Recently Anna and I were eating dinner at a fast food restaurant before heading out to daddy's softball game. While we were eating there was a man sitting by himself and he has special needs. As we were eating he started talking out loud to himself and making some rather interesting noises and Anna asked me, "Who is he talking to mommy?" Not sure of how to respond I just told her he must be on the phone, thinking this was a good answer. Nope. The man turned and Anna saw that he did not have a phone, and she called me out on it. "Who is he talking to mommy?" she asked again with her big blue eyes rather inquisitive. So I had to really think about my answer, how do you explain to little people about those with special needs?
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6
Our local grocery store has many young adults working there that have needs and we see them there. But they act a bit different than this young man. You want to shelter and protect your little one but know that is not the way life really is. And Anna isn't one who likes a random answer, she really wants to know. She also asked on a different day about a couple who were "little people", Anna thought they were her age and wanted to know if they were with their mommy too.
So I have to ask, do you try to tell a 2 year old about "special" people or make up an answer. The easy way in parenting would be to just change the subject and/or make up answer. But that would not be the most effective thing to do, you know that this issue will come up again. I guess this is just one of the many challenges we face when we are parents. This one wasn't too bad, just one that I wasn't prepared for.
Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.
(Proverbs 29:17 ESV)
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