#192 | Why Setting Boundaries With Non-Affirming Relatives Is Vital for LGBTQ Kids’ Mental Health

Are you heading to a holiday weekend gathering with your LGBTQ child where not everyone is affirming and you're wondering how to protect their well-being without creating more tension?

For many families, gatherings (family or otherwise) bring complicated emotions. When your child is LGBTQ+ and not everyone in the room is supportive, the stakes get higher. In this episode, Heather offers heartfelt, practical guidance to help you lead with courage, protect your peace, and prioritize what matters most: your child’s well-being and your own.

• Learn how to set compassionate, non-negotiable boundaries with extended family and friends
• Use simple scripts to respond to misgendering, microaggressions, or toxic conversations
• Explore ways to re-center your child and yourself before, during, and after family gatherings

Press play to feel more grounded, prepared, and empowered to lead with kindness and courage this holiday season, for your LGBTQ child and your whole family.

RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT

Resource: PFLAG’s “When Someone You Love Is LGBTQ+” Guide

Why it matters: This is a gentle, practical guide you can even share with family members who are trying, but struggling, to understand. It’s clear, respectful, and designed to build bridges.

Other helpful resources:

• LGBTQ Family Acceptance Toolkit – The Trevor Project
• Family Acceptance Project – Research-based resources for families navigating identity and belonging
• Chrysalis Mama Articles – My own words and experience

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

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At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ+ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and foster courageous, compassionate connection.

If you’re in the thick of parenting, allyship, or pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.

Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in—I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.

More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen explores connection, courage, and community for every concerned parent, mom, or ally navigating fear, grief, and bigotry with hope, resilience, and empathy. Through open-minded education, inclusive parenting guidance, and advocacy for mental health, safety, and a human first approach, we support LGBTQ youth and stand for human rights and social justice. More Human. More Kind. empowers listeners to shift their mindset, embrace activism and allyship, and lead with kindness, healing, and purpose.

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