What should Parents Say to Gay Teenagers or Tween (Pre-teen) Kids?

What I Would Want to Tell Nico if I was his Mum

I would say teenage years are difficult for everyone, you are growing and learning and changing from child to adult but just know that it does get better.  You will find that in just a few years your life will change more than you can possibly imagine.

I would NOT say:

• you are probably confused
• you are too young to know
• it is just a phase.

These things are just wrong and dismiss the real feelings of the young people.  You would not say the same sort of thing if they told you they had a crush on someone of the opposite sex.

There is a load of research that shows lesbian and gay young people are more likely than their peers to attempt suicide.  Lots of young people attempt suicide so this should be a concern for parents.

L&G youth are also far more likely to find these years more stressful and more likely to be bullied.
You might find this article interesting, it is about bullying and things getting better

http://www.autostraddle.com/new-research-says-it-does-in-fact-get-better-for-gay-bullied-teens-155630/

Nico is a very unique case, being the son of Hades and arguably one of the two most powerful demigods created in the series.  Who is going to bully him!  Readers know he is lonely and isolated because most other demigods are scared of him or find him creepy.
Nico Di Angelo has promised that he is going to go away forever as he doesn't fit in.

Whilst our children are not fictional demigods they may have the same feelings as Nico and not realised how much they are loved and not realise how much their lives are going to get so much better.