I suffered a massive stroke in 2007, which has left me disabled.
As a former registered child minder I know that children are inquisitive and can only learn about such things by asking questions.
Some children who were playing in their garden as I was passing on my electric wheelchair asked why I needed to use it; I replied that I couldn’t walk. Of course, they then wanted to know why I was unable to walk so I told them it was due to having a stroke- they then asked me what a stroke was, as I knew that their grandfather had recently had a mild heart attack, I told them that a stroke was similar to a heart attack, but in the brain , not the heart, they then shrugged their shoulders and carried on playing
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Another time I was offered a cake by a child, as it was in a paper cake case I asked him to remove it for me as I only have one working hand. This opened a whole can of worms, because he wanted to know why, again I explained the best that I could.
Waiting at the bus stop using my wheelchair, a young child went past with her mother . As they walked I heard the child ask ” Why is that lady old?” Aware that I may have heard she hurried her daughter along, but she kept turning her head to have a look at me ( I think she was wandering how I was going to get on the bus and I am hoping she was calling me old because I was a wheelchair user and not because of any wrinkles!)
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When I was first home from hospital a boy that I used to look after came to visit with his mum. It was early days and I was lying on the sofa, as they came into the living room my husband helped me to sit up. The boy looked amused and told me “Stop messing around with your husband and get on with it, Karen.” This comment helped me in the future when I was overthinking things that I was attempting to do.
Children still tend to stare at me when I am out, I really don’t have a problem with this at all, in fact, I probably encourage them as I always smile and often wave to them. The adults with the children do get embarrassed when the children look at me. When my husband, or someone else is pushing me in a wheelchair, I think that children may think that it is a pushchair and that I am a large child!
More on explaining disability to children here
Have you had to explain a disability to children? Please share this with me.
As always questions and comments are welcome.
Until next time.
Karen
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Your openness with children is really a gift to them and to their parents as they learn how to respond to people with disabilities.
Ah, thank you, Michele
You have such a positive attitude about your stroke and you love children of all ages and always love to chat to them whenever you have the opportunity.. I bet your chats with them are told to thier friends and family on arriving home after meeting you.
Thanks, Pearl, yes I do love chatting to children
Children are so direct aren’t they? It is good that you can engage so well to discuss this subject #MischiefandMemories
Yes, Jo, they can be, thanks for stopping by
Powerful post with a lot of things we can learn from. I did not know about your stroke before. #MischiefandMemories
Thanks, Kate, didn’t you I thought it was common knowledge
Children are nothing if not brutally honest aren’t they! I think it’s great you’re so open and honest with them, it’s what children need #mischiefandmemories
Yes, they are, thanks for stopping by with your comment
Oh darling Karen. This is such an open and honest post. Children just ask don’t they, without thinking, because their thoughts are so pure. What an inspiration you are to us all. Thank you for joining us for this weeks #MischiefAndMemories linky
Thanks for your kind words, Annette and for having me a part of the linky
Children reflect back society’s norms but can offer insight. We once had a child who had a disabled sibling so understood that all ages can be affected by disabilities. There should be more awareness and acceptance of differences. Thanks for linking up with #MischiefAndMemories
Thanks for having me a part of the linky, Laura
I love that you are so open with the children who ask and that you can explain things so well to them. My children often ask things about people we see and as a grown up it can be mortifying as of course you would hate for anyone to be upset by questions. Thank you as ever for being part of #MischiefAndMemories
Thanks for your kind words, Kirsty, I do have a way with children (comes from working as a registered child minder for many years) and thanks for having me a part of the linky