Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

BoredPanda Add post form topAdd Post
Tooltip close

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

“Is This A Phase?”: Mom Freaks Out After 9 Y.O. Daughter Comes Out As A Therian
451

“Is This A Phase?”: Mom Freaks Out After 9 Y.O. Daughter Comes Out As A Therian

“Is This A Phase?”: Mom Freaks Out After 9 Y.O. Daughter Comes Out As A Therian‘I’m Scared For Her’: Mom Worried After Daughter Comes Out As A Therian‘Freaked Out’ Mom Seeks Help From The Internet After Daughter Declares Herself A Therian“I’m Very Uncomfortable”: Mom Freaks Out After 9 Y.O. Daughter Reveals Her Identity To Her“Is This A Phase?”: Mom Forced To Confront Past Trauma After 9 Y.O. Flaunts Therian IdentityMom Is Concerned About Daughter After She Reveals She Identifies As A 'Therian'“My Daughter Says She’s A Therian”: Mom Asks For Advice About Her 9-Year-Old Daughter Mom Scared For 9 Y.O.’s Future As She Insists On Identifying As An Animal, Asks For Help Online
ADVERTISEMENT

It can be tough for some parents to see their child go through an identity crisis. It usually happens as they enter puberty, which, for many, can be a challenging experience. 

Reddit user Brief_Sun_5937 shared today’s story about a rather unique situation involving her nine-year-old daughter. The young mom was at a loss and took to the internet for some advice. 

Bored Panda reached out to the original poster, who has yet to respond. We will update the article once we receive a reply.

Many children go through a period of identity crisis as they try to find themselves while growing up

Image credits: Satura_/Envato elements (not the actual photo)

The nine-year-old girl in this story is going through this challenging phase, which has left her mom feeling uncomfortable

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: Michael Heise/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

The young mother is now seeking the internet’s help on how to handle her complex predicament

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: Brief_Sun_5937

Having a nonhuman identity is normal among children entering adolescence, according to experts

Image credits: hwilson8/Envato elements (not the actual photo)

According to therapist Vilte Baliutaviciute, MA, LPC, of IntraSpectrum Counseling in Chicago, having a nonhuman identity is generally par for the course for any young individual growing up. Here’s what she wrote in her article:

“Nonhuman identity, like other facets of identity, tends to go through a developmental period (usually in adolescence) and stay stable throughout the lifespan. Some research suggests a possible overlap with other forms of neurodiversity, but the identity itself is not inherently pathological. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“Most clinical and sociological research on therian and otherkin communities agrees: this is best approached as diversity, not deficit. Someone can have a rich, well-adjusted life while still identifying as a bear or kobold.”

Human behavior writer Michael Bond echoed a similar sentiment in a piece he wrote for UnHerd. Having friends who identified as therians, he developed a deeper understanding of what they go through. 

“Therians are not delusional or psychotic,” he wrote. “Their animalistic feelings are a perpetual feature of their lives and are not alleviated by medication. They are aware, often to their profound disappointment, that they can never transform into animals.”

Therians live complicated lives, and all they want is acceptance

Image credits: Gerardo Infante/Envato elements (not the actual photo)

As Bond explains in his piece, many psychologists see the same distress levels between Therians and people who don’t feel like the gender they were born with.  

“For Therians, ‘finding yourself” — that nebulous ideal promoted by the self-help industry — is obligatory,” he wrote. “Although discovery may bring relief, it does not help with the bigger question: why am I this way? 

ADVERTISEMENT

“Science doesn’t provide many answers, so they can only speculate. Therianthropy may be a developmental response to early trauma or a childhood fixation on animals, or it may be a result of abnormal brain wiring. People of a spiritual inclination might think of it in terms of reincarnation or a ‘misplaced soul.’”

Bond also spoke with a Therian friend, BearX, who leads a normal life as a married man with two children and an engineering career. The family supposedly lives a “comfortable middle-class life” in a “nice house.” But deep down, he had a different feeling about who he really was and should be. 

“I had an internal sense as a kid that I was supposed to be bigger, heavier,” said BearX. “Later, I worked out that bears fit everything that I felt. It led me to think that maybe I was supposed to have been born a bear, and there was some kind of cataclysmic failure in the universe’s sorting system.”

Ultimately, all BearX wants is to be treated the same way as the rest of the population. 

“Our lives would be immeasurably improved if people accepted it if it wasn’t considered strange,” he told Bond. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Parents generally want their children to fit into society and live normal lives. Therefore, the cause for concern of the mom in this story is understandable, given that her daughter may have a rough, difficult time growing up. What do you think, pandas?

The mom provided more information to add to her post

Some commenters gave their reactions and pieces of advice

ADVERTISEMENT

While others shared their personal accounts

ADVERTISEMENT
Ic_polls

Poll Question

Thanks! Check out the results:

Share on Facebook
Miguel Ordoñez

Miguel Ordoñez

Writer, BoredPanda staff

Read more »

Struggling writer by day. Frustrated jazz drummer by night. Space Cowboy 24/7.

Read less »
Miguel Ordoñez

Miguel Ordoñez

Writer, BoredPanda staff

Struggling writer by day. Frustrated jazz drummer by night. Space Cowboy 24/7.

Ilona Baliūnaitė

Ilona Baliūnaitė

Author, BoredPanda staff

Read more »

I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place

Read less »

Ilona Baliūnaitė

Ilona Baliūnaitė

Author, BoredPanda staff

I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place

What do you think ?
Add photo comments
POST
Zedrapazia
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm with the Reddiors here, he child has to be taken off the internet and needs a hobby outside of socials, and mom has to supervise everything she does online. When I was 9, I wanted to be a dinosaur and chase other children around, but I had not the slightest clue what a therian is. In fact, I had to google it today (as it turned out, it's not the same as furries at all, those I know) and seems to be some sort of spirituality thing. The kid must have come across it on some socials, and places like these get weird really really fast, so her contact to these people should be stopped immediately. If she's really interested in therianthropy, she can pick that up again when she's older and more experienced with life.

WonderWoman
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Agreed that a 9 year old should be off the internet. The problem arises when classmates have access and/or friends have older siblings with access. Children talk. Parents don't. They think that handing a baby an iPad is perfectly good parenting -it isn't. It may not be the content that is disturbing but the ads that are and the ads for TikTok on other platforms expose kids to all kinds of weird sh!t.

Load More Replies...
Okiedokie
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think it is urgent that children be supervised and taught safe internet use. It’s past the point of banning them until a certain age, kids have to be taught individuality & self love and how to navigate that before anything else.

Ruby
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah honestly the thing I'm most worried about is the kid knowing about therians. I'm a furry myself, but I did not fully even know what it was until I was like 16. Before I knew what it was, I was just like "yeah anthro animals are cool and I like to draw them". When I got older I found out there was a community for it. It's normal kid logic to like that type of stuff. The therian community goes wayyy deeper then just acting like an animal (which is what most kids think it is). Let the kid play pretend, it's part of being a kid. But please be careful what type of stuff they come across on the internet.

Freya the Wanderer
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You think therians are weird? One of my aunts (who died in her 20s) went through a phase when she thought she was a space shuttle.

Load More Replies...
Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ok. I'm going to say a few things: -At that age, it most likely is a phase. -Yes, some people in the therian/furry community are predators. They are hated by everyone else. -The definition if a therian: Someone who identifies as an animal on a *non-physical* or spiritual level. We do not believe we are animals. She knows she is not an animal. -The best thing to do is let her be herself, because at this age she will most likely outgrow it. -There is a subreddit for therians, if you are confused on what to do, they are very helpful. - If she really is a therian, taking away internet will not do anything. Ultimately, it is a permanent part of who you are, and you cannot change it. This is not a new thing either!. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! ALSO: ZOOPH*LES ARE NOT THE SAME AS FURRIES/THERIANS! And not all furries are there for the ...wierd component. Most just like to cosplay as anthro animals and like having their own mascot, especially younger members of the furry community.

AngelWingsYT
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Upvoting this to get it up higher as its informative and not condensending

Load More Replies...
UpupaEpops
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At that age, I was firmly convinced that if I injected myself with a bit of animal blood, I would be able to get some of their traits. So I was on a quest for cheetah blood to become the fastest runner in the world. In my defence, in our traditional stories, people can transform into animals by wearing their pelts but I didn't want to hurt them. My logic was that DNA gives you the traits you have, it can be found in blood so obviously you can just browse through the traits like you would in a book and pick the ones that you like. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Got to love kid logic.

Royal Stray
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To me your story seems more similar to what the kid is on about, than any furry stuff. It's normal at that age, especially if you have an overactive imagination or feel different from those around you. It's probably still a good idea to make sure she doesn't get trapped in some furry rabbit hole.

Load More Replies...
FreeTheUnicorn
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is just like any other group or identity your child shares with you. Take it seriously, don't assume you know what things mean, ask and believe her, and don't make more of it than it is. If you don't handle this in a way that shows you are listening and valuing what she tells you, she won't share the next time something important comes up. So it doesn't matter if it's a phase or not, your response should be the same.

Mi So
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I like what you said about not assuming you know what it means. More significantly, don’t assume they know what it means. Get them to explain it, get all on the same page of understanding. Kids often hear & start using words that they think they understand but don’t really, & end up using them incorrectly.

Load More Replies...
Vix Spiderthrust
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Every nine-year-old boy wants to be a train driver. They aren't making life decisions at that age. Settle down.

Hphizzle
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel like this is similar to that short time period where flash mob was being used as a term for spontaneous dance events, but also for spontaneous mob violence. Most kids around that age want/feel that they are something besides human or just really love animals. But doing an internet search brings up the adult version of this. The terms are crossing two very different things.

BoredPossum
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Meh, it's normal kid logic. It's a step in finding out who you are and what makes you special. It's the same as when kids dress up as batman, just with animals. It's probably like a game or something. "I'm a bunny" okay "Have a carrot".

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I do want to add that the best thing to do is let her outgrow it at her own pace, because it most likely is at her age. Let her do her thing, and in a month or two she'll probably forget about it. Yes, there are bad sides to every community, but as long as she's not actively a part of the online community she won't be in any sort of danger.

KillerKiwi
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just say ok, limit internet usage, and don’t let her dress the part. She’s nine. When I was 12 I thought that I was undoubtedly agender. Guess what? That lasted for a year . Kid’s just trying to figure out who she is.

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What do you mean by dress the part? As in tails/masks? Just a bit confused as to why it could be an issue/why you are worried about it.

Load More Replies...
Katie Lutesinger
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was a kid I went through a phase of desperately wanting to become a dinosaur. I used to wish for it every night before I went to sleep. I had fantasies about putting on a dinosaur suit that would turn me into one (so I could defeat the bullies). This was long before the internet and even longer before "furries" was a label so far as I know. I had undiagnosed autism and major self esteem issues, so it was an escape for me. Later on in childhood I really got into novels about anthro animal characters, like the Redwall and Deptford Mice series (they're both awesome, by the way), and then started writing books of my own in a similar vein. I remember saying I didn't want to write about human characters because I hate humans. I grew out of it in the end. But yeah, definitely keep this kid away from the furry forums because goddamn those places can get creepy.

and_a_touch_of_the_’tism
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had an embarrassing but harmless warrior cats roleplaying phase where I believed I could actually turn into a cat at night. Honestly, it was harmless, I just played a lot with two of my friends, and eventually grew out of it. I wouldn’t be too worried.

Breadcrumb.
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd rather be a cat sometimes too. This human thing, having to work sucks.

Heather Mullen
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm starting to identify as a dog. Pretty soon I'm going to start biting people. Or is that normal as we age

Load More Replies...
NikosBruisedPaws
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hello, I’m a Therian and I’ve been one for six years and I awakened at a young age and I think that awakening young is very ok, and I have gear, and does vocals and do quads and I’ve been doing that for a while now. Therian don’t deserve hate nor do otherkin and otherharden so please no hate on anyone who wants to be themselves like me a trans Therian and furries, we aren’t ZooPhıles or any of that stuff, predators are everywhere so deal with it parents so please just accept and no need to freak out or hat, I was raised by two parents who are sweet, not the internet. :) -⃝⃤

NikosBruisedPaws
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

….. why would the mom flip and freak out bc of that, my grandma, counsellor and brother supports me and I think, wow I feel bad for that kid because ima Therian and trans and I get support for it by few people so Im closeted from most people, ngl reading that made me cry for a lil bit

I’m.Gone.Guys..
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am a Therian here! I hate the fact that these people are just blaming it on the internet. I would like to let evwryone know, i awakened at 11 and I am now 17! Therianthropy is completely valid, and please do not view it as a mental disorder. It is not a religion, it is harmless, and we know that we are human. At this age, it’s probably a phase, but maybe it is maybe it isnt. Please respect her and support her for her own thing!!

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yees! I know I've been explaining it as more of a spiritual experience, but obviously not all people experience it in the same way! Thank you <3

Load More Replies...
Rick Seiden
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What this child needs is therapy. Not because what they are thinking is wrong or harmful, but because they are being bullied and they are young and they need guidance in making life choices. Maybe the therapist will help her see she's a person, or maybe the therapist will make her feel happy with how she sees herself and help her handle people who bully her. But she needs therapy.

Cee Cee
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why on earth ask a bunch of randoms from the internet? Surely a child psychologist would be much more enlightening. I think the kid is just going through a phase. Be tolerant.

TotallyNOTAFox
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would count that as a phase, 9 year olds are still in the process of developing their personality and interests. Having a neutral talk about the topic and acceptable behaviour in social situations would be the best way to handle that in a healthy way. In the end it's probably that their friends are in a werewolf phase or read the "Animorphs" book series, looked up the internet about the theme and stumbled about the whole therian thing. If the mother wants she could also ask Furries about the topic if she wants to know more prior to the talk (In fandom forums, NOT on Twitter), despite the common opinion the fandom is quite reasonable and not about grooming children or all about NSFW themes only. (Pedophilia is indeed a very heated topic within the fandom, with the conclusion that fictional content being acceptable at best but promoting, advertising representation under the LGBQT+ community or displaying it openly being an absolute no-go border that should never be crossed)

Kevin Hickey
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The people who get outraged about stuff like this and wail about how society is crumbling and BLAH BLAH BLAH are the same people who would be quite comfortable going back to the days when "f@gs" or "dike5" or "qweers" or anyone who was different was routinely beaten up after school or jammed into lockers. I remember.

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ik that wild bean already commented, just wanted to say it's not a mental disorder! The disorder people think of when they think of therianthropy is when you actually think you're an animal physically, which therians do not.

Load More Replies...
Upstaged75
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just ignore it. Next week she'll probably want to be a pop star. We all did weird stuff when we were kids.

Bailey Berggren
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have been a therian for almost a year now, therianthropy is not a mental illness or a phase, little kids that have access to YouTube may see a video about a therian and think that it might be cool to be a therian, Therianthropy is not a choice and you cannot "become" a therian. you must be born a therian and awaken as one to identify as a therian. Therians know they are human and know they have human hands, feet, faces, etc. therianthropy is not all about wearing masks and tails or doing quadrobics (the sport of walking, trotting, cantering, and jumping on all fours, look it up) it is only a way to express therianthropy. it is not a belief or a religion.not all therians are furries, there is a large difference between therians and furries. therians are not part of the LGBTQ+ spectrum and we are not autistic. I don't care if people support therians, just please respect them and don't go up to one screaming "furry" there is nothing wrong with us, please leave us alone.

Fox with a Dragon Tattoo
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She 9. End of conversation. But I would ask, in what way material or immaterial does her identifying this way change anything in her life or her moms or literally anyones? Obviously rhetorical.

Lydsylou (she/her)
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Every kid wants to be an animal at some point. Don't make her do anything let her explore for herself. I'm mostly concerned, like everyone else on here seems to be, that she knows what a therian is.

AngelWingsYT
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So hate the comments acting like the furry community as a whole is predatory. Yes theres trash ppl in it but the ACTUAL community shin them/boot them out/out them/refuse to acknowledge them as one of them. Stop roping all furries as pədøs

SilverSkyCloud
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

id be wondering where the 9 year old found out what that was, my son goes on the internet at home but our computer is in the living room where we can see exactly what he goes on, plus having parental controls helps too so id ask the school to make sure that they supervise what children can access, it wont stop it completely but it will reduce the chances of kids being exposed to stuff they're too young for

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You are never "too young" to be a therian! You are born as one. However, at that age it's probably a phase. She probably heard about it in school.

Load More Replies...
MoMcB
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel that everyone wants to stick a label on people or themselves, but this is so limiting! Is anyone here what they thought they were

MoMcB
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What they thought they were at 9? I agree with taking her away from the internet, maybe checking browsing history to make sure it hasn't reached any odd places. But let her be the animal. My daughter had a full on imaginary friend called Abigail, and one day, Abigail had gone.

Load More Replies...
anime_emo_ boy
Community Member
1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it kinda hurts my feeling that people hate/dislike therains when we did nothing wronge if we want to be therain then let us be hat

anime_emo_ boy
Community Member
1 month ago

This comment has been deleted.

anime_emo_ boy
Community Member
1 month ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am in 12-year-old therian I am personally happy that she is coming out to express her feelings and the sorry I mean it is also healthy because she is spending more time outside like other people should do

Kenny (He/it)
Community Member
2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honestly, the kid is too young to identify herself as anything yet, really. its okay she has a grasp on what therians are, but she's too young for that. As a therian, give her time off of the internet, it can cause confusion in a kid that young. If she still believes shes a therian in a few years, thats okay. Give her time before she can go on the internet again. Of course, you should still support her, do research on the topic before saying anything online/to anyone.

Cato Tato
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Therians are people who no pnhysically identify as animals, or sometimes they claim its a brain wiring thing, or other times its a spiritual thing, there really is no ‘one definition fits all’ in their community, I would draw the line at dressing/acting like an animal in public, I’ve seen way too many Therians jumping and crawling in public, for starters it might get your kid bullied or targeted by men, and also its just not sanitary or publicly decent to do so, many get bullied and shouted at in public too, there are videos online of Therians actively being attacked because of how they dress and act, and then theres the past life explanation where they think their past life was an animal so they’re gonna act like one now, and finally theres the soul animal thing, I think a soul animal should just be a little “cool my soul animal is XYZ” and thats it, the majority of the community are kids anyways so they’ll forget about it and grow up eventually. Sorry if I rambled

Bailey Berggren
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

to add to the one earlier: I went to a trampoline park once and I was attacked, like PHYSICALLY ATTACKED by a group of teenage boys, for doing what? Wearing a mask and tail, after that I was scared to even mention therians for a month after that. and every time I express myself as a therian in public or even in my backyardI either get screamed at, attacked, or filmed. I ABSOLUTELY HATE IT. please respect people for expressing themselves.

Dino_Fl00f ⨺⃝
Community Member
4 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd like to say this: I am a therian, it is NOT a phase, and is NOT something you can change. Quick edit: I'm a snow leopard, Siberian tiger and red panda! I have shifts often, and I'm also kin with my character Nostalgia. THIS. IS. NOT. A. PHASE. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH US. seriously.

Sina
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honestly, when a kid comes home and says the believe they're something extraordinary and weird, just humor them within reason. Kids are impressionable, and they immerse themselves in anything they're interested in.Thinking about myself, up until I was 4-5 years old, I wanted to be a horse because I loved horses. I'd drop on fours and gallop around the house like a maniac, until I went head first on the door frame of our corridor, and decided not to be a horse anymore.Then I was reading a series of children's books by Enid Blyton and I wanted to be a detective.In my teens, I watched The Craft, I wanted to be a witch. Then I watched the Addams family with Christina Ricci, I wanted to be Wednesday, did my hair like hers, and used all of my mom's concealer to get the pale look going, which wasn't possible with my greek-a$$ olive complexion (that didn't end well, it was a Lancome concealer, super expensive :p ).My point being, its mainly kids' imagination and a phase more often than not.

Kraneia The Dancing Dryad
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I joke I'm half dryad (the other half is, of course, raccoon!) but at the end of the day, I'm 100% human 😉

Carole G.
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Children today have seen, heard & acted on things from the internet, social media. To me I feel these are robbing today's children of their childhood innocence & experiences that I myself grew up with. Yes, times have changed but wake-up, get these kids off social media & back to the basics of childhood, ballet, bike riding, baseball, girl/boy scouts. My great grandchildren are in a Children's Community Theater at ages 8 & 11. So many alternatives to social media, take advantage.

Karl
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Crikey O’Blimey - it’s so daft that I couldn’t give a serious answer 😀

Uncle Schmickle
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All this " identity " nonsense only seems to have happened in the past few years. Never heard of it when I was growing up ( in my 70s now ). I think the reply citing social media is spot on. Too much rubbish being put into children's minds, instead of them being out playing with friends or learning interesting things from parents.

Royal Stray
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not sure. This seems more like having a magical girl or fairy phase. The kid is being bullied and feels different and they're looking for an explanation to why they're different. In this case having an animal "soul" or something like that is an explanation that makes sense for the kid. The only thing the mom needs to do now is make sure that her kid doesn't fall into any online community rabbit holes.

Load More Replies...
anime_emo_ boy
Community Member
1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

no it is not a pase(I spelled it wronge) I'm a therain too and knowing that I personally now I know that more people are expressing their feelings and coming out to really really are so it's all right if it's children and freak out so much because more people are experience then others people and some people might think he's dumb so experience play a lot outside more and it's healthy so the parents don't really need to judge or freak out since you're still playing elsewhere is really healthy

Sarah Jane
Community Member
2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All of you people are deluded and most of you are still children. Why are we shaping society off the whims of children??

Dane
Community Member
2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a friend that worked in administration at Father Ryan, a local private school. Their email was first.last at fatherryan dot org. I called her a "fatheryan" (ie,,"fatherian") Not the same, I don't guess.

Awesomegirl7539 AJ
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a therian, I want to answer some stuff here. 1. It is NOT a phase. Some people go through a phase like what you say, but therianthropy is a spiritual and physiological belief and identity that I think should not be slotted with childhood phases. 2. It is NOT sexual. The majority of therians are just therians. They don’t feel attracted to animals. That is disgusting. Therians should not be included with the disgusting ‘community’ of zoophiles. 3. It is involuntary. The simple definition of therianthropy is identifying as a nonhuman animal on a nonphysical level based off of involuntary experiences. I do think a 9 year old shouldn’t have access to social media like that, though

FreeTheUnicorn
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No one ever knows if something will be a phase or if it's the beginning of a lifelong affair. Adults don't know, kids don't know, and it doesn't matter. Sharing yourself with a parent will be a short lived phase if you don't take what is shared seriously, and stay respectful. Phases can be just as important as lifelong attachments, if you value your relationship, value what she tells you is important.

Khall Khall
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's almost like you can't stop a kid from doing whatever they want in their head. You can make them cling to it forever and hide it from you though. So...you know...which ever you'd prefer she does...

devotedtodreams
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just make sure she doesn't make videos of herself that she posts online. Whatever you upload is free game for anyone to comment on, and some (or, in some cases, a lot) of those comments won't be nice.

Don Johnson
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This stuff is getting ridiculous. No she isn't an animal, it doesn't matter what she feels or even if she gets surgery later in life to better resemble an animal. She will always be a girl, and then a woman. It's not up for debate, these are the facts.

Analyn Lahr
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I didn't even know this was an actual thing, like lycanthropy I suppose? But I thought this one author was just using "therian" to make her shifters different from others. It's really interesting, in the series Therians came about after a virus and subsequent vaccine during the Vietnam War. But it features M/M romance so some people won't be into that, sadly. The author is Charlie Cochet and the series is the THIRDS if it suits your fancy.

A Wild Bean (they/them/any)
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just fyi, they're not the same- fictional lycanthropy is werewolves, clinical lycanthropy is a condition that makes people think they're physically an animal, and therianthropy is a spiritual and/or psychological belief/identity :) thanks for the recommendation though!

Load More Replies...
SlightlyTarnished
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Give your young kids access to an online world and you're asking for trouble, especially social media exposure. I don't think smart phones, tablets, laptops, etc. have anyplace in a kids possession.

Della
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Imagination is in all kids, dressing up as princess, cowboy, etc...its a game to be played at home. She is a human being not a cat, and that needs to carry to school, etc. do not allow her internal voice to become truth to her. She is not a furry! And if she doesn't want to be teased, then don't wear a cat costume to school! Life is hard, set the boundaries for her and help her deal with it, not by buying into it.

Mimi M
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

(Possibly) change schools, monitor choice of friends, monitor internet use.

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If she really is a therian (at that age, it's most likely a phase) that won't do anything! Being a therian is a part of who you are and cannot change.

Load More Replies...
Slapdash1
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not sure wtf a therian is, but if the kid needs to be reminded she's human you've crossed into the grotesque.

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A therian is someone who identifies as an animal *non physically*. It is the person's belief and should not be laughed at any more than someone who believes in God. At that age, however, it is most likely a phase and a hobby.

Load More Replies...
V Noe
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Should have said "Ok, I'll fix you a basket in the garage for sleeping, put out a litter box and I'll get you a couple of stainless steel bowls. Do you prefer Purina or Blue Buffalo?"

Phil Vaive
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think the people who do this are making an absolute mockery of trans people's very real struggles.

Shadowthetherian
Community Member
2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Downvoting this comment because therianthropy has nothing to to with being trans

Load More Replies...
Brook Allgood
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

1. Humans ARE animals. 2. Thinking you are something, despite all evidence saying you are not, is called delusion. 3. A parent has a responsibility to ensure their kid's worldview corresponds to objective reality. 4. It's not the Internet's fault. 5. You can't tell someone WHO they are, but science can most certainly tell them WHAT they are.

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I do want to clear something up! Being a therian does not mean you identify as one physically, you identify as one on more of a spiritual basis. Identifying as an animal physically is a mental disorder and should not be confused with therianthropy. Therianthropy is not a delusion, unless you are convinced you are an animal physically! We know we are still biologically human, it is our belief that spiritually we aren't.

Load More Replies...
Glenn Cuneo
Community Member
5 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

a 9 year old "coming out"??? Ignore it. Next week she will enthralled with Unicorns, the week after that the "cheese touch".....

Richard Wareham
Community Member
5 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Either she's a total moron or she will grow out of it with a bit of help. Not pressure, just help.

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup! It's most likely a phase for her, because she is so young! But if she actually is, it would be a part of her she can not change.

Load More Replies...
Pepe Silvia
Community Member
5 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

This is a small example of what happens in a society where lgbt theory has replaced God in our schools and institutions.

Tamra
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh for f**k sake, "god" has no place in schools anyway! None of that religious c**p has any place in educational or political institutions, period. And there is NO "LGBT theory" that is being pushed in schools. I swear, Fox "News" has a lot to answer for. 🙄

Load More Replies...
Sazan Kuros
Community Member
5 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Ah yes, ask a bunch of random strangers instead of a child psychologist. Brilliant. This parent is either lying or incompetent. Kids are just weird.

Zedrapazia
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm with the Reddiors here, he child has to be taken off the internet and needs a hobby outside of socials, and mom has to supervise everything she does online. When I was 9, I wanted to be a dinosaur and chase other children around, but I had not the slightest clue what a therian is. In fact, I had to google it today (as it turned out, it's not the same as furries at all, those I know) and seems to be some sort of spirituality thing. The kid must have come across it on some socials, and places like these get weird really really fast, so her contact to these people should be stopped immediately. If she's really interested in therianthropy, she can pick that up again when she's older and more experienced with life.

WonderWoman
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Agreed that a 9 year old should be off the internet. The problem arises when classmates have access and/or friends have older siblings with access. Children talk. Parents don't. They think that handing a baby an iPad is perfectly good parenting -it isn't. It may not be the content that is disturbing but the ads that are and the ads for TikTok on other platforms expose kids to all kinds of weird sh!t.

Load More Replies...
Okiedokie
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think it is urgent that children be supervised and taught safe internet use. It’s past the point of banning them until a certain age, kids have to be taught individuality & self love and how to navigate that before anything else.

Ruby
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah honestly the thing I'm most worried about is the kid knowing about therians. I'm a furry myself, but I did not fully even know what it was until I was like 16. Before I knew what it was, I was just like "yeah anthro animals are cool and I like to draw them". When I got older I found out there was a community for it. It's normal kid logic to like that type of stuff. The therian community goes wayyy deeper then just acting like an animal (which is what most kids think it is). Let the kid play pretend, it's part of being a kid. But please be careful what type of stuff they come across on the internet.

Freya the Wanderer
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You think therians are weird? One of my aunts (who died in her 20s) went through a phase when she thought she was a space shuttle.

Load More Replies...
Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ok. I'm going to say a few things: -At that age, it most likely is a phase. -Yes, some people in the therian/furry community are predators. They are hated by everyone else. -The definition if a therian: Someone who identifies as an animal on a *non-physical* or spiritual level. We do not believe we are animals. She knows she is not an animal. -The best thing to do is let her be herself, because at this age she will most likely outgrow it. -There is a subreddit for therians, if you are confused on what to do, they are very helpful. - If she really is a therian, taking away internet will not do anything. Ultimately, it is a permanent part of who you are, and you cannot change it. This is not a new thing either!. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! ALSO: ZOOPH*LES ARE NOT THE SAME AS FURRIES/THERIANS! And not all furries are there for the ...wierd component. Most just like to cosplay as anthro animals and like having their own mascot, especially younger members of the furry community.

AngelWingsYT
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Upvoting this to get it up higher as its informative and not condensending

Load More Replies...
UpupaEpops
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At that age, I was firmly convinced that if I injected myself with a bit of animal blood, I would be able to get some of their traits. So I was on a quest for cheetah blood to become the fastest runner in the world. In my defence, in our traditional stories, people can transform into animals by wearing their pelts but I didn't want to hurt them. My logic was that DNA gives you the traits you have, it can be found in blood so obviously you can just browse through the traits like you would in a book and pick the ones that you like. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Got to love kid logic.

Royal Stray
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To me your story seems more similar to what the kid is on about, than any furry stuff. It's normal at that age, especially if you have an overactive imagination or feel different from those around you. It's probably still a good idea to make sure she doesn't get trapped in some furry rabbit hole.

Load More Replies...
FreeTheUnicorn
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is just like any other group or identity your child shares with you. Take it seriously, don't assume you know what things mean, ask and believe her, and don't make more of it than it is. If you don't handle this in a way that shows you are listening and valuing what she tells you, she won't share the next time something important comes up. So it doesn't matter if it's a phase or not, your response should be the same.

Mi So
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I like what you said about not assuming you know what it means. More significantly, don’t assume they know what it means. Get them to explain it, get all on the same page of understanding. Kids often hear & start using words that they think they understand but don’t really, & end up using them incorrectly.

Load More Replies...
Vix Spiderthrust
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Every nine-year-old boy wants to be a train driver. They aren't making life decisions at that age. Settle down.

Hphizzle
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel like this is similar to that short time period where flash mob was being used as a term for spontaneous dance events, but also for spontaneous mob violence. Most kids around that age want/feel that they are something besides human or just really love animals. But doing an internet search brings up the adult version of this. The terms are crossing two very different things.

BoredPossum
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Meh, it's normal kid logic. It's a step in finding out who you are and what makes you special. It's the same as when kids dress up as batman, just with animals. It's probably like a game or something. "I'm a bunny" okay "Have a carrot".

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I do want to add that the best thing to do is let her outgrow it at her own pace, because it most likely is at her age. Let her do her thing, and in a month or two she'll probably forget about it. Yes, there are bad sides to every community, but as long as she's not actively a part of the online community she won't be in any sort of danger.

KillerKiwi
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just say ok, limit internet usage, and don’t let her dress the part. She’s nine. When I was 12 I thought that I was undoubtedly agender. Guess what? That lasted for a year . Kid’s just trying to figure out who she is.

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What do you mean by dress the part? As in tails/masks? Just a bit confused as to why it could be an issue/why you are worried about it.

Load More Replies...
Katie Lutesinger
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was a kid I went through a phase of desperately wanting to become a dinosaur. I used to wish for it every night before I went to sleep. I had fantasies about putting on a dinosaur suit that would turn me into one (so I could defeat the bullies). This was long before the internet and even longer before "furries" was a label so far as I know. I had undiagnosed autism and major self esteem issues, so it was an escape for me. Later on in childhood I really got into novels about anthro animal characters, like the Redwall and Deptford Mice series (they're both awesome, by the way), and then started writing books of my own in a similar vein. I remember saying I didn't want to write about human characters because I hate humans. I grew out of it in the end. But yeah, definitely keep this kid away from the furry forums because goddamn those places can get creepy.

and_a_touch_of_the_’tism
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had an embarrassing but harmless warrior cats roleplaying phase where I believed I could actually turn into a cat at night. Honestly, it was harmless, I just played a lot with two of my friends, and eventually grew out of it. I wouldn’t be too worried.

Breadcrumb.
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd rather be a cat sometimes too. This human thing, having to work sucks.

Heather Mullen
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm starting to identify as a dog. Pretty soon I'm going to start biting people. Or is that normal as we age

Load More Replies...
NikosBruisedPaws
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hello, I’m a Therian and I’ve been one for six years and I awakened at a young age and I think that awakening young is very ok, and I have gear, and does vocals and do quads and I’ve been doing that for a while now. Therian don’t deserve hate nor do otherkin and otherharden so please no hate on anyone who wants to be themselves like me a trans Therian and furries, we aren’t ZooPhıles or any of that stuff, predators are everywhere so deal with it parents so please just accept and no need to freak out or hat, I was raised by two parents who are sweet, not the internet. :) -⃝⃤

NikosBruisedPaws
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

….. why would the mom flip and freak out bc of that, my grandma, counsellor and brother supports me and I think, wow I feel bad for that kid because ima Therian and trans and I get support for it by few people so Im closeted from most people, ngl reading that made me cry for a lil bit

I’m.Gone.Guys..
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am a Therian here! I hate the fact that these people are just blaming it on the internet. I would like to let evwryone know, i awakened at 11 and I am now 17! Therianthropy is completely valid, and please do not view it as a mental disorder. It is not a religion, it is harmless, and we know that we are human. At this age, it’s probably a phase, but maybe it is maybe it isnt. Please respect her and support her for her own thing!!

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yees! I know I've been explaining it as more of a spiritual experience, but obviously not all people experience it in the same way! Thank you <3

Load More Replies...
Rick Seiden
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What this child needs is therapy. Not because what they are thinking is wrong or harmful, but because they are being bullied and they are young and they need guidance in making life choices. Maybe the therapist will help her see she's a person, or maybe the therapist will make her feel happy with how she sees herself and help her handle people who bully her. But she needs therapy.

Cee Cee
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why on earth ask a bunch of randoms from the internet? Surely a child psychologist would be much more enlightening. I think the kid is just going through a phase. Be tolerant.

TotallyNOTAFox
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would count that as a phase, 9 year olds are still in the process of developing their personality and interests. Having a neutral talk about the topic and acceptable behaviour in social situations would be the best way to handle that in a healthy way. In the end it's probably that their friends are in a werewolf phase or read the "Animorphs" book series, looked up the internet about the theme and stumbled about the whole therian thing. If the mother wants she could also ask Furries about the topic if she wants to know more prior to the talk (In fandom forums, NOT on Twitter), despite the common opinion the fandom is quite reasonable and not about grooming children or all about NSFW themes only. (Pedophilia is indeed a very heated topic within the fandom, with the conclusion that fictional content being acceptable at best but promoting, advertising representation under the LGBQT+ community or displaying it openly being an absolute no-go border that should never be crossed)

Kevin Hickey
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The people who get outraged about stuff like this and wail about how society is crumbling and BLAH BLAH BLAH are the same people who would be quite comfortable going back to the days when "f@gs" or "dike5" or "qweers" or anyone who was different was routinely beaten up after school or jammed into lockers. I remember.

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ik that wild bean already commented, just wanted to say it's not a mental disorder! The disorder people think of when they think of therianthropy is when you actually think you're an animal physically, which therians do not.

Load More Replies...
Upstaged75
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just ignore it. Next week she'll probably want to be a pop star. We all did weird stuff when we were kids.

Bailey Berggren
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have been a therian for almost a year now, therianthropy is not a mental illness or a phase, little kids that have access to YouTube may see a video about a therian and think that it might be cool to be a therian, Therianthropy is not a choice and you cannot "become" a therian. you must be born a therian and awaken as one to identify as a therian. Therians know they are human and know they have human hands, feet, faces, etc. therianthropy is not all about wearing masks and tails or doing quadrobics (the sport of walking, trotting, cantering, and jumping on all fours, look it up) it is only a way to express therianthropy. it is not a belief or a religion.not all therians are furries, there is a large difference between therians and furries. therians are not part of the LGBTQ+ spectrum and we are not autistic. I don't care if people support therians, just please respect them and don't go up to one screaming "furry" there is nothing wrong with us, please leave us alone.

Fox with a Dragon Tattoo
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She 9. End of conversation. But I would ask, in what way material or immaterial does her identifying this way change anything in her life or her moms or literally anyones? Obviously rhetorical.

Lydsylou (she/her)
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Every kid wants to be an animal at some point. Don't make her do anything let her explore for herself. I'm mostly concerned, like everyone else on here seems to be, that she knows what a therian is.

AngelWingsYT
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So hate the comments acting like the furry community as a whole is predatory. Yes theres trash ppl in it but the ACTUAL community shin them/boot them out/out them/refuse to acknowledge them as one of them. Stop roping all furries as pədøs

SilverSkyCloud
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

id be wondering where the 9 year old found out what that was, my son goes on the internet at home but our computer is in the living room where we can see exactly what he goes on, plus having parental controls helps too so id ask the school to make sure that they supervise what children can access, it wont stop it completely but it will reduce the chances of kids being exposed to stuff they're too young for

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You are never "too young" to be a therian! You are born as one. However, at that age it's probably a phase. She probably heard about it in school.

Load More Replies...
MoMcB
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel that everyone wants to stick a label on people or themselves, but this is so limiting! Is anyone here what they thought they were

MoMcB
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What they thought they were at 9? I agree with taking her away from the internet, maybe checking browsing history to make sure it hasn't reached any odd places. But let her be the animal. My daughter had a full on imaginary friend called Abigail, and one day, Abigail had gone.

Load More Replies...
anime_emo_ boy
Community Member
1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it kinda hurts my feeling that people hate/dislike therains when we did nothing wronge if we want to be therain then let us be hat

anime_emo_ boy
Community Member
1 month ago

This comment has been deleted.

anime_emo_ boy
Community Member
1 month ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am in 12-year-old therian I am personally happy that she is coming out to express her feelings and the sorry I mean it is also healthy because she is spending more time outside like other people should do

Kenny (He/it)
Community Member
2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honestly, the kid is too young to identify herself as anything yet, really. its okay she has a grasp on what therians are, but she's too young for that. As a therian, give her time off of the internet, it can cause confusion in a kid that young. If she still believes shes a therian in a few years, thats okay. Give her time before she can go on the internet again. Of course, you should still support her, do research on the topic before saying anything online/to anyone.

Cato Tato
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Therians are people who no pnhysically identify as animals, or sometimes they claim its a brain wiring thing, or other times its a spiritual thing, there really is no ‘one definition fits all’ in their community, I would draw the line at dressing/acting like an animal in public, I’ve seen way too many Therians jumping and crawling in public, for starters it might get your kid bullied or targeted by men, and also its just not sanitary or publicly decent to do so, many get bullied and shouted at in public too, there are videos online of Therians actively being attacked because of how they dress and act, and then theres the past life explanation where they think their past life was an animal so they’re gonna act like one now, and finally theres the soul animal thing, I think a soul animal should just be a little “cool my soul animal is XYZ” and thats it, the majority of the community are kids anyways so they’ll forget about it and grow up eventually. Sorry if I rambled

Bailey Berggren
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

to add to the one earlier: I went to a trampoline park once and I was attacked, like PHYSICALLY ATTACKED by a group of teenage boys, for doing what? Wearing a mask and tail, after that I was scared to even mention therians for a month after that. and every time I express myself as a therian in public or even in my backyardI either get screamed at, attacked, or filmed. I ABSOLUTELY HATE IT. please respect people for expressing themselves.

Dino_Fl00f ⨺⃝
Community Member
4 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd like to say this: I am a therian, it is NOT a phase, and is NOT something you can change. Quick edit: I'm a snow leopard, Siberian tiger and red panda! I have shifts often, and I'm also kin with my character Nostalgia. THIS. IS. NOT. A. PHASE. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH US. seriously.

Sina
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honestly, when a kid comes home and says the believe they're something extraordinary and weird, just humor them within reason. Kids are impressionable, and they immerse themselves in anything they're interested in.Thinking about myself, up until I was 4-5 years old, I wanted to be a horse because I loved horses. I'd drop on fours and gallop around the house like a maniac, until I went head first on the door frame of our corridor, and decided not to be a horse anymore.Then I was reading a series of children's books by Enid Blyton and I wanted to be a detective.In my teens, I watched The Craft, I wanted to be a witch. Then I watched the Addams family with Christina Ricci, I wanted to be Wednesday, did my hair like hers, and used all of my mom's concealer to get the pale look going, which wasn't possible with my greek-a$$ olive complexion (that didn't end well, it was a Lancome concealer, super expensive :p ).My point being, its mainly kids' imagination and a phase more often than not.

Kraneia The Dancing Dryad
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I joke I'm half dryad (the other half is, of course, raccoon!) but at the end of the day, I'm 100% human 😉

Carole G.
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Children today have seen, heard & acted on things from the internet, social media. To me I feel these are robbing today's children of their childhood innocence & experiences that I myself grew up with. Yes, times have changed but wake-up, get these kids off social media & back to the basics of childhood, ballet, bike riding, baseball, girl/boy scouts. My great grandchildren are in a Children's Community Theater at ages 8 & 11. So many alternatives to social media, take advantage.

Karl
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Crikey O’Blimey - it’s so daft that I couldn’t give a serious answer 😀

Uncle Schmickle
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All this " identity " nonsense only seems to have happened in the past few years. Never heard of it when I was growing up ( in my 70s now ). I think the reply citing social media is spot on. Too much rubbish being put into children's minds, instead of them being out playing with friends or learning interesting things from parents.

Royal Stray
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not sure. This seems more like having a magical girl or fairy phase. The kid is being bullied and feels different and they're looking for an explanation to why they're different. In this case having an animal "soul" or something like that is an explanation that makes sense for the kid. The only thing the mom needs to do now is make sure that her kid doesn't fall into any online community rabbit holes.

Load More Replies...
anime_emo_ boy
Community Member
1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

no it is not a pase(I spelled it wronge) I'm a therain too and knowing that I personally now I know that more people are expressing their feelings and coming out to really really are so it's all right if it's children and freak out so much because more people are experience then others people and some people might think he's dumb so experience play a lot outside more and it's healthy so the parents don't really need to judge or freak out since you're still playing elsewhere is really healthy

Sarah Jane
Community Member
2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All of you people are deluded and most of you are still children. Why are we shaping society off the whims of children??

Dane
Community Member
2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a friend that worked in administration at Father Ryan, a local private school. Their email was first.last at fatherryan dot org. I called her a "fatheryan" (ie,,"fatherian") Not the same, I don't guess.

Awesomegirl7539 AJ
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a therian, I want to answer some stuff here. 1. It is NOT a phase. Some people go through a phase like what you say, but therianthropy is a spiritual and physiological belief and identity that I think should not be slotted with childhood phases. 2. It is NOT sexual. The majority of therians are just therians. They don’t feel attracted to animals. That is disgusting. Therians should not be included with the disgusting ‘community’ of zoophiles. 3. It is involuntary. The simple definition of therianthropy is identifying as a nonhuman animal on a nonphysical level based off of involuntary experiences. I do think a 9 year old shouldn’t have access to social media like that, though

FreeTheUnicorn
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No one ever knows if something will be a phase or if it's the beginning of a lifelong affair. Adults don't know, kids don't know, and it doesn't matter. Sharing yourself with a parent will be a short lived phase if you don't take what is shared seriously, and stay respectful. Phases can be just as important as lifelong attachments, if you value your relationship, value what she tells you is important.

Khall Khall
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's almost like you can't stop a kid from doing whatever they want in their head. You can make them cling to it forever and hide it from you though. So...you know...which ever you'd prefer she does...

devotedtodreams
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just make sure she doesn't make videos of herself that she posts online. Whatever you upload is free game for anyone to comment on, and some (or, in some cases, a lot) of those comments won't be nice.

Don Johnson
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This stuff is getting ridiculous. No she isn't an animal, it doesn't matter what she feels or even if she gets surgery later in life to better resemble an animal. She will always be a girl, and then a woman. It's not up for debate, these are the facts.

Analyn Lahr
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I didn't even know this was an actual thing, like lycanthropy I suppose? But I thought this one author was just using "therian" to make her shifters different from others. It's really interesting, in the series Therians came about after a virus and subsequent vaccine during the Vietnam War. But it features M/M romance so some people won't be into that, sadly. The author is Charlie Cochet and the series is the THIRDS if it suits your fancy.

A Wild Bean (they/them/any)
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just fyi, they're not the same- fictional lycanthropy is werewolves, clinical lycanthropy is a condition that makes people think they're physically an animal, and therianthropy is a spiritual and/or psychological belief/identity :) thanks for the recommendation though!

Load More Replies...
SlightlyTarnished
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Give your young kids access to an online world and you're asking for trouble, especially social media exposure. I don't think smart phones, tablets, laptops, etc. have anyplace in a kids possession.

Della
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Imagination is in all kids, dressing up as princess, cowboy, etc...its a game to be played at home. She is a human being not a cat, and that needs to carry to school, etc. do not allow her internal voice to become truth to her. She is not a furry! And if she doesn't want to be teased, then don't wear a cat costume to school! Life is hard, set the boundaries for her and help her deal with it, not by buying into it.

Mimi M
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

(Possibly) change schools, monitor choice of friends, monitor internet use.

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If she really is a therian (at that age, it's most likely a phase) that won't do anything! Being a therian is a part of who you are and cannot change.

Load More Replies...
Slapdash1
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not sure wtf a therian is, but if the kid needs to be reminded she's human you've crossed into the grotesque.

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A therian is someone who identifies as an animal *non physically*. It is the person's belief and should not be laughed at any more than someone who believes in God. At that age, however, it is most likely a phase and a hobby.

Load More Replies...
V Noe
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Should have said "Ok, I'll fix you a basket in the garage for sleeping, put out a litter box and I'll get you a couple of stainless steel bowls. Do you prefer Purina or Blue Buffalo?"

Phil Vaive
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think the people who do this are making an absolute mockery of trans people's very real struggles.

Shadowthetherian
Community Member
2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Downvoting this comment because therianthropy has nothing to to with being trans

Load More Replies...
Brook Allgood
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

1. Humans ARE animals. 2. Thinking you are something, despite all evidence saying you are not, is called delusion. 3. A parent has a responsibility to ensure their kid's worldview corresponds to objective reality. 4. It's not the Internet's fault. 5. You can't tell someone WHO they are, but science can most certainly tell them WHAT they are.

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I do want to clear something up! Being a therian does not mean you identify as one physically, you identify as one on more of a spiritual basis. Identifying as an animal physically is a mental disorder and should not be confused with therianthropy. Therianthropy is not a delusion, unless you are convinced you are an animal physically! We know we are still biologically human, it is our belief that spiritually we aren't.

Load More Replies...
Glenn Cuneo
Community Member
5 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

a 9 year old "coming out"??? Ignore it. Next week she will enthralled with Unicorns, the week after that the "cheese touch".....

Richard Wareham
Community Member
5 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Either she's a total moron or she will grow out of it with a bit of help. Not pressure, just help.

Sage da therian
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup! It's most likely a phase for her, because she is so young! But if she actually is, it would be a part of her she can not change.

Load More Replies...
Pepe Silvia
Community Member
5 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

This is a small example of what happens in a society where lgbt theory has replaced God in our schools and institutions.

Tamra
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh for f**k sake, "god" has no place in schools anyway! None of that religious c**p has any place in educational or political institutions, period. And there is NO "LGBT theory" that is being pushed in schools. I swear, Fox "News" has a lot to answer for. 🙄

Load More Replies...
Sazan Kuros
Community Member
5 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Ah yes, ask a bunch of random strangers instead of a child psychologist. Brilliant. This parent is either lying or incompetent. Kids are just weird.

You May Like
Related on Bored Panda
Related on Bored Panda
Trending on Bored Panda
Also on Bored Panda