Dear World,
Do you know what you do that irritates me to no end?
You refuse to look a special needs child in the eye and ask THEM what's up with them. You insist on talking to us, the parents and family members, as though the kids can't even hear you.
Here's a heads up: generally, they can hear you.
And they don't like you.
I expect a random child to ask "What's wrong with his feet/legs?" I don't expect a full grown adult, in earshot of my son, to call out "Hey lady, what's wrong with your kid's feet/legs?"
Not a thing. What's wrong with you brain?
Kai's feet and legs are the only medical problem he has that you can see just by looking at him. That doesn't mean you need to point it out. Would you like me to holler across the grocery aisle at you about the hairy wart on your chin? No? Then why did you just do essentially the same thing to my three year old?
Common sense, ladies and gentlemen, is no longer common.
Here's a few basic guidelines for you to follow:
1) If the child looks old enough to talk and the parents don't stop you, ask THEM what's up with them if you really need to know.
2) If your child asks what's wrong with little Timmy's legs/feet/hands/arms/mouth/etc., have them politely ask little Timmy, or explain that it's just the way he was born and it's okay that he's different.
3) If you feel the need to holler at me across the store about my child and his medical problems, please provide your mother's phone number and address. I'll be sure to inform her that the general sense of decorum and socially acceptable reactions to children and adults who look "different" failed to stick. I'm sure she'll be thrilled.
Clear? Good. Now you can apologize to my son-no, not me, HIM, you know, the little boy your rudeness insulted? Ya him. There ya go. Good job.
Sincerely,
Me.
This is why I despair of a normal grocery shopping trip. Someone always has to say something about Kai's braces, or the way he walks, or the fact that he falls, or something. It was way worse when he was in casts as a baby-"Did you throw him down the stairs?" "Was there an accident?" "What did you do to him?" Good lord. It's enough to make you want to become a hermit and order your basic supplies off Amazon.
Seriously folks. Ask the kid. Or at least acknowledge that the child is, often, perfectly capable of answering you. Or, you know, don't ask. That works too.
Do you know what you do that irritates me to no end?
You refuse to look a special needs child in the eye and ask THEM what's up with them. You insist on talking to us, the parents and family members, as though the kids can't even hear you.
Here's a heads up: generally, they can hear you.
And they don't like you.
I expect a random child to ask "What's wrong with his feet/legs?" I don't expect a full grown adult, in earshot of my son, to call out "Hey lady, what's wrong with your kid's feet/legs?"
Not a thing. What's wrong with you brain?
Kai's feet and legs are the only medical problem he has that you can see just by looking at him. That doesn't mean you need to point it out. Would you like me to holler across the grocery aisle at you about the hairy wart on your chin? No? Then why did you just do essentially the same thing to my three year old?
Common sense, ladies and gentlemen, is no longer common.
Here's a few basic guidelines for you to follow:
1) If the child looks old enough to talk and the parents don't stop you, ask THEM what's up with them if you really need to know.
2) If your child asks what's wrong with little Timmy's legs/feet/hands/arms/mouth/etc., have them politely ask little Timmy, or explain that it's just the way he was born and it's okay that he's different.
3) If you feel the need to holler at me across the store about my child and his medical problems, please provide your mother's phone number and address. I'll be sure to inform her that the general sense of decorum and socially acceptable reactions to children and adults who look "different" failed to stick. I'm sure she'll be thrilled.
Clear? Good. Now you can apologize to my son-no, not me, HIM, you know, the little boy your rudeness insulted? Ya him. There ya go. Good job.
Sincerely,
Me.
This is why I despair of a normal grocery shopping trip. Someone always has to say something about Kai's braces, or the way he walks, or the fact that he falls, or something. It was way worse when he was in casts as a baby-"Did you throw him down the stairs?" "Was there an accident?" "What did you do to him?" Good lord. It's enough to make you want to become a hermit and order your basic supplies off Amazon.
Seriously folks. Ask the kid. Or at least acknowledge that the child is, often, perfectly capable of answering you. Or, you know, don't ask. That works too.
No comments:
Post a Comment