A mum’s heartfelt open letter to parents is spreading a very important message about inclusion.
Mum of three Jill Robbins, who blogs at ripped Jeans and Bifocals, shared an emotional post about one of her kids on Facebook.
The Texas woman introduced her adopted son Zack, who recently started the second grade.
She explained that the 7 year old has a limb difference, meaning his right hand is not completely formed.
Her post continued:
“We adopted Zack when he was 2, and we honestly thought his limb difference was no big deal.
“We’ve spent most of the last five years telling him to ‘put that down’ and ‘stop climbing that.’
“He plays soccer and flag football. He does martial arts. He colours.
“He helps me in the kitchen. He carries his own laundry basket from his bedroom down to the laundry room.”
But when it came time for Zack’s “meet your teacher night”, Jill began to realise that others don’t necessarily see him the way she does.
She continued:
“He’d been telling me for weeks that he was afraid to go back to school.
“I brushed him off and it wasn’t until about thirty minutes before it was time to leave that I actually focused on his concerns.
“Because I’m busy. Because I’m being pulled in a gazillion different directions.
“Because my limb difference child is normally confident and gregarious and I really don’t think of him as being different.
“’People who are new to my school might stare at me and ask me questions about my little hand.’
“’They might,’ I answered.
“‘That’s pretty normal, don’t you think? Your little hand is pretty different than what most people are used to seeing. It’s okay if they ask questions, right?’
“He paused. ‘Yes. It’s okay if they ask questions but I get tired of saying ‘this is the way I was born.’ Is it okay if I’m tired of answering questions?’
“’It’s okay that you feel like that,’ I answered. ‘But people who don’t know you are still going to be curious.'”
It was at that point that Zack said the one thing that caused his mum’s heart to “sink to the pit of my stomach”.
He told her:
“Please don’t let them be mean to me, Mommy.”
He explained to his mum that some kids had been taunting him at summer camp.
Jill added:
“He’s a sensitive kid, so it’s hard for me to determine whether or not it was taunting or just curiosity, based on second hand information.”
She finished off the post by sharing her takeaway from the exchange, as she urged parents to talk to their kids about differences and inclusion.
She said:
“Ask questions and be curious about people who look different that you look.
“But before you stop to ask questions, consider that there is a living, feeling person on the other end.
“And, if you have a child who is different, in any respect, keep paying attention to what they’re experiencing, thinking, and feeling.
“Their perception of being taunted or ostracized MATTERS.
“And please…don’t let your kids be jerks. Talk to them about differences and inclusion.”
Featured image Facebook/Ripped Jeans and Bifocals by Jill Robbins.
