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AIBU?

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Original poster

Toy featuring disabled child

139 replies

CliveH27 · 09/05/2012 22:18

I have just had an almighty row with my wife over this subject, and would be grateful for opinions please. Bear in mind that my wife comes from a country where disabled people are only just starting to be accepted into mainstream society. She has lived in the UK for 8 years, and we have a three year-old daughter.

The row erupted earlier today when my mother bought something for our daughter. It was a set of figurines (my daughter loves making up stories), and one of the figurines is in a wheelchair. As far as I am concerned, this is perfectly normal, but my wife has been unable to accept it. Although she accepts that our daughter will mix with a full spectrum of children as she goes through school, and claims she will have no difficulty with that, she looks upon these figurines as having been made for disabled children to play with, whereas I see them as being for all children to play with, partly as a way of helping them understand that children with disabilities are part of mainstream society.
Is there anyone on this list who can help me understand my wife's way of thinking?

OP posts:
tazzle · 09/05/2012 22:52

I wonder outraged if the OP wants to understand his wifes ( possibly cultural) point of view so he can then maybe be more effective in trying to counter it with a more positive, inclusive enthusiasm.

5madthings · 09/05/2012 22:53

ours doesnt make any noise either bulletproofmum is is the one i linked to? :)

BulletProofMum · 09/05/2012 22:53

Mine is definitely yellow - superb, diversity!

ABatInBunkFive · 09/05/2012 22:53

I can imagine, would a budgie with one shoe be more or less expensive? What about a parrott? Trainers would lessen the value i think.

5madthings · 09/05/2012 22:53

well there is a red one available as well, oh good no colour discrimination then Grin

wigglesrock · 09/05/2012 22:54

No, ours is red too, am off to bed now before I get any more of the bloody catch phrases stuck in my head.

fluffypillow · 09/05/2012 22:54

I think your wife needs to try to be more understanding of others, before she passes her horrible opinions on to your DD.

ABatInBunkFive · 09/05/2012 22:54

Or jaundiced - BPM.

Pearla · 09/05/2012 22:55

Strangely enough I was scouting eBay tonight for HappyLand bits for my DS to add to his collection and came across the character in a wheelchair having not seen it before. I think I'll get it for him. One of his uncles uses a wheelchair and it's quite nice that the 'norm' (because it is - to us) is represented in some toys in this way.

Your wife's attitude is clearly odd, if this post/predicament is real then you probably already realise that..

5madthings · 09/05/2012 22:55

yes mine is the yellow little tykes one i linked to :)

and i think fisher price and happy land do similar stuff :)

oh and we got the yellow bus for ds1 when he was a toddler and OBSESSED with buses, he will be 13 this summer so its been around for ages and it came with the wheelchair when he got it :)

BulletProofMum · 09/05/2012 22:55

Mad thing - yep, that's mine!

saintlyjimjams · 09/05/2012 22:56

Your wife does know that anyone can have a disabled child doesn't she? Even her? It's just society.

thatisall · 09/05/2012 22:59

we never had the bus :-( underprivileged Wink

5madthings · 09/05/2012 22:59

its great isnt it bulletproofmum ours is 12yrs old and still going strong, have had to wash it a few times as its often out in the garden but we still have all the people and the wheelchair and nothing has broken, all of my 5 have loved it :)

2shoes · 09/05/2012 22:59

oh dear where is clive???

5madthings · 09/05/2012 22:59

and thinking about it, i bought it from a second hand baby shop, so it wasnt even new when we got it!

wigglesrock · 09/05/2012 23:00

Its Fisher Price Little People Beeps the School Bus, can't get the link to work, with Carlos the bus driver.

2shoes · 09/05/2012 23:01

how dear!!

StealthPolarBear · 09/05/2012 23:02

Seriously, scathing, but kind replies needed. She will have bought them the bus in the first place.

5madthings · 09/05/2012 23:02

www.amazon.co.uk/Fisher-Price-Beeps-the-School-Bus/dp/B0009QVF7W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336600905&sr=8-1 is this the fisher price one? when i typed in fisher price people toy bus, it came up with this red one and fisher price also do a yellow one Grin

thatisall · 09/05/2012 23:03

that's expensive for a doll 2shoes

5madthings · 09/05/2012 23:03

2shoes that is EXTORTIONATE, £35? Shock

you can get the toy bus with a person and wheelchair for less than that!

wigglesrock · 09/05/2012 23:05

Yup that's mine Grin, its much cheaper in Argos Shock

5madthings · 09/05/2012 23:05

www.amazon.co.uk/Fisher-Little-People-Movers-School/dp/B000DH333G/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1336601054&sr=8-4

this is the yellow fisher price one, looking at the pictures it comes with the same figures its just the bus that is different.

5madthings · 09/05/2012 23:06

the yellow one is cheaper, is that colour discrimination as it looks basically the same!