A Family is a Family, is a Family
June is Pride Month for the LGBTQIA+ community, and it is an important time to teach our kids about the different ways a family might look. This book is, of course, about all kinds of families, including those with gay and lesbian parents. I just love how seamlessly the author includes queer parents with all the others. This kind of normalization and visibility teaches our kids to see past what's on the outside and recognize that love is love, no matter what it looks like.
Some families have two moms.
Some families have two dads.
Some families have just one mom, or just one dad. Some families have grandparents instead of parents, or any of many other makeups.
But no matter what a family looks like on the outside, a family is a family, is a family!
Another increasingly important focus for Pride Month is talking to our kids about gender identity. Some girls like to play with trucks, and some boys like to wear pretty dresses. Toys and activities aren't gendered, and some kids might need to express their individual gender in their own way!
Again, we can show our kids that who we are on the inside is more than what we see on the outside. At the end of the day, love is love, a family is a family, and we are all exactly who we're supposed to be!
Here's a list of some of my favorite kids' books about queer families and gender expression. Many of these authors have several similar books that are also amazing reads.
- A Family is a Family is a Family by Sara O'Leary
- ABC: A Family Alphabet Book by Bobbie Combs
- It Feels Good to Be Yourself by Theresa Thorn
- My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis
- Jacob's New Dress by Ian Hoffman and Sarah Hoffman
- I Am Jazz by Jazz Jennings
- Call Me Max by Kyle Lukoff
- When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff
- King & King by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland
- Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer
- Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesléa Newman
- In Our Mothers' House by Patricia Polacco