoolers? Even for kids who want to GO GO GO all day long, having a built-in pause in the day can help develop independent play skills, encourage rest, and - of course - give caregivers a chance to reset as well.

Since this week's podcast episode is all about kids and alone time, we thought we'd revisit this resource on the blog by Sandy Hsu:

👉 How To Encourage Independence In Preschoolers With A “Quiet Time” Routine. 👈 

Sandy (@hopefulsmiles) give tips for implementing a successful quiet time routine AND rounds up products and activities that help make independent play more likely - even in young preschoolers. Check it out by clicking this image at the link in our bio!

#quiettime #parentingtoddlers #parentingpreschoolers #momoflittles #stayathomemom #stayathomeparent #activitiesforpreschoolers #activitiesfortoddlers #threeyearolds #fouryearolds #fiveyearolds #momlife #sahm #sahmlife
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Does solitude come naturally to your kids, or are moments of solo play far and few between? Meagan and Sarah read some research recently that challenged us to think about the importance of alone time, and whether our kids get enough. In this episode, we dive into our own childhood memories, how our children embrace (or run from) solitude, and how challenging it is to find that just-right balance. Join us! 

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
New episode! With all the day-to-day planning requ New episode! With all the day-to-day planning required to run a household, it's easy to put longterm planning on the back burner. Today Meagan and Sarah share lessons we've learned (or are still learning) that help us look ahead at a whole year, quarter, or month at a time. From knowing ourselves and our seasonal rhythms to figuring out where they keep next year's school calendar, we've picked up a few things over the years, and we're ready to dive in for 2023. Join us! 

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
Happy Saturday! Been meaning to check out a deal y Happy Saturday! Been meaning to check out a deal you heard on our podcast? You're in luck because here's our sponsor roundup for January. Once a month, we use this space to thank our partners and remind you of their special offers. For our special promo codes and links, just tap our saved "Sponsors" highlight or search the brand name on our website. And when you do check out our sponsors + use our links and codes, it helps support our show! We also collect ALL our active promo codes in our email newsletter - which is full of our latest episodes and blog posts, personal updates, community news, and more. Tap on this image at the link in our bio to subscribe today.

Shoutout to our NEW sponsors:
🍳 @caraway_home (10% off gorgeous, non-toxic cookware!)
💪 @futurefitapp (risk-free trial of 1-on-1 personal training!)
🔪 @prepdish (2 weeks free of healthy, prep-ahead meal plans!)
🎨 @minted (design marketplace with art, bags, gifts & more!)
📚 @chatbooks (deals on the easiest photo books ever!)
😍 @fabletics (2 stylish workout bottoms for $24!)

And welcome back . . . 
⭐️ @stitchfix ($20 off your 1st purchase!)
⭐️ @theessentialcalendar (10% off full-season calendars!)
⭐️ @hiyahealth (50% off 1st order!)
⭐️ @kiwico_inc (50% off your 1st mo!)
⭐️ @athleticgreens (1yr of Vit.D + 5 travel packs!)
⭐️ @vionicshoes (free shipping on cute, comfy shoes!)
Braces on, braces off. First phones, driver's ed, Braces on, braces off. First phones, driver's ed, high school registration. As we discussed in this week's episode, we still get all the feels when older kids meet cultural or developmental milestones - even if they cringe when we celebrate and share.

Would love to hear what you're celebrating about your older kids! Everything from learning a new skill to blossoming independence - leave us a comment! 

PS - Listen to the episode in your favorite podcast app, or by clicking this image at the link in our bio!

#parenting #parentingbigkids #parentingteens #parentingtweens #bigkidmilestone #teenagers #tweens #momoftweens #momofteens #momofteenagers
Turns out, when your last baby approaches double-d Turns out, when your last baby approaches double-digits, you find yourself staring a different milestone right in the (puffy) face:

It's been a decade since I was pregnant for the last time. 

This photo was taken the morning of my scheduled c-section, just a few hours before we'd meet our third and last babe. It's hard to remember, but I'm SURE I was ready to be done. Constant braxton-hicks, heartburn I hadn't experienced with the other two, food aversions that lasted the whole 39w5d, and physical exhaustion trying to keep up with a 2- and 4-year old: all part of an otherwise uncomplicated pregnancy, but still nobody's idea of easy.

I don't miss it - being pregnant. Grateful to have had the experience, absolutely. But I've never really pined for another go-around, at least not seriously. Still, a whole decade removed feels as significant a milestone to me as does the notion that that double-dimpled babe will blow out ten candles this weekend.

Time, like, whoa. 

-Sarah
If you're looking at school options for Fall 2023, If you're looking at school options for Fall 2023, you might be feeling overwhelmed by school tours, open houses, registration deadlines, or the all-too-common "red shirting question". That's why today we're revisiting an enormously detailed resource on our site: 

➡️ What Teachers & Educators Wish Parents Knew About Making School Decisions ⬅️

This piece is a collaboration between four educators on our team whose careers span preschool through middle school. They weigh in what what they wish parents knew about things like...

...choosing “the right school” 
...what it means to be “ready for kindergarten” 
...visiting a school for a tour or open house 
...learning to read 
...kids and friendships; playground politics
...making school decisions for a special needs student 
...becoming part of a classroom or school community 
 
Click this image at the link in our bio to get the guide. Bookmark it, send it to your co-parent or mom friends, and use it as a starting place as you wade through this tricky time of year! 

@lisaapayne4 @ashleydawn519 @thepaperdart @cafedumartin
C-e-l-e-b-r-a-t-e good times, come on! Today’s e C-e-l-e-b-r-a-t-e good times, come on! Today’s episode is number 400! We can’t think of a better way to celebrate hitting a big podcast milestone than talking about how we honor birthdays and milestone celebrations in our families – especially as kids get older. Join Meagan and Sarah as we offer insight into making birthdays special for big kids, tweens and teens; how kids getting older hits us differently as moms, too; and how honoring big kid milestones gets tricker, but still gives us all the feels. 

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
Y'all's reaction to our entire catalog now being a Y'all's reaction to our entire catalog now being available has been so fun! Listeners have told us that they're now able to re-listen to old favorites, or - amazing for us - share them directly with friends.

(If you missed it, previously, podcast apps showed only our most recent 300 episodes – less than half our catalog. The rest were only available on our website.)

Just for fun, we rounded up a few more of our team's favorite episodes from the early days of the podcast. Here are five MORE oldies that have stood the test of time, and that make for great entry-points to our early catalog.

You can listen from our website by clicking this image at the link in our bio – but EVEN BETTER, you can find the episodes in your favorite podcast app - just search by episode title, or keep on scrolling until you find them!

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