04/15/2026
If you’re a parent asking, “What if my child regrets this?” you’re likely holding a very real kind of fear.
The fear of getting it wrong. The fear of not protecting your child. The fear of making a decision that can’t be undone.
And sometimes, underneath all of that, is the fear that one day, they might look back and blame you.
That fear makes sense.
Because regret DOES exist.
It’s part of being human.
Across many areas of life, people experience it:
~40% of physicians report regret about their career choice
~48% of teachers report regret
~21% of people regret breast augmentation
~14% of people report regret about becoming parents
And still...we don’t respond to that reality by shutting those paths down.
We respond with support. With information. With space to grow and adjust over time.
When it comes to gender transition, though, regret is often treated as something uniquely dangerous. But the data tells a more complex story.
About 8% of trans people report any form of detransition. And most of those experiences are not about a change in identity...
They’re often shaped by external pressures like lack of support, safety concerns, financial barriers, or the weight of navigating an unaccepting world.
Many people who detransition later retransition when it becomes safe enough to do so.
So underneath the fear, there may be a deeper question: “How do I protect my child?”
And the answer, over and over in the research, is this: Support matters.
Not perfect certainty. Not having all the answers.
But staying connected.
Listening. Learning. Making decisions with care, over time.
If you’re feeling scared, it doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. It means you care deeply about your child and the life they’ll grow into.
And that care...that willingness to stay in it with them...is one of the most powerful protective factors they have.
