To say well done to my super nephew...

[Theglassishalffull]

My 10year old nephew had new splints fitted. The man who fit them was not his normal one, so when he came to fit them my nephew said to him"I think that they need to be cut more."
To which the fitter replied "Well I have had 24 years experience doing this so I do know what I am doing."
My nephew then turned to him and said " Well I have had 10 years experience at being disabled so I know what I am talking about.
I thought that was brilliant.

Time to get the cane out at once.

And absolutely NO gruel for supper.

The fitter was the one being fucking rude, I can't believe some posters saying it's the 10 year old. I think his reply and assertiveness were brilliant! Well done to your nephew for standing up for himself.

I think he was being rude too. I appreciate the sentiment but he (your nephew) could and should have phrased it better.

The little boy was not being rude.

He was responding to a man who had disregarded a very important thing.

Sorry but it does sound cheeky to me.

He responded rudely.

I think that was a rude retort and I wouldn't applaud it. Yes, your nephew should be consulted - and do you know that he wasn't, or wouldn't have been, throughout the fitting?

I also agree with TSC that some of the responses are patronising. It's all very well to stand up for one's rights but it's possible to do that without coming across as pompous.

It doesn't make any difference that he is disabled.

If a non disabled child said something like " these shoes are too tight" at a shoe fitting. The fitter had said "well I have ten years of fitting experience" and the child had said " well I have ten years experience of walking on my feet, and those shoes are right" I would think "well said"

The point is the adult should listen to the child and act on their concerns, disabled or not.

I would still think assertive regardless of him being disabled or not. He stood up for himself.

TSC personally in this situation I would think the child was standing up for themselves against a know it all adult who put their point across rudely. (see my post ^^ about shoes)

I hate rude children but all the boy here did was say he thought they needed cutting more, perhaps in a way to make them more how his usual fitter does? I don't think the disabled bit actually is relevant to how he spoke other than the fact his disability and need for these splints does mean he has some knowledge of what he's talking about - as does the fitter - granted!

glass I am presuming these are AFO's the lad wears? How many people that think he's rude know what these are? They are plastic and moulded to the foot/calf and held on with velcro! If they are too long/short on the ball of the foot/ toe, calf they can dig in and cause sores/ bruises that take ages to heal. Perhaps this lad has experienced this and was trying to tell the fitter the cut he had caused these problems.

I would think the same of any child, disabled or not. It's good to learn how to argue your case. Children are sometimes wrong when they do it, but it's a good impulse.

I do think it can be extra hard for disabled people (children or not) because some people infantilize disabled people.

Can those who are saying he was cheeky, please tell us what an appropriate response from the boy, to the rude response from the adult, should have been?

Ah quick has made the same point re shoes

But the child put his point across rudely too! He parroted the man's words back to him. He didn't say (according to the OP) 'no, these really are too tight, please look at them again,' which would have been a thing to congratulate.

When they rub they are not correct they rub, are sore and will bleed.

Are they AFO's?

People are forgetting the fact that the child is ten. It seems to me all he did was turn around what the man had said to him. This isnt being cheeky. It's a good way of putting across a point.

Would you rather

'excuse me good sir, I'm terribly sorry to disagree but these are shockingly uncomfortable and thus should be corrected'

Yes they AFOs.

Can those who are saying he was cheeky, please tell us what an appropriate response from the boy, to the rude response from the adult, should have been?

"No, I'm sorry but they really need cutting I think."

I can't believe we're even having this discussion.

If the man had used his noggin he would have realised that the boy hadn't said they needed to be cut more, for nothing!

The fitter was rude to him first and as an adult he shouldn't have been. Would he have said that patronising statement if he was fitting an adult? I doubt it, he would probably have taken their experience into consideration. So although I can see that the OP's nephew was a little rude, the circumstances warranted it.