btw, I do agree with KathyBiker up to a point. If a child is so unhappy that they strongly wish to be someone else, then I would want to find the root of that unhappiness and help the child work through it if possible. But wishing to be the opposite gender, or a dog, or a horse, or a foundling child whose real parents are royalty ... that's all pretty normal in the single-digit years. It's the teens I worry about when they're unhappy with themselves. At that age, every problem seems insurmountable, so they need all the help they can get until they've gone through enough problems to have a more balanced perspective.