It's fair to say, however, that while they may immediately turn to us for explanation or confirmation, we might not always be the best people to respond.
And one set of parents who acknowledged this during a recent evening out have been lauded by a waitress who tended to them during their meal.
Liv Hnilicka, who identifies as female, was approached by a man who requested she speak to his daughter following an innocent question posed at their table.
Recalling the event on her Facebook page, Liv said she nervously approached the diners' table, before saying: "I heard you asked if I was a boy or girl."
Upon learning that this was indeed the case, Liv told the little girl: "I think the important thing to remember is that everyone can be anything they want to be in this world. It’s also important to try to be the best selves we can be for our family and friends, and even to strangers."
"So to answer your question, I was told that I was a boy when I was little and now I live my adult life as a girl," related Liv in a post which has been liked thousands of times since its publication.
Praising the parents for approaching the topic head-on and asking Liv for advice, the delighted young woman wrote: "I walked away feeling really good about parents intentionally engaging their children about possibly difficult topics."
Acknowledging the sensitivity of the situation and the potential confusion which may have arisen from it, Liv finished: "Way to go, mom and dads out there making space for transgender/gender non-conforming people like me!"
We couldn't agree more.
