Puberty Concerns
I'm not a parent but I need a parent's mature advice.
My little brother just turned 11 last month and so, naturally, he's getting to be about that age. Recently, he's been asking me to put my bathing suit on or he wants to play a game but "this time with your bathing suit on" and I feel really uncomfortable about it. He's curious, I get that, but it's also upsetting on a whole different level with me being trans*male.
I've just been telling him, "no" or "that's rude, don't ask me that" but is that enough? I don't want to discourage his exploration of sexuality, it's a totally healthy thing but, as his sibling, I'm just so entirely uncomfortable with the whole ordeal.
I haven't mentioned it to our mom yet because, again, wow so uncomfortable.
Can I just get some advice from parents who've dealt with their kids going through the phase?
Does your brother have any cognitive impairments?
If not, then I would be matter-of-fact and upfront. Say "It makes me uncomfortable for you to tell me to put my bathing suit on. Stop doing it." No matter your orientation, your brother is old enough (barring some kind of cognitive impairment) to learn boundaries and what is and is not appropriate.
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Mom to 2 exceptional atypical kids
Long BAP lineage
Sometimes it is good to ask questions back, then you can figure out what it is they are REALLY trying to figure out, but are too shy to ask. Or maybe they feel curiosity they are having trouble getting their finger on, and don't really know what or how to ask. Regardless, asking questions back can eventually lead into figuring out what they really want to know. Go slow and gentle, not leading.
So, maybe start with, "why do you want me to put on a swimsuit?"
If he persists and it becomes obvious it really is all about wanting to stare more than to get any answers to specific questions, you can get firm and say, "look, we are siblings. You can ask me questions and I will answer honestly, but staring at my body is not an option. That is simply completely inappropriate." If he STILL doesn't get it, you can add "the law says I should not do that and I don't want to get our family in trouble with social services. I know it may make not sense to you but that is the way things are and I need you to accept my 'no.' Just ask me questions. Be direct. I can answer your specific questions."
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Mom to an amazing young adult AS son, plus an also amazing non-AS daughter. Most likely part of the "Broader Autism Phenotype" (some traits).
If not, then I would be matter-of-fact and upfront. Say "It makes me uncomfortable for you to tell me to put my bathing suit on. Stop doing it." No matter your orientation, your brother is old enough (barring some kind of cognitive impairment) to learn boundaries and what is and is not appropriate.
He is on the Autistic Spectrum and apparently leaning more towards an Asperger's diagnosis as he's getting older.
He's terrible with confrontation and as soon as he's hit with a "no" he immediately either shuts down or, more recently, argues back rather aggressively. That's why I want to be as gentle with this as possible. You are right though, I absolutely need to be firm with teaching him boundaries.
So, maybe start with, "why do you want me to put on a swimsuit?"
If he persists and it becomes obvious it really is all about wanting to stare more than to get any answers to specific questions, you can get firm and say, "look, we are siblings. You can ask me questions and I will answer honestly, but staring at my body is not an option. That is simply completely inappropriate." If he STILL doesn't get it, you can add "the law says I should not do that and I don't want to get our family in trouble with social services. I know it may make not sense to you but that is the way things are and I need you to accept my 'no.' Just ask me questions. Be direct. I can answer your specific questions."
I actually did try this today. Normally, I try to brush him off and end the conversation but today I did ask him why because he actually presented the request in writing. That kid is always looking for a loophole, haha.
Anyway, as soon as I asked him, he immediately started to backtrack and reject the conversation saying "no, no, nevermind that!" Which I automatically feel is my fault for doing basically that same thing to him in the first place.
I wish I had been more positive(but still firm) like your suggestion, hopefully he'll allow me to talk to him about it if he does ask again. These phrases are really clear but not aggressive in any way. Thank you!
If not, then I would be matter-of-fact and upfront. Say "It makes me uncomfortable for you to tell me to put my bathing suit on. Stop doing it." No matter your orientation, your brother is old enough (barring some kind of cognitive impairment) to learn boundaries and what is and is not appropriate.
He is on the Autistic Spectrum and apparently leaning more towards an Asperger's diagnosis as he's getting older.
He's terrible with confrontation and as soon as he's hit with a "no" he immediately either shuts down or, more recently, argues back rather aggressively. That's why I want to be as gentle with this as possible. You are right though, I absolutely need to be firm with teaching him boundaries.
In that case, I think it is even more important to find a way to lay down the rules, so to speak. If he were to say or do this with the wrong person, he could get himself into heaps of trouble. I know you want to avoid involving your mom, but if the two of you were my kids, I would be very disappointed that no one told me what was going on. It's actually dangerous. I know from experience. My son said something inappropriate to a girl (he didn't know it was inappropriate until after I explained to him what it meant), but it could have potentially lead to a very bad scene.
_________________
Mom to 2 exceptional atypical kids
Long BAP lineage
Does he have any books about puberty that he could read? They have various types for all different ages with varying levels of heavy stuff. Maybe suggest to your mom that she buy him one, even if you are not comfortable telling her about what is going on. (It would be better if you did tell her for the reasons already outlined, but if you can't bring yourself to do that, it might help him if he had a book he could read privately with no embarrassment.
Do you trust your mom? If so, I would tell her. Even if you have to write it down and leave a note to avoid the embarrassment. There are two reasons for this: 1) if this is puberty related, your mom needs to know so that she can prepare. Going through puberty with a child on the spectrum takes a delicate touch and your mom needs to be aware of the new dynamic so that she can effectively guide your brother. Plus, this may be only the tip of the iceberg with inappropriate behavior, and it's best to get in front of it and start teaching now before things go too far.
The second reason is that you have the right to feel comfortable in your own home. You matter, too! You can certainly help your brother gain understanding, but guiding him completely is the job of the parents. You get to be young, too! I just don't want you taking on all of the responsibility of getting this right if you have a parent or parents that are on the ball. Let them take it. I'm sure they've been mentally preparing for this already (puberty, not this specific issue).
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