It's a good start. It's where everyone starts I think. Even trans people themselves first need to do a lot of soul searching and/or therapy in order to understand what they feel and why. It's even harder for people on the outside to comprehend.
I see literally nothing wrong with this parents response; wanting your child to check all the boxes before making a life changing decision is good parenting.
One could always nitpick tone, but perfection is the enemy of good enough.
Turns out isolationist culture doesn't stand the test of time. Who knew?