[blparent] Children, canes and mimicking

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

Penny is only 22 months and she literally mimics how Ross and I use our
cane. She also now "reads" with her finger when looking at books even if
there's no Braille on that book. She observes what we do, and it isn't
something we encouraged or forced; she just mimics what we do. It seems
to be a natural action for her.

With our nephew and nieces, they too have tried to use the cane or
Braille. We've always been careful to explain the proper use of any tool
or method. At four, our niece Chloe actually learned how to properly use
a Brailler, and this was before she could read and write print. She also
learned how to use a cane properly and would walk around, eyes closed,
tapping the cane shoulder-to-shoulder. She started teaching others.
She'd say, "See, it's suppose to hit stuff so you don't run into it. You
move it back and forth like this."

None of the kids have ever engaged in stereotypical blind behavior. They
only have done what we do and what they observe us doing. We've never
had non-related children try to use blind skills, though plenty have
been curious in which we will speak to them and explain what "being"
blind is like.

It's not that they're playing blind, or at least they don't process it
this way; to them, they're just doing something the way we do. It's
really no different then when children pick up behaviors in sighted
parents. When I was a toddler, I use to mimick my dad when he was
working out. I'd try to lift heavy weights and do what I observed him
doing. They're pictures of me laying on a bench trying to lift a
benchpress! Of course my dad kept an eye on me, but I was mimicking what
I saw. It's the same as a blind parent- our kids see what we do and pick
that behavior up.

If our kids, or other kids, ever engaged in stereotypical behavior, we
would correct it and explain how a blind person accomplishes tasks, but
so far, this hasn't happened. Again, the only children to mimic and want
to learn blind skills have been those related to us, and they only do
and learn what they observe my husband and I doing. Since we don't
practice "stereotypical" blind behavior, the kids don't act this way.

If a child ever acted this way, the best way to handle it would be to
teach them. When children learn how and why a blind person does things,
they grow up with understanding. Hopefully the kids close to us have a
positive example so this isn't even a concern.

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog at:
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
 
"History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan

Message: 6
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2011 09:04:01 -0400
From: jan wright <jan.wrightfamily5 at gmail.com>
To: blparent <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [blparent] children, canes and memicking
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<CAAGY-FUTOijj2=7kD++LWKUk4PW9_XphAj12XBzxQFVST_xfCw at mail.gmail.com>
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i never minded my children playing with my cane unless there was a
possibility of damage. But, my cane was used for all types of unintended
purposes.

Memicking blindness is an interesting subject.
i think that it depends on the intention.
It is perfectly acceptable when children of blind parents do it because
they just want to be like their parents. But, i have felt quite
uncomfortable when other nonrelated children
say: "I want to play blind," and close their eyes and act as they think
that a blind person acts.