Welcome to Attachment Matters.
Attachment Matters is a conversation between two mothers who are passionate about the subject of attachment, and how in parenting our children, we are offered the opportunity to grow ourselves up. This presents unique challenges to parents of children, adolescents, and young adults who adopt a transgender identity. Our hope is to offer greater insight into how to strengthen the attachment between parents and their children, despite all odds.
In this episode, Rose and StoicMom dive deep into the emotional and physiological experience of the adaptive process. We name and describe the many feelings that will play their role including frustration, alarm, futility, disappointment, and sadness, followed by release, rest, and renewed relationship, specifically in the context of parenting a trans-identified child. We emphasize the importance of being big enough to act as both the agents of futility and the angels of comfort for our children, and also how to come alongside ourselves with tenderness so we can keep our own hearts soft.
Works cited
The construct of maturation & development we cover in Season 2 is drawn from the Neufeld Institute Intensive 1 Course. Here is an Intensive 1 Preview Video (Part 3 of 3) that gives a taste of the experience of taking Intensive 1 as a live online course with Neufeld faculty. It is full of rich and simple take-aways that reinforce what we cover in our episodes!
Questions for reflection
Please share anything that resonated with you from this episode, and the construct of “futility” and its role as both a means and an end to human maturation. We welcome your thoughts and feedback!
For further reflection
Ode to Melancholy - Genevieve Schreier, Neufeld Institute Faculty. This talk was given at the Neufeld Institute Conference in 2021 and focuses on the role of sadness in the unfolding of human potential.
After recording an episode, we often think of sharing a song with listeners. This time Rose shares a song that has helped her find her tears along the way.
Shine a Different Way - Patty Griffin (From the album Servant of Love)
