Resources for educators?

Are there any resources people know of that explain therianthropy that are aimed at educators? I'm trying to support my therian son who is getting bullied at school for doing quads and it doesn't help when teachers are saying he's being silly for being on all fours. I don't expect school staff will take the time to read anything too in depth but if there was something like a poster with some basic facts about therianthropy and maybe some hints on how to be supportive I feel like that would be a step in the right direction. Does anything like that exist?

This site's educational page, maybe. https://therian-guide.com/index.php/1-home.html Legitimate resources are hard to come by for therianthropy. I would also suggest sitting your son down and talking with him about being more subtle to protect himself. I myself was bullied relentlessly at school because of my therianthropy and learned the hard way that school is not a safe place to be open about this kind of identity. That said I really appreciate your support of him. He's lucky to have a parent like you on his side.

thanks @little wolf I'm proud of how he does his own thing regardless of what others think. It's difficult, I don't want to have to tell him to try not to paint a target on his back particularly when doing quads is when he's at his happiest. I feel like some of the teachers think he deserves to be bullied for being weird but we're a proudly weird family and he is not harming anyone, they don't have to understand or like it, they just need to treat him respectfully.

I understand that. As long as the bullying isn't severely affecting him, but if it is, the long-term consequences could be bad. You know the best course of action, though, he's your son and you know him best. I definitely agree that he should be able to be himself and be proud of who he is and others should respect that, but unfortunately that's not the culture at schools and it can be difficult to change it. I wish you the best and I hope informing the adults at school of therianthropy will help.

Aw I read through this and it's so sad how your son gets bullied :<! If it ends up getting too serious you should really talk to the principal about it. Also, maybe you should try making your own poster or something about therianropy, if you think you can get the right info. I wish your son luck <3

I also agree with littlewolf. When I was young and in school, we had no idea what therianthropy even was(this was back in the 90s), so I was alone in who I was and I had to learn to mask. If your son is ok dealing with the bullying, more power to him, but changing how others deal with difference is a tall order, unfortunately.

For me, I would have some behaviors that I would allow myself to do at school and around others, ones that were more subtle, and the things that weren't subtle I would do in my alone time either at recess or at home. This way, I was never actually repressing myself, and I was still able to explore and express my feelings and behaviors. I simply controlled where I allowed myself to do so. I dunno what things are like in schools nowadays though, so I dunno if this could all still apply.

Thanks @little wolf @-CR4ZY.C4T- and @Bagera I do hear you. My son and I are both autistic and have to mask a lot of other stuff every day just to survive. We have a lot of conversations about when it is necessary to mask and when we can be our authentic selves. I also work as a researcher and it's clear in the research how harmful masking is for mental health for autistic people. So I think this informs my wanting to create more safe spaces for him to do quads in as I see it as similar to our right to stim freely as long as nobody is being harmed by it. I get that in public places with unknown people, especially some kids, bullying is going to happen if he is visibly therian. I still feel that within school people should be able to learn to respect this different way of being. I have already spoken to school about the bullying which isn't only about Therian stuff. I have another meeting with them on Friday but when I spoke to them a couple of weeks ago they'd literally never heard of therianthropy so this is why I'm looking for good quality info to share with them. Sadly I think they'd pay a lot more attention to something more official looking from like a charity or something than a home made poster.

I agree, having to mask is very bad for mental health, and it sucks that right now, we live in a world where a lot of people have to do so. I truly, genuinely hope this can one day change, especially in schools that are supposed to be safe places for kids to learn and grow. I think sharing the informational guide on this website might help, and if I come across any good research-based material I'll send it your way!

The TG itself is a good resource, but it may be difficult to get this specific instance since quadrobics is a hobby and not technically a part of therianthropy. I would encourage your kid to be more reserved where he is "him/her/themself" in public.
Please inform your kid to stay safe!!!
Thank you so much for being a supportive parent!
(I saw your intro, and not only can you notify people by @/ing their username, you can also press the quote button! Just a helpful tip )

(2024-05-08 13:45)little wolf Wrote:  I agree, having to mask is very bad for mental health, and it sucks that right now, we live in a world where a lot of people have to do so. I truly, genuinely hope this can one day change, especially in schools that are supposed to be safe places for kids to learn and grow. I think sharing the informational guide on this website might help, and if I come across any good research-based material I'll send it your way!

Thanks Little Wolf!

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(2024-05-08 14:03)AvisTheDutchie Wrote:  The TG itself is a good resource, but it may be difficult to get this specific instance since quadrobics is a hobby and not technically a part of therianthropy. I would encourage your kid to be more reserved where he is "him/her/themself" in public.
Please inform your kid to stay safe!!!
Thank you so much for being a supportive parent!
(I saw your intro, and not only can you notify people by @/ing their username, you can also press the quote button! Just a helpful tip )

Thanks for the tip Avis.

It's so difficult finding that balance between safety and authenticity, I hate that so many of us have to choose between them.

I haven't consciously thought about it but it seems my instinct has been to make sure my son doesn't do quads etc in public places unless I am there to make sure he's safe. I have had to talk to some kids who were being nasty about it but my impression was these were the sort of kids that didn't need much of an excuse to bully someone, so it almost feels like if it wasn't about being therian it could easily have been about something else. If I thought people might be receptive I'd get some cards printed with info on to help people learn but maybe what I really need is one that reads "While you were staring at my son wondering what's 'wrong' with him, I was thinking the same about you and your manners".