Yes, children can know they are non-binary from a young age, developing a deep internal sense of being male, female, both, or neither, sometimes as early as ages two or three, even if they can't fully articulate it, and it's crucial to support their authentic self-discovery rather than viewing it as a phase. While some children may realize their identity quickly through expressions like clothing or toys, others might need more time and external language (like books or friends) to understand and label their non-binary identity, but their internal experience is valid.
2 to 3 years old: By 2 years old, children can often identify differences between boys and girls. By age 3, most children can identify themselves as a “boy” or “girl”. This term may or may not match their assigned sex at birth.
Gender identity typically develops in stages: Around age two: Children become conscious of the physical differences between boys and girls. Before their third birthday: Most children can easily label themselves as either a boy or a girl. By age four: Most children have a stable sense of their gender identity.
The ``Signs''
Detransition? No. But Research has shown that children under the age of ten quit identifying as a different gender (not outgrow dysphoria) usually around when puberty starts.
You may worry that your child's exploration of different gender preferences and behaviours is not "normal". However, this is not the case. A young child's exploration of different gender identities is quite common. However, for some children this may continue into later childhood and adolescence.
A UK study of over 3,000 gender clinic attendees found a regret rate of just 0.47%. A US study involving 28,000 trans adults showed that only 8% had ever detransitioned, and 62% of them did so temporarily, largely due to societal pressure. A Danish national cohort found a regret rate of 0.06% per person-year.
Signs you may be non-binary include feeling disconnected from traditional gender roles, preferring different pronouns or names, experiencing gender euphoria, or questioning societal expectations of gender.
Parents typically report that cross-gender behaviors are apparent before 3 years of age. However, it is usually not until their early grade school years that most children with gender dysphoria are referred for clinical evaluation.
Like anyone else, nonbinary people have sexual orientations that reflect whom they're attracted to. They can be straight, gay, bisexual, asexual, or whatever sexuality they feel best describes them. It's important to note that one's gender identity and sexual orientation are unrelated.
The strongest influence on a child's gender development often occurs in the family, with parents or guardians passing on, both overtly and covertly, to their children, their own beliefs about gender. One study indicates that parents have differential expectations of sons and daughters as early as 24 hours after birth.
It's common for kids to question their gender identity and sexual orientation, but the process can be confusing and scary. Young people who are dealing with these kinds of questions do best when their families support them.
Children are naturally drawn towards people with whom they share common interests. For example, if your child loves music, they might be drawn towards their music teacher. If they have a passion for science, they might enjoy spending time with a family friend who is a scientist.
The term theyby, however, was first used in 2017. The term is a blend of the pronoun 'they' and 'baby'. Until children raised as theybies figure out their gender and pronouns, they are referred to by the parents using they/them pronouns.
It means that they have been thinking about their gender for a while now and that they feel comfortable enough to not have to hide their true identity from you. This is a precious gift that they have given you, so no matter how confused or shocked or dismayed you may feel, please keep it to yourself.
The term non-binary was not in widespread use until the early 2010s, when it quickly increased in popularity and surpassed genderqueer as the most-used umbrella term for all people who don't exclusively identify as women/girls or men/boys.
Many trans or gender-diverse children also express their gender at around 2-3 years. They can be firm about their gender too. For example, a child might get angry when people refer to them as the wrong gender. They might refuse to wear particular clothes, or they might say that they're a different gender.
“Of the 139 participants, 17 (12.2%) were classified as persisters and the remaining 122 (87.8%) were classified as desisters.” CONCLUSION: Most children grow out of their gender dysphoria as they reach adolescence. Social transitions and/or puberty blockers are frequently used to ameliorate symptoms in these children.
Post-Survivor
In April 2025, Teeny came out as a trans man. He uses he/they pronouns.
“Being transgender, trans, or nonbinary in and of itself is not a mental illness,” Dara added. “If someone experiences distress around the incongruity they experience between their assigned gender at birth and their actual gender identity, this can lead to having gender dysphoria.
Non-binary people feel their gender identity cannot be defined within the margins of gender binary. Instead, they understand their gender in a way that goes beyond simply identifying as either a man or woman.
Someone assigned male at birth, for example, can experience their gender as woman while someone assigned female at birth can experience their gender as man. Also, not all Non-binary people will feel that they don't identify with either binary gender and some will experience gender in both male or female.
This survey included the question “Have you ever de-transitioned? In other words, have you ever gone back to living as your sex assigned at birth, at least for a while?” The survey found that 8% of respondents had detransitioned temporarily or permanently at some point and that the majority did so only temporarily.
Cosmetic surgeries and elective operations are among the most common regretted procedures. Understanding risks and outcomes is key before surgery. Certain factors contribute to a patient's likelihood of experiencing regret. Patient education is key to minimizing surgical regret rates.
Gender dysphoria may present in adolescence or later in adult life. It is not a medical or psychological disorder to be diagnosed and cured.