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wat? their parents can't even come in?

They can come into the courtroom but have to sit in the gallery. Children 14+ are actually treated as adults in name changes (children under 14, the parents petition so they can sit at the table, but gender-affirming changes are rare for that age).

I had one where the kid's parents, stepparents, siblings/steps (except the one away at college), grandparents, and preschool teacher were cheering her on in the gallery. But it's still scary sitting up there by yourself even though it's only 15 feet away.

Is this a local court rule or do all WI courts have this rule?

In general people who are not lawyers (or paralegals actively assisting) or litigants can't sit at counsel's table and I'm not aware of any exceptions for these sorts of proceedings but I'm not up on every county's local rules.

I’m a current law student and I can’t imagine a better use of my JD than this.

Some of my proudest moments as a lawyer have come from sitting next to some of the bravest kids I've met. (And no I do not charge for this.)

You rock.