This 14-year-old, the week before you got the letter, what would their peers all agree that your 14-year-old was better than them at? Was your 14-year-old the best singer, fastest runner, quickest at math, most accurate archer, or most talented equestrian? There are almost an unending number of things a kid could be good at. In what way was your 14-year-old recognized as being superior?
In kindergarten, the teacher had two alien planets on the wall and each kid got their own rocketship that was moved each week a distance relative to the number of books they had read in Raz-Kids. My kid’s rocket was fastest by far. It wasn’t because he was the best reader but because I put in the time.
Over the years, he’s been the best at dozens of things and all have been the product of hard work. He’s now 10 and spends 4-6 days per week with coaches getting better at his main sport. I still work with him every day on academics. It isn’t the sport or academic over-achievement that is important. These points of accomplishment, of measure, of pride, especially as acknowledged by peers, form the scaffolding around which self-image is created and that will have impacts long after I’m gone.
Regardless of how you got there, you are where you are with your 14-year-old, and where you are is 23-35 months away from sending college applications to get into school. Tutors should be used to bring grades up. SAT/ACT test prep courses should be taken. A list of extracurriculars should be in the process of being accomplished, and a significant amount of effort should be put into developing a college admission spike.
View: https://youtu.be/M5MFVYvqCdU?t=79
The poverty rate for people identifying as transgender is through the roof. Most never attempt any college and they’re more likely to drop out when they do. Your kid has given you a flashing neon warning sign. The ability to support oneself is unflinching reality and it doesn’t care about your victim status.
The path you walk as a parent is 26 years long. That is how long it takes on average for the human brain to mature. At 14-years-old, you’re barely over half way. Even if you spent their early years too wrapped up in your own pursuits, it is not too late but you need to keep focus on the end goal: self-sufficiency. If you do not get all available efforts reallocated to that end goal then it I humbly submit a cautionary tale:
I wish you success Gameface. I sincerely do. You are at a crossroads and things could go in a lot of directions.
College applications in 23-35 months. Tick.tick.tick.