[blparent] Beware those sharp little eyes!

Wed Nov 9 19:18:07 UTC 2011

Rebecca, I totally agree with what you're saying but please let me clarify
since we're talking about two different things.  I'm referring to parents
cutting corners with kids young enough to be totally unaware of what's going
on.  Naturally, this would last a little longer with a blind child because
the parent has the advantage of the kid not being able to see what's in the
cart.  I guess why it really didn't bother me was because I didn't know it
was happening since I was young enough and didn't find out that my folks
were doing this until I was much older.  My folks didn't do this with me as
an older child and I think that's where the difference lies.  It's like
getting something for your baby because they're a baby and don't know the
difference and no one would think any different about cutting that corner
and that's all I mean.  If you're old enough to be aware of it happening and
parents are still doing it then that is wrong for sure.  When it came to
wrapping the gifts my mom had me help her with wrapping everyone's gifts for
years before I even thought about my own gifts being placed into my own
little paws which was always a very special privilege that the other kids
didn't get.  When I was getting older and came across one that I felt might
be mine my mom would say, "You don't want to spoil your fun for Christmas do
you?" and I smiled sheepishly and continued wrapping since it was such a fun
thing to share with mom and didn't bother me.  If my mom saw at all that I
was bothered by this and felt taken advantage of then she would have stopped
for sure.  Every kid's different as we all know and some things bother one
that don't bother another and that's where it's important to be receptive
parents and treat each kid as an individuals.

Thanks,

Erin

As far as kids finding gifts in hidden places goes, I'd just do what my
parents would do which was tell me that Santa can't store everything for all
the children in the world at the North Pole and so they have parents store
some gifts ahead of time to help him out.  

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)
Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2011 11:38 AM
To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blparent] Beware those sharp little eyes!

It matters if it hurts the person who is having the corners cut.
I don't recall my parents doing this, they went to great lengths to keep
stuff a surprise which I do appreciate.
Cutting corners is say, skipping a bath or having PB&J for supper every now
and then.
Would you feel this way if somebody planned a party for you and said "f***
it, I didn't decorate because I knew you couldn't see it"? Or "I could have
gotten you a really neat kick with something you love on it, but since you
can't see it, I just picked one up at Giant?"

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Erin Rumer
Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2011 1:07 PM
To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blparent] Beware those sharp little eyes!

My parents got my gifts with me there at the store as well and I've got to
say I don't blame them.  It's enough work to try and shop and organize
holiday details so why not cut corners where you can.  Heck, I'd do it if my
kid was blind! SMILING  My mom would even have me wrap some of my gifts if
they were in unidentifiable boxes which killed me and made me laugh all at
the same time.  With Dawson I'm going to take a trick from my mother-in-law
and wrap the gifts inside other things that are totally different shapes
from the actual gifts.  For example, taking a old blanket that's not being
used and wrapping something smaller inside of that or hiding a gift inside a
big ball of newspaper.  It doesn't have to be pretty, just has to do the
trick.

Erin

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Lisamaria Martinez
Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2011 10:30 AM
To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blparent] Beware those sharp little eyes!

You know, my parents wrapped my gifts in front of me too. In fact, they'd
shop for them in front of me. I thought it was rude and totally unfair to do
that just because I couldn't see.

LM

On 11/9/11, Jo Elizabeth Pinto <jopinto at msn.com> wrote:
> Hi.  For any of you moms who have little ones starting to run around 
> and get into things, I thought I'd warn you about something I just 
> learned the hard way.  *Smile.*  They'll see everything, especially 
> what you don't want them to, and they'll remember.  They're smarter 
> than
we give them credit for.
>
> I bought Sarah the Little People school bus because she's really into 
> buses and planes and the like right now.  The package came from Amazon 
> while she was at preschool about a month ago, and I threw the boxes in 
> the recycling bin and hid the toy at the top of my closet, thinking I 
> was
pretty slick.
> Well, she saw part of a picture on one box sticking out of the bin.
> She asked about it, and I glossed over it.  We moved on, and I thought 
> she'd forgotten about the bus.
>
> So this morning, I went to get a shirt from the closet, and Sarah 
> wandered in behind me.  All at once, she started jumping up and down, 
> saying, "I see it!  Up there!  The bus toy really is here!  I want 
> that
bus toy!"
>
> I guess I didn't hide it well enough.  She saw the box peeking out 
> from under a blanket on a high shelf and remembered the picture from 
> the recycling bin.  She had a bit of a meltdown because she knew the 
> toy was there, but I wouldn't get it off the shelf for her.  I 
> couldn't really explain why, either.  Now Santa Claus can't bring that 
> toy to her, either, because it'll blow his cover.  I'll have to give 
> it to her from Mom and Dad, or maybe from her brother Stephen.
> Anyway, my point is, when I was a kid, my family could (and did) wrap 
> my presents right in front of me.  But obviously, blind parents of 
> sighted kids have to be very careful about these things.
>
> Jo Elizabeth
>
> "How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, 
> compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and 
> tolerant of the weak and the strong.  Because someday in life you will 
> have been all of these."--George Washington Carver, 1864-1943, 
> American scientist _______________________________________________
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