To ask if you explain to your children what wheelchairs, white canes and other things are for?

[hellokittymania]

Just asking as I had three children ask what I was doing while passing me yesterday, and one parent said she didn't know. I stopped, and explained because I thought maybe their mother didn't want to offend me. I wasn't offended though and would rather the children know. So I'm just wondering if you explain to your children what these things are for.

Yes, for me it is no different to explaining the difference between vehicles on the road, animals in the fields, hair colour, skin colour whatever else. My two just take it in their stride (disabled gran, dad has become disabled since their birth etc) it's just life.

If we saw a person in a wheelchair or on a scooter for example they might (6 and 3) comment something like "that's like daddy's but red", and sometimes they might ask. Last year we met a woman who wore an eyepatch, they were a bit curious about it but we explained she had been ill and again they just took it in stride (including copying her eyepatch!).

I always try to just teach them that some people are one thing and some another, but that it makes no difference. I hope so far that they just see people as people.

:)

Are you in wheelchair or do you use a white cane? If you use a wheel chair it is possible the mum said she didn't know why you were in a chair rather than not know what they are for? If you use a white stick i don't really now. I assumed most people knew why people with sight impairment use them. Maybe she wanted to talk about it with them out of your earshot in case you were offended? I certainly explained to my DD's what they were for when they were growing up.

Yes I do. We live in a big city so come across people using mobility aids all the time. My DS called wheelchairs "wheelbarrows" for a while which was mortifying but gave everyone who could hear his pronouncements on public transport a laugh!

yes, if they ask me.

DD and I have talked about assistance dogs (after seeing an info stand at the supermarket), mainly to remind her never to touch them when they’re working and always to ask. I would always try to answer her questions.

We've talked a bit about it - I wonder if the woman just didn't want to appear rude by speculating on your disability in earshot. My kids asked for a great deal of information once we got onto the subject.

I do, because I want my children to be aware of disabilities (we’re all autistic bar DP and have experienced some negative attitudes so they already know how it feels) and not to be surprised or make anyone feel scrutinised.
Not in a “let’s explain about disabilities today” way, just in the course of conversations when we’re out and about, as with other things we see.
My friend has a guide dog and they asked why so we explained, BIL has combat related PTSD so when he reacts to loud noises they know why. They already understand about hypersensitivity to noise as both my boys have it.

So aye, I wouldn’t make a big song and dance about it, but I would tell them.

Blue, I use a white cane. A lot of children are very curious and ask, but yesterday children asked on three separate occasions. A few weeks ago, I was outside writing, my nose is practically on the paper and a group of teenagers walking past were asking each other if I was asleep. Then one of them said, Oh s#%# she's writing! They all started laughing, and I said to them but yes I was writing, but I would much rather be sleeping since I was doing modern Greek. 😂 I don't get offended very easily.

Relative in a wheelchair so that was an early thing to explain for us. We see loads of guide dogs, hearing dogs and others sometimes, on the tube so that sparked questions.

Haven’t explained white stick yet as we haven’t come across one. DS is 3.

Yes of course. Age appropriate- toddler would get told that just like he has his pushchair for when he can’t walk the distance some adults need a bit of help with getting around too.
He’s very impressed by mobility scooters

I always explain to DD if she asks but I am always unsure if I'm explaining it right without offending anyone in earshot.

For example - wheelchairs are for people who need a bit of help getting around, maybe they can't walk or their legs get tired quickly...
White stick hasn't come up yet but I think I'd say some people can't see very well or they need extra help finding their way around and the stick helps them feel their way along.
(I'd like to say it's like an insect has antenna but would that be offensive?)

Is that rude/patronising? She's only 3 so it's very basic...

I always explain and I try and be as matter of fact as possible, both to spare any embarrassment the other person might have but mostly to normalise disability as my kids don’t have a lot of exposure to different disabilities.

@DontBuyANewMumCashmere personally I find your examples a bit too - I don’t know - like beating round the bush?! Be interested to hear what other people think, but with your specific examples I would say some people can’t walk or need help that’s why they have wheelchairs. Some people can’t see that’s why they have a stick or dog to help them get around. I have to admit my kids are older than yours though so maybe my approach wouldn’t work for your daughter.

IKashmir, I would find that to be a good explanation actually. I said yesterday that my cane helps me to know if there something in my way. I can feel if there is a step, A rubbish bin etc. I can also use it to feel changes in the ground so for instance, if you know the tube stations in London, that yellow line has raised bumps on it. My cane can feel the bumps and I know to stand behind that line

If my boys ask i tell them that wheelchairs are for people who have problems with their mobility, hearing aids are to help people hear and white sticks are to make other people aware that the person carrying the white stick have problems with their sight. My eldest wears hearing aids and a good friends daughter is a wheelchair user, they have a good awareness that some people have disabilities that are not always obvious.

yes, but then we know a couple of people who are wheelchair users (one who always use one, and another who is in and out as he needs it) and there is a lady who walks past my house every day with a white stick.

I do signed interpretation at our church too, so they are all disability aware.
Our rescue dog was going to be trained as an assistant dog for a teenager with severe anxiety, so we have talked about assistant dogs too.
It has lead to some interesting conversations, which I hope has helped them to have a better broader understanding.

dd2 went through a phase of trying to walk round our back garden using a stick 'like the blind lady' to see how the stick helped, as she couldn't grasp how the stick would help.

Yes of course, why wouldn't you.