As a mother, one of the most important relationships I have is with my children. Like everyone else in my inner circle, my boys never look at me like I am different. They treat me as any child would treat their mother - they nag me, blame me for everything that goes wrong, use me as their personal chauffeur, and get annoyed when there are no good snacks. Oh, and they love me the mostest.
I always enjoy meeting their friends or going into their classes or the school - especially when they are young. It’s interesting to meet the other children and satisfy their curiosities. Kids always ask questions and when their parents aren’t there to tell them otherwise, they come up with some pretty creative ones. 😂
It’s super awkward when random adults blurt out things like, “what happened to you?” or “why are you like that?” First of all, why am I like what? I have 99 issues and the wheelchair is just one. Another is being uber self conscious so I mentally have a list to go through to narrow it down. Stop stressing me out, people.
When kids do this, it is not the same - AT ALL.
Kids are curious by nature. They stare. They ask weird questions, and THAT’S OKAY. (for me anyway. Remember, this page is about me and my opinions - Me, me, me). One of two things happens when they do this with their parents around:
1. The adult pulls them away/shushes them/politely apologizes to me.
2. The adult asks me if it’s okay.
Let me assure you, I would rather answer your child than have you pull them away. It makes me feel like a scary old lady and can absolutely make the child feel like someone who is different should be avoided. NOT COOL.
Let them ask. Allow them to learn something. When adults ask me if I mind telling them what happened to me, the answer is always, “not at all.” I would rather you ask than to wonder. Is it your business? Probably not, but so what? I ask questions all the time. I don’t like to be left wondering, I want to know. I totally get it.
Again, I can’t speak for everyone. This is just my point of view. I’m pretty sure most people agree that it’s fine for kids to ask questions. As an adult, use your best judgement, but if you do ask, be cool about it. Take a breath first and try not to shout out something potentially insulting. Don’t be that guy. Ever.
Comments