But while some periods in a child's life have little to no effect on the family dynamic, others require a little more patience and understanding.
Owing to this, it is perhaps unsurprising that world-famous couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, have chosen to seek professional guidance regarding their daughter, Shiloh.
Having revealed during a 2008 interview with Oprah Winfrey that his daughter wants to be a boy and prefers to be referred to as John, the dad-of-six appeared to accept his child's position.
However, according to emerging media reports, Brad and Angelina, who tied the knot in 2014, are now eager to gain a further insight into Shiloh's thought process and feel the help of professionals is required.
Opening up about Shiloh's choice during a 2010 interview with Vanity Fair, Brad simply said:“She wants to be a boy. So we had to cut her hair. She likes to wear boys' everything. She thinks she's one of the brothers."
While happy to accept Shiloh's choice at the time, Brad has reportedly questioned whether she would, in time, change her mind,
According to a source, “Brad wondered if Shiloh was just a tomboy and would outgrow it. Brad was concerned having two older brothers was perhaps influencing Shiloh, and wondered if she would do so if there were no boys in the family.”
It is understood that the couple's meeting with a specialist has assured them that they are right to allow Shiloh to express herself how she chooses and they should continue to respect her requests.
Revealing that the couple were reassured on all counts, a source close to the family explained: "Brad was told Shiloh would have gravitated towards dressing as a boy, and being called John, even if her siblings were all girls."
Reminding the couple that they have nothing to worry about, the source explained: "It's just the way Shiloh is, and there is nothing per se that they did wrong as parents."
We couldn't agree more!
